WASHINGTON, D.C. (CitizenWire) — The United States joined Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, East Timor, Finland, France, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Slovenia in sponsoring a high-level panel discussion “Ending Violence and Criminal Sanctions on the Basis of Sexual Orientation” on September 17 at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
With messages of support from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, the panel discussion focused the international community on the urgent need to end the criminalization of people on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
According to the US State Dept: “We applaud the courage of the human rights defenders who addressed the audience and urge member states of the United Nations to act and support efforts to end the criminalization of people on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”