The Equal Rights Coalition’s (ERC) Founding Principles include a commitment to strengthen and co-ordinate efforts to advance the human rights of LGBTI persons. This includes focusing on the human rights of and sustainable development for LGBTI persons through engagement with the SDGs.

Many of the SDGs are framed inclusively for “all people” and therefore include LGBTI persons. The Agenda 2030 commitment to “Leave No One Behind” means that LGBTI persons must not be left behind. Some member states have recognised this through their Voluntary National Review (VNR) reporting and commitments.

The Equal Rights Coalition expresses concern that global progress on sustainable development is reversing for the first time in decades. Many developing countries are still struggling to cope in the aftermath of COVID. Globally there remain many overlapping and protracted crises such as wars, international conflicts, civil wars, terrorism, climate change/disasters, humanitarian emergencies, continued shrinking of civic and democratic spaces which threatens lives and security of activists, and weakened state accountability mechanisms. The global cost of COVID and such crises means that needs are increasing ​​and resources are decreasing. In addition, the steady rise of well funded anti-rights movements and their influence in UN processes pose a threat to progress on the SDGs for ​​LGBTI persons. The global expectation of steady progress towards the SDGs is at risk.

The UNGA SDG Summit provides an opportunity to galvanise global action to get the 2030 Agenda back on track at this critical mid-way point to 2030 and deliver the SDGs​ for all people, particularly for those furthest behind.

​​In June 2023 the UN published the report:  ‘Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Towards a Rescue Plan for People and Planet’. ​​​​ While the reports suggest progress against some of the SDG’s, many need much more progress, or show no movement or in fact regression following the pandemic. ​​​The ERC notes with dismay that the draft report does not explicitly acknowledge LGBTI persons.

The ERC endorses the UN Secretary General’s call for transformative action, but notes that plans for accelerated and sustained progress on the SDGs should work for all people and not leave LGBTI people further behind. Therefore, the ERC calls for:

1. Strengthened commitment to address the rights, needs and strengths of LGBTI people across all SDGs. LGBTI people are part of life and societies in all ways, and so all of the SDGs are relevant for LGBTI people. There is an urgent need to address LGBTI dimensions of gender inequality and for accelerated and sustained action to address the rights and needs of LGBTI people in an integrated way across the SDGs.
2. Member States to address the rights and needs of LGBTI people within their Voluntary National Review (VNR) and to formally include LGBTI civil society organisations in the VNR process.  VNRs will contribute to leaving no-one behind when they include LGBTI people and when LGBTI CSOs are enabled to respond to Member States’ VNR plans.
3. Active collaboration to extend LGBTI inclusion in the 2030 Agenda: There is a longstanding need for collaboration among G20 members and support for all developing countries to advance the SDGs for all people. By working together and with LGBTI civil society actors with a specific focus on promoting rights and inclusion of LGBTI persons, including through the ERC, Member States will ensure that no-one is left one behind.
4. Specific commitments to improve the lives of LGBTI persons: The framework for sustainable development needs to ensure an intersectional approach to all rights of LGBTI persons including efforts to eradicate poverty and gender-based and domestic violence, to reduce inequality, to guarantee access to essential services and to reduce the inequality disparity based on SOGIESC.
5. Recognize and respond to the specific needs of LGBTI persons in humanitarian crises and when forcibly displaced due to conflict, human rights violations and abuses, and environmental and climate crises and ensure access to tailored sustainable food, water and sanitation systems to meet their needs.

Equal Rights Coalition members who are co-signatories:

Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay.

The Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) compliments the recent interim order by the Supreme Court of Nepal to recognise marriage equality by allowing same-sex couples to register their marriages. This de-facto recognition marks the first step to legally secure equal marriage rights for LGBTIQ+ couples in Nepal. This historical and essential progress contributes to building momentum for equality in the country.

We acknowledge the hard and arduous work of activists and lawyers who have been advocating to achieve de-facto recognition of their fundamental rights, and the continuous efforts by the Supreme Court to grant equal marital rights to the Nepalese LGBTIQ+ community regardless of their gender.

