Championing Diversity in Times of Adversity: Standing Up for LGBTI Persons

Okay, we're going to get started. Hello, everyone. If you are in this room, I hope you're here for championing diversity in times of adversity, standing up for LGBTI persons. If you are not here for that, please vacate your chair so someone else does not have to stand up but can sit down for the remainder of the session. If you are watching us on the webcast, welcome. This event is organized by the UN LGBTI Core Group and is our annual event during this week. So welcome, everyone. My name is Maria Shadid. I am the executive director of Outright International, and I'll be moderating today's session. And I will start by giving myself the floor. I thought the theme for this year was incredibly fitting. In times of adversity, countries can often be tempted to turn inward at precisely the moment when international cooperation is needed the most. And I know there are a lot of discussions throughout this entire week that in different ways touch upon that subject. The United Nations, of course, brings together sovereign states, but sovereignty cannot be used to decide whose rights count. The promise of the Universal Declaration is simple, at least in words. Human rights are universal. In difficult times, we often see how minorities can become convenient scapegoats. And LGBTQ communities have experienced this time and time again. Every year when I speak here, I use the word backlash. I thought this year I will challenge myself and try not to use it. But it is very difficult. Countries are introducing new criminalization of same-sex relations, not simply retaining colonial-era laws. Actually, the number of UN member states criminalizing consensual same-sex relations has increased for the first time in a very long time. Across several countries, hundreds of LGBTQ people and activists have been detained or arrested. arrested. We have seen about that in the news in relation to some countries and not so much in the news in relation to others. Trans and gender diverse people are losing access to health care, facing new barriers to identity documents, and medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children continue. The adversity is not abstract. It affects people's safety, health, livelihoods, political participation, ability to be heard, essentially ability to just live your own life. And at the same time, the organizations responding are at a breaking point. OutRight just published new research last week where we surveyed 229 LGBTQ organizations across 94 countries. About nine in 10 had lost funding since January 2025. And of those, almost half had lost at least half of their funding. 63% of those organizations can no longer respond adequately to emergencies involving violence or arrest. So we're in a situation where we have to defend human rights and also support the organizations that make those real rights happen. Of course, there has also been progress. I think that's one of the advantages when you work globally. You get to actually see the progress that's happening in different parts of the world, including-- I know I probably said this last year, but Thailand implemented marriage equality. St. Lucia has decriminalized consensual same-sex relations. And of course, the Human Rights Council last year renewed the mandate of the independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity. And all of these gains reflect organizing, coalition building, and institutional leadership. What happens in countries and at the United Nations is connected. We know the Third Committee will soon negotiate the resolution on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions. which is the resolution that for the longest time has included a reference to sexual orientation and since 2010 also to gender identity. This matters because it's connected to real lives around the world and we'll hear from Gloria and Noone today about the people behind that diplomatic language. Governments businesses, UN institutions, and civil society, we're all under pressure to avoid difficult issues, or the issues that some people claim are too difficult. We must be brave, careful, and strategic. International action can protect hard-won gains, but I mean, I represent civil society. I always want to say, A lot of these actions have to be guided by what civil society in country is saying, because we are typically the ones who are closest to the lived realities of the people who will be affected. We need to connect what's happening here in New York with what communities need. Protect the standards, protect civic space, and resource the movements. These times of adversity are also a test whether our commitment to human rights truly applies to everyone. So thank you everyone who is here today. I know that means you are standing up for LGBTI persons, and that is exactly what we need at this point. So now we're going to go to opening remarks by the co-chairs of the UN LGBTI Core Group. And first, Roberto, we're going to go to you, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Master of Ceremony. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker, Minister of International Development of Norway, Asmund, good to see you two here, and distinguished representatives of member states, UN agencies, and civil society, friends and colleagues. I would first like to express my appreciation to Norway for our close partnership as co-chairs of the United Nations LGBTQI+ Core Group and to all members and partners committed to keeping LGBTQI+ rights high on the agenda. It is an honor to welcome you today to this event at the beginning of the High-Level Week to close ranks around the basic premise of human rights for everyone, everywhere. It is no secret that the rights of LGBTQI+ people are under threat. Discrimination, violence, hate speech and disinformation continue to threaten the dignity, safety and well-being of millions online and in real life. Same-sex relationships continue to be criminalized around the world. More worryingly, hard-won progress is being questioned or reversed as algorithms accelerate messages that stigmatize sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression or sex characteristics. Although marriage equality has advanced across all continents, it is only a recognized right in less than 40 countries. Moreover, today, close to 90 countries have an explicit ban on same-sex marriage, up from 34 in 1991. Mexico's position is that LGBTQI rights are human rights and are intrinsically linked to the rights of a diverse, multicultural society such as ours. In this regard, under President Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's government, courts, and society as a whole are advancing legislation, public policies, and education to protect, promote, and fulfill the rights of everyone with the objective of leaving no one behind. Marriage equality is recognized throughout the country. Legal frameworks increasingly protect people against discrimination, and progress has been made toward the legal recognition of gender identity. These achievements have been the result of the tireless efforts of civil society, activists, communities, and institutions working together to build a more inclusive society. In a recent poll, three quarters of Mexicans felt that LGBTQI rights are more respected today, and two thirds acknowledged that their own perspectives had changed. However, we are fully aware that the journey is not over. Legal progress must be accompanied by societal change, effective institutional enforcement, and a keen awareness of intersectionality. Transnational campaigns of disinformation try to advance political campaigns by scapegoating those who are different, migrants, indigenous peoples, peoples of African descent, those belonging to LGBTQI, Q+ communities, And these campaigns seek to pit these groups against one another in increasingly insidious ways. We are therefore grateful for the partners represented here from governments, international organizations, civil society, and private sector from all continents. In the face of regressive narratives of hate and exclusion, we stand together as a coalition united in defense of the idea that all human beings, without distinction, are created equal in dignity and rights. For Mexico, inclusive societies that strive for shared prosperity are strong and resilient societies. Human dignity transcends all borders, and our commitment to equality must know no exceptions. Thank you very much.

