Nepal, Blue Diamond Society: Letter to Peter Piot, UNAIDS Requesting to Endorse “The Yogyakarta Principles”

October 2, 2007 in AIDS, Blue Diamond Society, Gay, Gay Rights, GLBT, HIV, Homophobia, Homosexuality, Jogjakarta, Nepal, Peter Piot, Sunil Plant, UNAIDS, Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta Principles

Letter to Peter Piot, UNAIDS requesting to endorse “The Yogyakarta Principles“:

Sunil Pant
Mon, 1 Oct 2007 01:37:53 -0700 (PDT)

Dear Dr Peter Piot,
UNAIDS, Geneva

Although the we all are clear that various considerations and decisions of the UN human rights mechanisms confirm that lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgenders have the right to non-discrimination and equality before the law, efforts to obtain a UN declaration on the human rights of sexual and gender minorities have, over many years, been blocked by various countries. To address this gap, we undertook a project to develop a set of international legal principles relating to this issue. The outcome is the document titled “The Yogyarkata Principles” (http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/index.php?item=25) which was developed and drafted by a distinguished group of human right experts including Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a number of UN Special Rapporteurs, Justice Edwin Cameroon, and many activists.

The Principles conclude with a number of recommendations regarding endorsement, recognition or promotion of them by institutions including, that:

“Non-governmental organisations working on human rights at the national, regional and international levels promote respect for these Principles within the framework of their specific mandates”.

We would like to request you to take this up with UNAIDS, internationally, to consider endorsement of the Principles and follow the above recommendations. UNAIDS should take lead to protect all the rights of LGBTIQs including sexual health rights, right to HIV prevention and care support services by endorsing this principles, And Encourage others to do the same.

At a more practical level, Blue Diamond Society have been translated the principles into Neplai and disseminated these Principles in Nepal. Many government and non government organizations and institutions felt that the “The Yogyakata Principles” is very educating for them to protect LGBTIQ rights .

Thank you very much for your support and solidarity.

Regards

Sunil Pant
Blue Diamond Society