From April 2nd to 5th, 2013 activists from more than 20 Latin American countries met in Brasilia, Brazil, to discuss the results and further steps resulting from the Resolution presented by South Africa on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Human Rights and adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2011. This meeting is part of the regional consultation process involving both civil society and governmental representatives from Asian, Europe and Latin American countries, and is being sponsored by South Africa and Norway. The consultations were designed that concrete problems and violations experienced by LGBTI persons in their daily lives and will be concluded this week in Oslo when possible paths toward the adoption of a new resolution will be also examined.
During two days, thirty-six expert activists from Latin America and the Caribbean shared information and collectively strategized as to make possible a move forward on the part of UN member states in relation to human rights violations and institutional discrimination systematically perpetrated against homosexuals, trans and intersex people that, more than often, are justified by tradition, cultural and religious values. One main outcome of the meeting was a civil society statement, which was read at the “Regional debate regarding international instruments to fight homo-lesbo-trans-phobia” sponsored by the Brazilian National Secretariat for Human Rights (April 5th) when diplomatic representatives of a number of Latin American countries were also present. The statement will be attached as an appendix of the governmental report that will be taken to the final consultation to be held in Oslo (April 15-16).
The Latin American consultation was hosted by ARC International, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), the Brazilian Association of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans persons (ABGLT), the Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities (CARIFLAGS) and Transexuals Organization for Dignity and Diversity of Chile (OTD Chile).