Thank you. We're going to my other side. Minister of International Development of Norway, Osman, please.

Thank you, and thank you to Maria and to OutRight, both for facilitating this meeting, but more importantly for the work that you are doing every day. It is my honor, together with my friend and colleague from Mexico, as co-chairs for the LGBT core group in the UN, to welcome you to this meeting. And I'm also very glad to see that this room is packed of people, and as I and Roberto were discussing before the meeting was started, we didn't expect so many people to be in the room, but I think that's a very positive start of this week here in New York. We from the Norwegian government, we have protection of LGBTI persons very high on our agenda, both because we face a backlash, I agree, I wish we didn't have to use that word, but that is the reality. There is a backlash on rights on all continents of the world. We cannot accept this development and therefore we need to do more and to or step up. Also because we know that attacks on minorities and sexual minorities is also very often a part of a broader attack on civil space and very often the first sign that the whole democracy is at risk. We from the Norwegian government, we are here because we want to step up our efforts. We want to do it especially with civil society and I will say especially for those that are in the most vulnerable countries. They are on the front line, and I will say that they are the hero in the story about how to face this backlash. We also want to do this together with other countries, and therefore I'm very glad to see that there are many countries here in the room. We need each other, and we need to widen the group even more. We need to be better coordinated among us. Those forces that attacks those rights that we have used so many years to achieve, we know how they are inspired each other. And we also see that this works, this really works. We know this gives results. Also back in Norway, we see that the debate about pride, about LGBTI persons are more polarized. And four years ago, we had a terrorist attack against Oslo Pride, where two people were killed. This is a reminder that we are all in this together. We must do better and we need to be better coordinated. We from the Norwegian government, we have increased our support for LGBT rights, but also through civil society. But more importantly, I would say that we are using our political voice for this issue. I'm very glad to see that the High Commissioner for Human Rights is in the room. I think that's a very important signal to both to all of us, but also for all of those who are not in this room. Let me end by saying, when the General Assembly starts tomorrow, what we are working for is really in the heart of the promise of the United Nations. Human rights, they belong to everyone and everywhere. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you so much. And thank you so much to Mexico and Norway for your leadership of the UN LGBTI Core Group. Now we're going to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, please.

