Loudes, Christine
Rights, not crimes : The EU's role in ending criminalisation of same-sex acts in third countries : ILGA-Europe report June 2005
Bruxelles : Ilga-Europe, c2005
Abstract/Sommario:
This report looks into the role of the European Unions (EU) institutions can play towards countries which still criminalise consensual same-sex acts. The document first highlight that such legislation contravene international standards of human rights. In particular, breaches of the right to private life and the discriminatory aspect of these laws have been established at European and United Nations (UN) level. Furthermore, several UN bodies have declared that criminalisation of consen ...; [leggi tutto]
This report looks into the role of the European Unions (EU) institutions can play towards countries which still criminalise consensual same-sex acts. The document first highlight that such legislation contravene international standards of human rights. In particular, breaches of the right to private life and the discriminatory aspect of these laws have been established at European and United Nations (UN) level. Furthermore, several UN bodies have declared that criminalisation of consensual same-sex acts amounts to degrading, inhumane treatment and torture. The report argues that the EU institutions have a responsability in relation to human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in several third countries. This responsability flows from the fact that the EU member states have signed agreements with those countries which containes human righjts clauses. To ensure the respect for human rights in those countries, the EU institutions have severala tools: economical (with drawal of aid), political (political dialogue) and legal (human rights clauses in agreements). The report gives a few examples of agreements with countries which criminalise consesual same-sex acts. The paper than turns the issue of death penalty as a sentence for consensual same-sex acts. Despite guidelines and declartions condemming theuse of the death penalty, the EU has signes agreements with countries which execute people on the sole basis of their sexual orientation. The report provides a list of these countries which receive financial help from the EU. Finally, it contains a list of recommendations targeted at the EU institutions. There are three ways they can act: to put pressure on governments to stop violations of the human rights of people because of their sexual orientation; to raise awareness and visibility on the fact that rights of LGBT people are human rights and to protect people fleeing persecution.
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