Written declaration No. 491 | Doc. 12748 | 05 October 2011

The report of the Human Rights Commissioner on discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in Europe

Signatories: Mr Jonas GUNNARSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Tina ACKETOFT, Sweden, ALDE ; Mr Mörður ÁRNASON, Iceland, SOC ; Mr Lennart AXELSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Félix BRAZ, Luxembourg, NR ; Mr Piet De BRUYN, Belgium, NR ; Mr James CLAPPISON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Paul FLYNN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Annette GROTH, Germany, UEL ; Ms Carina HÄGG, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Gábor HARANGOZÓ, Hungary, SOC ; Mr Mats JOHANSSON, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Dirk Van der MAELEN, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Péter MIHALOVICS, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Sandra OSBORNE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Kathryn REILLY, Ireland, UEL ; Ms Marlene RUPPRECHT, Germany, SOC ; Mr Indrek SAAR, Estonia, SOC ; Mr Jim SHERIDAN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Christoph STRÄSSER, Germany, SOC ; Mr Björn von SYDOW, Sweden, SOC ; Ms Anette TRETTEBERGSTUEN, Norway, SOC

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

We warmly welcome the publication in June by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights of the most extensive study ever undertaken on homophobia, transphobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in the 47 member states.

We note with concern the Commissioner’s summary of his findings:

“Millions of people in Europe are discriminated, stigmatised and even victims of violence because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. They cannot fully enjoy their universal human rights. There is an urgent need for all European governments to remedy this situation and take policy and legislative measures to combat homophobia and transphobia”,

We call upon member states’ governments and delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly to study his findings and to use them as a start point for implementing both his recommendations and those contained in the Committee of Ministers Recommendation (2010)5 on measures to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

We further call upon the Committee of Ministers to put in place effective processes for monitoring the implementation of these recommendations.