Great to be back here again and very happy that we have this meeting. It's very important, especially in the context of the high level segment of the General Assembly. And I would like to unpack some of the things that I've just heard from the two co-chairs, Norway and Mexico. I think it's important to realize that the movement for the equal rights of LGBTIQ+ people has much to teach the world, particularly at this moment, but some seek to erase or reject those lessons. The history of the movement for the equal rights is full of courage, dignity and solidarity, and it is an integral part of the human rights movement. It's not something separate, it's an integral part of the broader human rights movement. In claiming their freedom, the LGBTIQ+ communities helped free our societies. We need to see it as a broader strive for freedom. They helped make societies kinder, more open, more cohesive, more peaceful, more resilient. By challenging orthodoxies, they widened the space for self-expression, contributing to progress in innovation everywhere, pushing the boundaries. And the world needs these lessons today more than ever before. We know that progress on human rights has never been linear. I can certainly vouch for that from my vantage point. But today's backlash is deep and it's coordinated. And the persecution of LGBTIQ+ people around the world is escalating at an alarming rate. In preparation for this meeting, my colleagues pulled together a number of trends that frankly I find very shocking and I intend before the end of the year to issue a more comprehensive update which goes into some of the things that we have been seeing around the world. We know that across every region, LGBTIQ+ people continue to live and to love in the face of hostility and exclusion. Their rights, safety, well-being are under attacks, physical, psychological, social, political and legal. So it's a comprehensive onslaught. We have seen a dramatic increase in the persecution. through and of LGBTQ+ people and human rights defenders. I mean, just recently, Senegal, Turkey come to mind. Hundreds have been arrested with reports of ill treatment, lack of due process and no access to legal representation. We have seen a sweeping crackdown on LGBTQ+ organizations, including raids, restrictive laws, judicial proceedings, and the branding of groups as terrorists, extremists, or national security threats. More than 60 member states still criminalize consensual same-sex relationships, and while we saw a downward trend, we now see an increase in a number of countries where, indeed, some of these laws are being promoted. And we have also seen, more generally in electoral periods, more and more candidates and political parties use the bigotry in order to promote anti-LGBTIQ+ sentiments. Trans people, and particularly women, are demonized and increasingly excluded from public spaces. These attacks are designed to confuse and to distract. They cloak bigotry in the language of decency and morality. They invoke the protection of children against manufactured threats, while real and growing dangers to children's lives and futures, including those linked to technology, to inequality and the climate disaster, remain unaddressed. So there's a big irony in all of this. More broadly, those who seek to erase difference and independent thought, expression, and voices from our societies often begin this by erasing LGBTIQ+ people from books and classrooms, from film and culture, and from our streets. So this is always the beginning. It's a wedge issue that unfortunately is used politically to erase other portions of society eventually. But less visibility means less familiarity, less acceptance, and more violence. The rights of LGBTIQ+ people are not ideological or new. They are fundamentally human rights. They've always been there, but we cannot take this for granted. We can't take it for granted for the LGBTIQ+ community, nor can we take it for granted when it comes to gender equality. The tentacles of the anti-rights movement reach far. They target the human rights movement and the tools and the institutions that are created to protect people's rights and dignity. And they are trying to weaken it by sowing divisions. I mean, this is the old playbook of authoritarianism, distraction, deception. Much of this is done in the name of family, in the name of tradition, in the name of values. But values that render some people valueless are not worthy of the name. And that's where the radical idea of Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights comes back in, because it talks that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. It doesn't make an exception. And that's, again, the law that helps us promote precisely this. In light of the current challenges, I decided to launch a Global Alliance for Human Rights because we see these concerted pushbacks and I really hope that we can extend it to each and every segment of society, to each and every group, and I hope very much that we can also have and work on an LGBTIQ+ agenda within this global agenda for human rights because we need to go, we should no longer be on the defensive, we need to be on the offensive. So I very much look forward to working with all of you in the years to come on this. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much, Volker. We're now going to hear from a few different speakers on the topic of today. And I'm going to start with you, Gloria, to share your reflections about a time of adversity that you want to share with us. And ideally some good practices or lessons learned that we can all learn from. So please, Gloria.

