Speaker #0Hi, I'm Daniele from ILGA World. What you're about to listen to is a special episode brought to you not just by ILGA World, but by a global coalition of organisations and human rights defenders. I hope you'll enjoy listening. In July 2025, the Human Rights Council will vote to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. This is the only human rights expert within the United Nations system that is specifically dedicated to addressing violence and discrimination against LGBT and gender diverse persons, and to help states, UN agencies, other mandates and bodies in the international and regional systems to address them. Its existence is a... big deal for our communities across the world and really for everyone who cares about equality. The mandate has existed for more than 10 years now. It has conducted official visits to Argentina, Georgia, Mozambique, Ukraine, Tunisia, Cambodia, the US, the United Kingdom, Albania, Poland and Colombia. It has produced 16 reports documenting discrimination and violence on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. And it has sent 171 communications to countries from all regions documenting allegations of violations so they could act upon them. A global coalition of organisations and human rights defenders is asking the Human Rights Council to renew the mandate for three more years. Hear activists from every region of the world about what it means to have this mandate and why it should be renewed. We are not free and we are not equal! We're not asking for anything new. All we want is to elevate our humanity so it is the same with everyone else. So many people around the world are being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. And that's the reason why we continue to push that this mandate continues. Coming together as a global community to resolve the issues of violence and discrimination that our community faces is one of the priorities of the international community. A renewal of this mandate at this time, more than ever, where we are seeing rollback in many policies, is much needed and much necessary. To have a mandate which has the support of governments behind it, saying this matters, is so crucial and it must continue. Sadly, there are those out there who would want to take that away. And so the fight must continue to hold on to this mandate. I think what this mandate does is uniquely elevates those voices that are not being heard and often being crowded out by those making so much more noise. There is a clear point of contact you can turn to when it comes to your work with the UN. The mandate represents two things for the global LGBTI population. Firstly, for sure. is the visibility that we have at the UN level to be able to address our needs, but as well to have a mechanism that answers to people in a direct manner and that can interact with other mechanisms within the United Nations to answer to very specific issues. Which brings me to the second element of why it's important: the capacity of intersectionality that this mandate holds. I think it's really important for the UN to have a perspective, not only perspective, but have really clear guidelines and an action plan around violence. Violence extends to the workplace, it extends to communities. We don't have a true perspective, a true community perspective, unless we're learning about the impacts of violence and then what are the ways that we're going to work together to address them. After his country visit, we received so many contacts from our governments who became more open to cooperate with us. So I think it is very crucial to push for this mandate to be there for the next years. Okay, we heard what the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity can do. But what does it mean to people to have this mandate? To know it exists? There's been moments when we've felt as a global movement that things are just on an eternal, upward spiral, and we are not feeling that right now. A renewal right now shows that governments are committed. It shows that we are a movement that is together, united, forging alliances for the future. It will give us hope. To be there under this rainbow sky in Room 20 of the Human Rights Council, to see that LGBTI people are acknowledged and named through this mandate, is something truly worth it. We have a voice through this mandate in the international community. It's the only space we have and we cannot back down. We cannot take a step back. To me, this is a powerful mechanism, something that represents us, something that we can turn to, something that must not get lost. Because this is one thing that we can all agree upon, that we must have a voice within the UN. We're only just beginning to shed the kind of light that's needed on issues facing our communities around the world. There is a huge lack of data around the world on the realities of LGBTQI people, and the Independent Expert makes it possible to compensate for some of this lack of information, bringing to the forefront realities that are sometimes not seen. So I really... I can't imagine how it could possibly be justified not to continue this mandate. The mandate itself has built a wealth of evidence around discrimination and violence on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. And it is obvious and clear that this mandate needs to continue because the problem is still there. It is vital that this is renewed. The work is still not done. Around the world, millions of people are forced to be resilient, despite the continuous threats they face. We're talking about killings, rape, torture, violence, discrimination in access to healthcare, housing and employment. All of this to punish them for who they are and whom they love — something that they cannot change. States and institutions will say that issues of sexual orientation and gender identity are too sensitive. But no matter the colour of our skin, where we come from, or the faith that keeps us going, we can all agree that no human being should face violence, discrimination, torture, stigmatisations, or abuse. And there is simply no exception to that. More than 20 years of treaty body jurisprudence recognise that international human rights law prohibits discrimination, including based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Living free from violence and discrimination, that's all this is about. Before we go, there's one last thing that our communities would like everyone to hear. Renouvelez l'expérience independent. Renew. Renew. Renovation. Renew. Renew. Renew. Renew. Renew. Renew. Renew. Renew. Renew. Renew. It's time to renew the mandate. In July 2025, the UN Human Rights Council will vote to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. There is someone fighting for you, and with you, at the United Nations! If you too want to be a part of this, there is so much you can do. Share this podcast episode so that more people can understand why it is so important that this United Nations mandate continues. Look out for the #RenewIESOGI campaign on social media and like, comment, share to amplify its reach. Engage with LGBT and allied organisations in your country or region to understand who's involved in the campaign, what you can do, and how you can work together. Every action matters. Join us and ask states to #RenewIESOGI. Thanks for listening.
