The United Nations Economic and Social Council has voted to grant consultative status to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), which is now the 10th queer group to receive such status at the UN.
“The victory continues the upward trajectory for LGBT rights at the
UN,” reads an IGLHRC press release. “It allows IGLHRC to participate in a more formal way through
attending meetings, submitting statements and collaborating with the UN
and governments in the international human-rights arena.”
IGLHRC members march in NYC Pride in June 2010.
23 countries, including Canada and the UK, supported the US-led resolution to grant consultative status to the IGLHRC. Thirteen countries voted against the measure, including China, Egypt, Russia and Saudi Arabia (see the full breakdown of votes here).
Today’s decision overturned a UN subcommittee vote in June that once again stalled the IGLHRC’s application for consultative status. The IGLHRC first applied for consultative status in 2008, but the organization says it faced multiple rounds of homophobic questioning and procedural roadblocks. On June 4, the UN NGO Committee voted 10 to 6 in favour of a motion to take “no action” on the IGLHRC’s application.
More than 200 NGOs from 59 countries supported today’s resolution granting status to the IGLHRC.
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