Thank you very much, Maria. My name is Gloria Kwei, a feminist and a human rights defender. I serve with Equity Net Ghana, an LGBT-led youth organization, and Wapay Initiative, which is a traditional women-led organization. On May 21, 2021, I experienced one of the greatest adversities of my life when the Ghana police unlawfully arrested 21 activists, including myself, during a training in the Volta region. We were detained for 21 nights and 22 days, including myself. with so-called promoting LGBTI, simply for training people in basic human rights protections. Over these three weeks, we faced mistreatment and harassment, especially my trans and intersex colleagues, who were humiliated by prison staff. My own family filed a missing persons report because I was unreachable by then. Our detention showed how state systems weaponized vague laws to intimidate, confuse, and silence marginalized citizens, especially grassroots leaders with limited formal schooling. Our authorities claimed we were a Western LGBTI imposition, yet we have our own words in our own languages for people of diverse genders and sexuality that go back deep into our history and culture. and more. We are not importing an identity, we are reclaiming one. This crackdown was a precursor to broader hostile state action. Two months later, by July 2021, Parliament introduced the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. Political agendas systematically translate cultural prejudice into oppressive policy. threatening our freedom of assembly, speech, privacy, and protection from inhuman treatment. These rollbacks shut down civic space, criminalize peaceful gatherings, and block us from reaching the communities who need us most, all in the name of so-called traditional African and religious values. Our lives are being reduced to political and religious talking points instead of being recognized as human beings deserving of dignity and safety. Behind every headline are families torn apart, young people facing homelessness, violence, blackmail, and state-sanctioned discrimination. And what is happening in Ghana is happening across our continent, in Africa. We stand in solidarity with our African colleagues, following the murders of LGBTI individuals across the continent, including Iriah Mama, a transgender woman and sex worker who was murdered in Abuja, Nigeria in August 2024, and Imam Hussein Hendricks, the world's first openly gay imam, who was shot and killed in Eastern Cape in South Africa, February 2025. We know the UN will again this year discuss a resolution on Mehta and that our inclusion among those killed will be questioned. Please protect our very existence. Life is complex. My government rightly fights for recognition of the historic dehumanization of Africans through slavery as among the gravest violations of human dignity. Yet, domestically, Ghana now endorses legislation that dehumanizes LGBTI citizens through criminalization, surveillance, and exclusion. Weaponizing state power against one's own citizens while demanding dignity for Africans abroad is profound institutional double standard. Debates about sovereignty and tradition are just not debates. They justify real harm, physical trauma, financial loss, Emotional strain, forced outers, but state oppression has not silenced our movement. It has forced us to evolve. We have collaboratively drafted a national strategic guideline for the Ghanaian LGBTI movement, building structured security, contingency planning, and sustained advocacy for the years of struggle still ahead. For every Kojo Besia, SASSO, and Oba Berima, what you have may term LGBTI in Ghana. In Africa, spirituality runs deep through our past, present, and future. We accept our history as a force that shapes what comes next. What is unfolding in Ghana is not a defense of traditional family values. It is the systematic targeting of an already vulnerable population. We call on the international community to hold state actors accountable to the universal standards of human dignity and justice we continue to fight for every day. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much, Gloria. We're going to Thailand next. Noon, please, you have the floor.

Yes, thank you, Maria. I am a transgender woman from Thailand, working at the Asia Pacific Transgender Network, a regional organization working across the region Asia Pacific. I'm proud to share our progress in Thailand, including marriage equality, growing recognition of transgender health, and stronger national conversation on the legal gender recognition and protection from discriminations. This was built through decades of work by the Thai LGBTIQ movement, together with the government, parliamentarians, national institutions, and international partners. I hope that our achievement can inspire other countries that still struggle. It's proof that the country from the global south can do. today though, I want to bring a different realities from across our regions to this room. Along with demands to the LGBTI, along with the demands to the LGBTI call groups. First, Trans and gender diverse people have lived with diverse gender and cultural identities that exist long before colonial binary norms comes in our regions. In Asia, we have katoi, waria, hijra, tirunangai, arawani, kwajajira. In Pacific, we have waqasalewa, lewa, fafaveni, and fakalete. Many governments call our bodies and identity as Western agenda. We are not. A rigid gender binary is simply not reality of our existence. And denying that leads to exclusions, erasures, and attack. Second, trans people in our regions continue to experience violence. 203 and 3 transphobic murders have been documented in Asia and the Pacific over the past five years alone. And the reality is much likely higher. Please continue to protect these realities in the UN resolutions on murder. We call for stronger prevention, adequate investigations, and access to justice to better protect trans and gender diverse people from killings, violence, and discrimination in all forms. Third, activists and organizations defending LGBTI rights in our region are facing backlash. backlash. So those who oppose LGBTIQ equalities have built interconnected system in our region that attack our communities access to health and social services and the resource we need for to organize. Let me tell you a story about the trans woman from our region. After major funding cuts in 2025, first clinic providing gender affirming care to close. She asked me whether there was any way to help her access hormones. She could no longer afford them on the private market. She was left with the impossible choice, life-saving care or food. I carry her story with me. Amidst these damages, we are doing our best to hold the lines, organizing with limited resource, but this effort cannot This effort alone cannot protect our organization from the risk of shutting down. We need your help. Finally, championing diversity in the face of adversity means helping progress move faster than regressions pushed by those who hate us. Beyond courage and leadership, it's required government to stay close to grassroots civil societies, including movement that cannot be present in this room like us, like me. and to use their voice for us to negotiate into the negotiation we do not have the access to. We ask you to not take well-meaning measures, especially the high-profile multilateral fora, such as the UN, without talking to the groups who will be affected. Listen to us, protect our civic space, resource our work, and support activists at risk. Stand with us, the movement working for legal conditions, decriminalizations, protection from violence and discriminations, access to health and social protections, and support system for the human rights defenders. When one country develops better laws, this creates opportunity for others to learn. But I am careful not to present our experience as a model others must follow. Championing diversity must hold fast to universal declarations on human rights. How this is implemented will reflect our different cultural identities and histories without reproducing colonial assumption or imposing one-size-fits-all approach. Thank you for being champions with us.

