UNDP Asia and the Pacific’s Being LGBT in Asia and the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF) has released a manual for national human rights institutions (NHRIs) to promote and protect human rights in relation to sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.
The manual provides many case studies of the work of NHRIs on human rights issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. Some are short examples of activities undertaken. Others are longer descriptions of comprehensive programs. The case studies provide information on past and present activities of individual NHRIs and offer inspiration to all NHRIs for future projects. They assist NHRIs to learn from each other. The final chapter of the manual offers possible actions for NHRIs – 50 of them. These are actions NHRIs can take, under each of their functions, to promote and protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.
Prior to this Manual, APF has already produced a resource that discusses the general nature, roles, functions, powers and activities of NHRIs. Available in English and Russian, the resource can be found here.
With the support from the second phase of Multi-country South Asia Global Fund HIV Programme (MSA), in which UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub acted as the Primary Recipient of the Grant, APCOM has produced a bite-size resource that aids LGBT people and/or their human rights defender in South Asia to report human rights violations to NHRIs in South Asia. Called Know Your Rights, the resource is available in English and seven South Asian languages (Bengali, Hindi, Nepali, Pashto, Sinhala, Tamil and Urdu). The new UNDP/APF’s Manual strategically complement Know Your Rights.
See also:
+ Defending the Rights of LGBT Individuals in South Asia: Stories of Survival and Justice
Photo caption: Participants at the Being LGBTI in Asia, 2015 Regional Dialogue on LGBTI Human Rights
and Health in the Asia-Pacific. Photo by UNDP/W. Field.