This order by the Supreme Court of Nepal marks an important milestone for the LGBTIQ+ community on the road to equality in Asia and we look forward to the final judgement. We also recognise the work that remains to be done by the Government of Nepal to translate these decisions into more inclusive legislation. We unite in support of LGBTIQ+ persons and will continue our engagement with Nepal to foster a world where all people can live and love in happiness, liberty and dignity.

“Armastus on vaba”: this means “Love is free” in Estonian.

Today, the Equal Rights Coalition applauds the decision of one of its member states, the Republic of Estonia, to recognize same-sex-marriages. This is a significant step to ensure equal rights for all.

Likewise, the Coalition welcomes Estonia’s decision to amend the Registered Partnership Act, granting all persons the same rights and obligations independent of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.

We acknowledge the extensive work of activists and advocates who have not lost faith and continued to campaign for this change. However, we also recognize that the road does not end here as there is still more work to be done to ensure that all rights of all LGBTQI+ persons are respected.

Both decisions are important milestones for Estonia, but also for the Baltics and the Central and Eastern European Region.

Extending the rights to enter marriage or partnership to everyone shows true democratic statehood and is a vital step towards inclusion and equality in society.

Hosted by the Human Dignity Trust and the Equal Rights Coalition through the work of the International Diplomacy Group and the Decriminalisation Subgroup, this webinar explores how the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women can and is being used to advance decriminalisation globally.

The Equal Rights Coalition expresses grave concerns about the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 which further criminalizes LGBTI persons in Uganda. The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 criminalizes same sex-relations with even broader and more draconian punishments for LGBTI conduct, including life imprisonment or death. In addition to criminalizing the “promotion of sexuality,” the law threatens LGBTI organizations engaged in human rights advocacy or engaged in health assistance programs, and criminalizes support to LGBTI organizations and those working on the human rights of LGBTI persons.

The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2014, which was nullified on procedural grounds by the Constitutional Court of Uganda, and closely mirrors the 2023 Act, has been extensively examined and condemned by human rights experts as discriminatory, violating the human rights of LGBTI persons and inciting hate and violence against LGBTI persons. As the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights noted, exclusion, stigmatization and discrimination of any group within a society is corrosive, is a root cause of violence, and has a negative impact on society as a whole.

The Equal Rights Coalition expresses grave concern about an uptick in violence against Ugandan LGBTI persons and calls on the Ugandan government to protect its citizens, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, from violence. There is no excuse for violence and discrimination, under any circumstance, against any group. That includes violence on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 infringes on the human rights of all Ugandans, while gravely undermining the human rights of LGBTI persons in particular. More broadly, it contributes to a climate of fear and persecution which will also negatively impact on trade, public health, investment, tourism and development. It also risks undoing the important progress that Uganda has made on global challenges, such as the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The Equal Rights Coalition aligns itself with the statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Equal Rights Coalition expresses its support to civil society and local communities in Uganda and the wider region.

Equal Rights Coalition members who are co-signatories:

• Albania
• Austria
• Belgium
• Canada
• Chile
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Israel
• Italy
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Portugal
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• Ukraine
• United States
• Uruguay

On the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), the Equal Rights Coalition reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding, advancing, and advocating in favor of the rights and freedoms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) persons worldwide.

Since its foundation in 2016 at the Global LGBTI Human Rights Conference in Montevideo, the ERC has advanced the human rights of LGBTIQ persons and promoted inclusive development, in both member and non-member countries, by engaging with civil society organizations, multilateral agencies, and activists from all over the world.

Its current co-chairs, Mexico and Germany and their respective civil society counterparts, Fundación Arcoiris and LSVD, reaffirm their dedication to the mission of the Coalition to foster collaboration and dialogue among its multiple members and stakeholders with the aim to putting an end to the global and systemic patterns of violence, discrimination, and criminalization faced by LGBTIQ persons.

Such a commitment is especially important in times like these, when so many communities and individuals across the world are experiencing the consequences of increased vitriol and phobia directed towards them on the basis of their sexual orientation, their gender identity and expression, and their sex characteristics.

We see with concern the irruption of anti-rights movements around the world operating through various interconnected ways, such as the many legislative attempts to criminalize advocacy for equal rights, even risking the lives of LGBTIQ individuals in different jurisdictions, as well as those that aim to threaten access and availability of gender-affirming medical care and treatments.