Thank you so much, Noor. After hearing from our two civil society speakers, we're now going to business. John Tilley, Director of Commercial Real Estate with Deutsche Bank. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you to the UN Core Group and our long-term partners at OutRight for inviting Deutsche Bank in this important conversation. I returned from Berlin yesterday, a city filled with optimism for the future and unmistakable reminders of what came before. As the capital of Germany, Deutsche Bank's home market, it holds a special place in our story and my heart. In fact, one of the first times I met Maria, we really got to know each other there. In 2019, we partnered with United Nations on a culturalization that produced a white paper entitled Engaging the Private Sector on LGBTI Issues, a guide for human rights defenders engaging private sector. Seven years later, we were asking the same question, what can the private sector do? Being back in Berlin last week reminded me that sometimes the answer is surprisingly simple. Open our doors. Give civil society a platform. Create a place where people can gather and feel safe. Use our spaces, relationships, research, voice, influence, and yes, money to support them. It's fitting that I was reminded of that in our home market because our global pride theme this year is when I think of home. Sometimes home is simply where we are safe enough to be seen. But that idea took on new meaning for me in Berlin this pride season. Deutsche Bank was a democracy partner of Berlin Christopher Street Day. And at the Brandenburg Gate, we sponsored an evening dedicated to defending democracy. No one in this room needs a history lesson from an American at the United Nations to understand what that gate symbolizes. But standing there reminded me that institutions matter, democracy matters, and who speaks up and who remains silent matters. The very next day, our community was attacked in the same area. People were hurt. A life was lost. Violence like that doesn't only inflict personal harm, it instills fear. It makes us ask whether visibility also makes us vulnerable. And for me, that made something very personal and very clear. Visibility and safety should never have to be competing choices. No one in our community should question where they can be visible and safe for simply being themselves. And that brings me back to home. Because home isn't just where we belong, it's where we should be able to belong without fear. And when safety is threatened, the impact isn't felt equally. The most marginalized members of our community are often the first to feel it and have the fewest places to run. That's where business has a role, creating spaces where people don't have to hide who they are while using influence beyond our doors. That role cannot change with the political or cultural movement. Our values have to mean as much when speaking up is difficult as when it is easy. And there is a business case for doing so. The 2024 Investor Guide to LGBT+ Inclusion, conducted by Open for Business and sponsored by Deutsche Bank, found a strong correlation between LGBT+ transparency and financial performance. Open for Business analyzed 290 of the world's largest publicly traded companies across Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. ranking them on LGBTQ+ transparency. The highest scoring companies had average profit margin 2.3 times as high as the 25 lowest scoring companies. This shows what we all know, inclusion and business performance are not competing choices. Through OutRight, this core group, Open for Business, and others, we've learned that doing this well means listening, using evidence, building broader coalitions, and working alongside civil society, not in front of it. But doing this work for the long haul also means taking care of the people doing it, including ourselves. Over the last six months, I went through an intensive therapy program. It changed how I hear that familiar instruction on every airplane. Put on your oxygen mask before helping others. Now I finally appreciate why. Investing in myself wasn't taking time away from this work, it was investing in my ability to keep doing it. So put on your oxygen mask, help the person next to you. And then together, we can get to work. Because the challenges ahead require all of us and every tool in the toolbox. We speak, we listen, we use evidence and influence, we open our doors, and we care for the people doing the work. And we keep going until no LGBTI person anywhere has to ask, can I be visible and can I be safe? Because home isn't simply where we came from. Home is what we build one another. And when every one of us can be seen, can be safe, and can belong, then all of us can finally be home. Thank you.

Thank you so much, John. Lopa, we are going to go to you next. Lopa Banerjee, director of the Civil Society Division at UN Women, please.

