What we do
Objectives
Since its establishment in 2016, the ERC has worked to bring together governments and civil society in pursuit of a common goal to advance the human rights of all people, and to ensure their inclusive development, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and sex characteristics.
Overview
The ERC fills a critical space in the international human rights framework. It provides a channel of communication for discussing measures needed to protect and advance these rights, working closely with stakeholders, including regional and multilateral organisations, civil society, and the private sector. It looks to foster a more informed understanding globally of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to highlight how these impact on and influence the lives of LGBTI people. It seeks to build consensus around the common responsibility of governments and organisations to foster a culture of inclusion and diversity, and to share experience and practice on how to bring about positive change.
Vision
The ERC works for a world where every nation recognises, promotes and protects the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. It looks to ensure that everyone can participate in all aspects of life free of discrimination and violence, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and sex characteristics.
Mission
The ERC is a global intergovernmental coalition committed to taking coordinated action to advance and protect the human rights of LGBTI people everywhere. ERC member states do this by abiding by the commitments they made on accession, and which are set out in the ERC’s Founding Principles.
Core Values and Principles
By signing the ERC’s Founding Principles, each ERC Member State has confirmed its commitment to the affirmation in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set out in the Declaration, without distinction of any kind, including race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. ERC Member States have committed to a partnership with civil society, dialogue and peer learning, advocacy to promote international standards in human rights, international collaboration and collaboration with other ERC Member States.
Strategic Objectives
Taking into account the challenges and the opportunities to advance equal rights for LGBTI persons in the current global environment, the diplomatic tools and capabilities at the ERC’s disposal, the resources available and demands on the ERC, as well as the potential for strategic partnerships to advance its work, the ERC will prioritise work with civil society over the five years from 2020-2025 to:
- Eliminate violence and discrimination based on SOGIESC;
- End the criminalisation of LGBTI people;
- Advance the implementation and monitoring of SDGs for LGBTI inclusion;
- Enlarge and build the capacity of the ERC.
The ERC Member States have agreed a 5-year Strategy, outlining these strategic objectives, and the overall vision of the ERC. Annexed to this is an Implementation Plan, which outlines the actions to be taken by States over the coming years to progress LGBTI human rights and inclusive development, and the role of the ERC mechanism.
