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Council of Europe passes 'historic' LGBT recommendations

by Rex Wockner

International News Briefs

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, representing the national governments of its 47 member countries, unanimously adopted "historic" recommendations March 31 to combat anti-LGBT discrimination, reported ILGA-Europe, the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.
The recommendations cover hate crimes and speech, employment, education, health care, housing, asylum, sports, and freedom of association, expression and assembly, among other areas. They also instruct member states to order national human rights bodies to address anti-LGBT discrimination.
"This is the world's first intergovernmental agreement codifying the application of human rights standards to LGBT people," ILGA-Europe said. "The recommendations establish how international human rights standards should be applied to LGBT people and contain specific measures for member states on how they should improve their legislation, policies and practices."
Martin K.I. Christensen, co-chair of ILGA-Europe's board, called the move "a truly historical development."

"For the first time in history, the European continent came together to codify human rights' applications to LGBT people," he said.
Co-Chair Linda Freimane added, "These recommendations go well beyond the current situation in many European countries for LGBT people and will surely serve as a blueprint for our members in working with their national governments."
Freimane said ILGA-Europe will "follow closely the three-year review mechanism agreed by the Committee of Ministers to ensure the full implementation" of the recommendations and will encourage the Council of Europe "to organize a campaign among its member states to promote these recommendations."
Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland called the development "an important achievement, being the first legal instrument in the world dealing specifically with one of the most long-lasting and difficult forms of discrimination to combat."
"The recommendation is an expression of the Council of Europe's commitment to equality for all and respect for the dignity of all," Jagland said. "I invite all member states to make all the necessary efforts to implement this recommendation."

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