Thank you, Maria. Good afternoon, Excellencies, colleagues, partners and friends. On behalf of UN Women, I thank Mexico and Norway, the co-chairs of the UN LGBTI group, and OutRight International for convening us. Friends, our leadership is tested when defending equality carries a cost. That is the test before us today. We have been hearing during this session how LGBTIQ+ persons face criminalization, violence, and discrimination, while hard-won protections come under strain. Coordinated attacks target gender equality, bodily autonomy, and the universality of human rights. They seek to police gender identity and sexual orientation, punishing people for who they are and whom they love. Civic space is restricted through law, financial pressure, surveillance and intimidation. Digital misogyny and disinformation spread rapidly across borders, while rights are cast as threats to sovereignty, culture, family or national identity. In 2024, nearly one in four governments reported that backlash was obstructing progress on women's rights. The UN Charter and Universal Declaration affirm the equal dignity and rights of every person without distinction everywhere. For UN Women, Gender equality requires the rights, recognition, and full participation of people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and sex characteristics. Four priorities must guide our response. First, be principled and strategic. It is not a choice. Universal rights are non-negotiable. Our strategies must draw on local knowledge and leadership of affected communities, engaging governments, parliaments, regional bodies, women's and youth organizations, and faith and community leaders committed to equality. Different contexts require different entry points, but our strategies must always advance protection and inclusion, never lower human rights standards. Backlash moves across borders through coordinated narratives, strategies, and resources. Our response must address those drivers. Second, defend civic space. This is where rights are won and protected. If we look only at what is being dismantled, we miss what people are building. Civil society organizations keep services alive when institutions fail. Human rights defenders document violations and preserve civic space through new forms of organizing. Coalitions build influence that no single actor can achieve alone. Narratives, legal strategies and community practices open political space. Feminist movements, human rights defenders, LGBTIQ+ movements are political actors. They are innovators and builders of civic space. Our responsibility is to make their strategic knowledge visible and valued without exposing them to greater risk. Civil society must help set the agenda. That requires meaningful participation, protection from reprisals and online violence, and predictable, flexible funding, especially for grassroots organisations. Third, build solidarity across movements and generations. LGBTIQ+ equality is inseparable from women's rights, racial and economic justice, disability and indigenous rights, bodily autonomy and democratic participation. Those driving backlash target these struggles together. We must build alliances strong enough to advance them together. This is at the heart of UN Women's push forward approach. Our push forward strategy began with the question, how do we push forward against the pushback? We learned that allowing the opposition to set the terms would keep us reactive. Push Forward shifts the center of gravity from the power of those obstructing equality to the agency of those advancing it. Grounded in the reality of backlash, we ask where progress is being made and how political space is being protected, reopened, or expanded. We bring movements into dialogue and build evidence about what works to push forward in contexts of backlash so others can act upon it. Fourth, ensure institutions deliver on their commitments. UN Women is finalizing its first LGBTIQ+ Rights and Inclusion Action Plan to implement the United Nations LGBTIQ+ Strategy. It will strengthen accountability across policy, programming, advocacy, partnerships, and organizational culture. Our commitments must shape decisions, resources, and measurable results. Solidarity demands attention, protection, resources, and action, guided by the leadership of those most affected. UN Women will continue to work for a world in which no one must hide who they are to be safe, surrender their dignity to belong, or wait for adversity to pass before their rights are respected. Championing diversity means ensuring that those advancing equality have the protection, resources and political support to succeed. The promise of universal rights must hold precisely when it is hardest to defend. I thank you.

Thank you so much. We are now going to Zorglur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland. Please.