We oppose the violence experienced by intersex individuals, especially children, who are subjected to harmful and medically unnecessary procedures and treatments in medical settings, often without their consent.

We acknowledge the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination against LBTIQ women, and support the enactment of laws and policies to prevent gender-based violence, promote gender equality, and disaggregate data about LBTIQ violence while preventing, punishing and eradicating discrimination and violence against LBTIQ women.

We recognize that LGBTIQ persons also face multiple and differentiated forms of violence based on their gender, race, ethnicity, disability, age, religion, sex characteristics, and social class which leads to aggravated forms of discrimination, exclusion and violence in the public and private spheres and further affects the full guarantee of their rights.

We stand in support of all LGBTIQ persons, including transgender, non-binary, and gender-variant individuals worldwide, who find themselves facing increased victimization because of their mere existence, and experiencing extreme politicization of their rights and freedoms by their detractors.

As part of our commitment to advancing the rights and freedoms of LGBTIQ persons worldwide through dialogue, cooperation, and diplomacy, we as co-chairs of the Equal Rights Coalition will continue to mobilize this mechanism in support and defense of our human rights goals in close cooperation with our global stakeholders and civil society.

The Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) welcomes the Singaporean Government’s repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code in Singapore, which criminalized consensual sex between men.

This decision is a historic step for the advancement of the human rights of LGBTIQ+ persons in Singapore. We recognize and applaud the work of LGBTIQ+ civil society in Singapore, and their lawyers, whose efforts have been instrumental in bringing about this change. We encourage the Government of Singapore to further improve the lives of LGBTIQ+ people, their families and loved ones, which will also contribute positively to Singapore’s business environment.

It is encouraging to see a growing global momentum towards decriminalization and we hope this pace of reform continues in the coming months. We encourage governments in the East Asian region that have not yet pursued decriminalization of consensual same-sex conduct to consider undertaking proactive legal reforms to repeal their own outdated legislation. As ERC member states, we commit to championing this reform globally because all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights and deserve to be treated that way.

Statement by ERC co-chairs Germany and Mexico.

The Equal Rights Coalition expresses grave concerns about the legislation to broaden the ban on any discussion and sharing of information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and their human rights, by the State Duma of the Russian Federation. The previous law “on the propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors” (the so-called Anti-Propaganda Law) from 2013 has been extensively examined and condemned by human rights experts as discriminatory, violating the right to freedom of expression, and leading to an increase in hate speech, hate crimes, and abuse, including against children.

The so-called anti-propaganda law is a further attempt by the Russian authorities to create a climate of fear and intimidation, and restrict the freedom of expression of all Russians. It follows other repressive legislation, such as legislation that criminalises those who are deemed to be spreading “false information” about the armed forces.

These legislative amendments infringe even further on human rights, impacting the human rights of all in Russia. In effect, these extensions of the so-called anti-propaganda law mean that any act or public mention of same-sex couples is functionally criminalized. As the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights noted, exclusion, stigmatization and discrimination of any group within a society is corrosive, is a root cause of violence, and has a negative impact on society as a whole.

The Equal Rights Coalition aligns itself with the statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Equal Rights Coalition expresses its support to civil society and local communities in the Russian Federation and the wider region.

Equal Rights Coalition members who are co-signatories:

Albania; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Canada; Chile; Costa Rica; Czechia; Denmark; Ecuador;; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; The Netherlands; New Zealand; North Macedonia; Norway; Portugal; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; United Kingdom; United States; Ukraine

The undersigned members of the Equal Rights Coalition were appalled by the October 12 shootings in Bratislava, which appear to have specifically targeted the LGBTQI+ community. Such senseless acts of hatred are unacceptable. Everyone should be able to live free from violence and persecution, regardless of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. When those rights are attacked, the fabric of society is under attack.

Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. Our thoughts are also with the LGBTQI+ community in Slovakia who face hatred because of who they are or who they love.

Hate-fuelled rhetoric leads to hate-fuelled violence and has no place in any country. Non-discrimination and protection of the human rights of all persons are among the shared values that unite us and upon which our democratic societies draw strength.

The Equal Rights Coalition expresses its support and solidarity to the victims, their families and the LGBTIQ+ community in Slovakia.

Statement by the ERC Co-Chairs: Germany; Mexico