42 member nations and more than 140 civil society organisations will address the importance of defending the human rights of LGBT people today in Buenos Aires, where the UK and Argentina will co-chair the 2022 Equal Rights Coalition summit.
The rising worldwide “backlash” against LGBT rights and freedoms is highlighted in a pre-conference study.
Today (September 8), the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) will gather in Buenos Aires to discuss taking coordinated action on important concerns that LGBT people confront throughout the world.
The meeting takes place at a critical juncture since ERC member nations have recognised a rising international danger to the liberties and human rights of LGBT people. Additionally, it will provide governments and NGOs the chance to exchange best practises.
Argentina and the UK, the current co-chairs of the ERC, will also give a report on the development of the ERC’s Strategy and Five-Year Implementation Plan, which will be released in July 2021.
During the conference’s closing ceremony on Friday, September 9, Germany and Mexico will assume their positions as the ERC’s new co-chairs.
The ERC will pledge to increase member involvement and empower more representation from the Global South.
Co-chairs from the civil society will also join Germany and Mexico, who will be assisted by a new Administrative Unit that is financed by member states.
Nick Herbert (Lord Herbert of South Downs), the Special Envoy for LGBT Rights for the UK Prime Minister, stated:
In the UK, freedom is a value that applies to all people. While we are pleased of the Equal Rights Coalition’s efforts to uphold fundamental liberties, more must be done in every region of the globe if we are to succeed in our objectives.
As the next co-chairs of the ERC, Germany and Mexico will have our support. Together, we can make it very obvious that LGBT rights are fundamental human rights.
Alba Rueda, Argentina’s Special Representative on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation, said:
Argentina is a powerful nation in terms of diversity and human rights. This is the outcome of the social and political movements led by transgender persons, non-binary people, lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals, and other people who reject the patriarchal and binary systems.
We regard the ERC in the same manner, as a forum for social organisations to voice their concerns so that governments would pay attention and promise to implement their requests.
The previous gatherings of the ERC Conference took place in Montevideo in 2016, Vancouver in 2018, and virtually in 2021. Since 2019, the UK and Argentina have served as co-chairs for a prolonged period of time because to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The conference will concentrate on four main topics: creating inclusive national laws and policies, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, assisting civil society responses to the worldwide anti-gender movement, and tracking global decriminalisation progress.
The Equal Rights Coalition relies heavily on the involvement of civil society organisations.
More than 140 organisations from all around the globe are supported by the current civil society co-chairs, Asociación Familias Diversas Argentina, Kaleidoscope Trust, and Stonewall.
Some of the in-person participation at this year’s conference for civil society organisations and human rights defenders from the Global South was financed by the UK, Argentina, Mexico, the USA, Canada, The Netherlands, and Belgium.
A Strategic Plan and Five-Year Implementation Plan were approved by the ERC in July 2021 to assist direct and energise the group’s efforts and guarantee the organisation can realise its enormous potential.
This prioritisation process was cited in the pre-conference report as a “significant accomplishment” of Argentina and the UK’s time serving as co-chairs.
Background
On September 8 and 9, the ERC will convene in Buenos Aires.
Participants at a hybrid meeting will also be able to interact digitally for delegates who are unable to attend in person.
Journalists may apply for accreditation if they want to cover certain aspects of the conference in person or digitally.