Thank you so much, Marie, and dear colleagues and dear friends. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to address this group now for the second time. But let me begin by stressing how grateful we are for our cooperation in the LGBTI core group and by thanking especially our chairs, Mexico and Norway, for all their very important work. And let me also thank OutRight International, one of our closest international partners, for our good collaboration, also very valuable. Today we have been asked to reflect on adversity, on moments when we have faced challenges in standing up for diversity, and on what those experiences can teach us. These are particularly relevant, very relevant questions today. We are witnessing a global backlash, as mentioned, against the rights of LGBTQI+ people. Violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics remain widespread and also systematic. Around the world, including sadly in my own country, we see a rise in hate speech and dehumanizing rhetoric, both online and offline. In recent weeks and months, we have also witnessed alarming crackdowns on civil society organizations and arrests of LGBTQI+ persons, including the troubling developments we are currently seeing now in Turkey. These are not isolated. incidents. They are part of a broader pattern threatening people's dignity, equality and safety. People are persecuted simply for being who they are. And we increasingly see this struggle playing out through language itself. Attempts are being made to decide which words can be used, which identities can be named and which rights can be spoken about. And let me be clear, very clear, Iceland will not allow others to define our values or dictate us the language we use to defend human rights. We are also seeing this troubling trend within the multilateral system. Today's meeting takes place just days after the establishment of a new UN core group presenting itself as pro-life and pro-family. Of course, We welcome diverse perspectives and open dialogue. Of course we do that. But language about protecting life and families must never, must never become a vehicle for discrimination or a pretext for rolling back established human rights. So what do we do when standing up for diversity becomes difficult? For Iceland, the answer is clear. We do not retreat from our commitment to human rights when they come under pressure. Being a champion for diversity requires courage, cooperation, and perhaps most important of all, clear political will. What then can we learn from adversity? First, we can take First, we cannot take progress for granted. Rights and protections achieved over decades can be rolled back remarkably quickly. That is why we must remain vigilant and actively protect and promote them. Second, we are, of course, stronger when we work together. That we know. This group demonstrates that we are united in defending equality. And here at the UN, for example, we must make clear that language about protecting life and about protecting families must never be used as a vehicle for discrimination. Third, we need mechanisms and institutions that turn principles into action. Here, the role of the independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity remains essential. Fourth, we need to invest in those doing this work every day. For Iceland, this means not only advocating for equal rights, but also supporting organisations fighting violence and fighting discrimination. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, we cannot wait for easier times to defend human rights. That we cannot. Equality matters most when it is under pressure, and solidarity matters most when it is tested. And our values mean very little if we only defend them when doing so is easy. We must continue to stand together, protect those who are most vulnerable, uphold international human rights law and ensure that everyone, that everyone can enjoy their full human rights. Iceland remains committed to that work and standing together with all of you in doing it. So thank you very much and all the best to all of you.

Thank you so much. We're now going to move into our next segment where we're going to hear messages from states that are going to be only two minutes each. So, and I have a list here and we're going to go in order. So we're going to start with Malta.

Thank you for giving me the floor, excellencies, distinguished delegates. At a time when the human rights of LGBTIQ+ persons are increasingly being questioned, contested and in some places rolled back, our commitment to equality must remain clear, principled and unwavering. No person should face violence, discrimination or exclusion because of who they are, whom they love or how they live their truth. The progress achieved over recent decades shows what is possible when governments listen, when civil society is empowered, and when communities are placed at the center of change. But it also reminds us that progress is never automatic, and it is never irreversible. We must therefore continue to defend the universality of human rights, counter stigma and disinformation, and ensure that the voices of LGBTIQ+ persons remain at the heart of our efforts. Malta's own experience confirms that legal reform can help move society forward. When LGBTIQ+ friendly legislation was first introduced, It was welcomed by many, while others were not yet fully convinced. Over time, however, protection, recognition and inclusion have become part of Malta's mainstream understanding of equality. Today, Malta continues to rank at the top of ILGA Europe's rainbow map, while recent Eurobarometer data, cited by OutRight International, shows that a majority of people in Malta express positive views towards LGBTIQ+ persons. This did not happen by chance. It happened because rights were translated into laws, laws were translated into services, and services were built around people's lived realities. Our legal framework now protects against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. Our LGBTIQ+ equality strategy and action plan seeks to mainstream equality across employment, education, health, sport and other areas of daily life. We have also learned that legal progress must be matched by accessible services and meaningful support. Malta's LGBTIQ+ Hub brings together healthcare, psychosocial support, and community-based services in a safe, confidential, and inclusive environment. That is why, in times of adversity, standing up for equality is not optional. It is a test of our commitment to human dignity. Thank you.

Thank you so much. We're swiftly going to go across to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Please.

Thank you, Maria. Thank you, co-chairs. But most of all, thank you, Noon, Gloria, John, for sharing your stories of courage. It's truly inspiring to hear your personal, heartfelt stories. I'm particularly proud to be part of the Netherlands. where we've celebrated World Pride to this year, where we had marriage equality for 25 years, where we have an LGBTI Prime Minister. But we also have to be humble, because you mentioned the backlash, and that backlash is also being felt in our country, where LGBTI acceptance amongst our youth has decreased dramatically. And this is not a natural phenomenon, it's being driven by people who have an agenda, who have a clear agenda to deny LGBTI people their rights. And we see this hatred and fear on the rise. We see it being taken out upon trans people. We see it happening in our country and across the world. And it's a fight. And it's not a fight for just some of us. It's a fight for all of us. And all of us should join that fight. So that's why the Netherlands is going to step up its efforts. We're going to commit 50 million euros to LGBTI organizations worldwide. Because, as you said, nine out of 10 organizations are currently lacking in funding. We're going to strengthen coalitions, both diplomatically and politically. But we also have to reframe our fight. I think it's unacceptable that the anti-rights movement is claiming family values for their own. Family values belong to all of us, not to them. Finally, I think it also means putting champions in the spotlights. like for instance the activist Victoria Radfani, the organizer of the Budapest Pride in 2025. Now I believe we can make sure that everyone can be visibly and securely who they truly are and be with the person who they truly love. Let's fight for that. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much. We're now going to Brazil And if you don't know Portuguese, we will get the interpretation consecutively. So just listen, we'll hear it in English as well.

Please. Good afternoon, everyone. This group meets because equality and dignity of LGBTI people still face an international scenario of retrocessions. This group meets because equality and dignity for LGBTI people still faces an international landscape of setbacks. In different regions, organized offensives are advancing against legal frameworks and against lives. In this context, cooperation among our countries is not a gesture of convenience. It is a condition to ensure that the defense of these people does not remain isolated within each border. It is in this spirit that I bring today two elements that Brazilian experience can offer for our shared reflection, an institutional model and an evidence. The model is participation. No Brasil, as políticas de direito das pessoas LGBTQIA constrói-se por meio de conferências, espaços permanentes em que quem vive a exclusão delibera, junto ao poder público, sobre como enfrentá-la.

In Brazil, policies on the rights of LGBTQIA+ people are built through conferences, permanent spaces in which those who experience exclusion deliberate together with public authorities on how to confront it.

Essa prática apoia-se na aprovação de uma política nacional de alcance federativo em implementação em nosso país, instalando uma rede nacional de enfrentamento a essas violências nos territórios.

This practice is supported by the approval of a national policy with federal reach, currently being implemented in our country, establishing a national network to address these forms of violence across territories.

On the other hand, evidence concerns the world of work. Estudo conduzido pelo Banco Mundial, em parceria com o nosso ministério e com organizações da sociedade civil, estima que a exclusão das pessoas LGBTQIA+ do mercado de trabalho representa, no Brasil, perda da ordem de 0,8% do Produto Interno Bruto.

A study conducted by the World Bank in partnership with our ministry and civil society organizations estimates that the exclusion of LGBTI people from the labor market represents, in Brazil, a loss of around 0.8% of GDP. The data is technical and its relevance here is collective. helps demonstrate to any interlocutor that excluding a portion of the population impoverishes society as a whole.

Ainda assim, o argumento econômico não substitui o argumento dos direitos, apenas o reforça. O centro permanece sendo as pessoas. São elas, e não os indicadores, que enfrentam a violência e a negação de oportunidades.

The focus must remain on people. It is them, not indicators, who face violence and a denial of opportunities.

Por isso, o que a experiência brasileira coloca à disposição desse grupo é, sobretudo, disposição para o diálogo, partilhar o que se aprendeu, aprender com a trajetória de cada país e sustentar, em conjunto, um compromisso comum.

For this reason, what Brazilian experience offers this group is, above all, a willingness for dialogue, to share what has been learned, to learn from each country's trajectory, and to uphold together a common commitment. In times of adversity, defending LGBTI people is not a concession made when circumstances allow. It is a commitment honored especially when they do not. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. We are going to Ireland next and after that Cabo Verde.

Thank you very much, Chair, and thank you all very much for such inspiring, inspiring but also in many ways angry and motivated interventions, and I think that's a great place to be coming from. I think it reflects very strongly, like my Dutch friend, on the path that Ireland has been over the last number of decades. Just the other week, we celebrated 10 years since we passed marriage equality by public vote. A year later, we elected our first Prime Minister from the LGBT plus community. All that achieved just 20 years on from the decriminalization of homosexuality. However, we're not immune to the very real pushback and coordinated campaign against what are fundamental and basic rights. We see it in all our countries, all our member states, we see it in all our partners, we see it in our communities, we see it on our social media feeds, occasionally we hear it amongst our peer groups and amongst our children, which is really, really worrying. And what we see is a very targeted campaign, particularly against the most vulnerable in society across the world, and too many people are becoming victims of someone else's cultural war. We can all diagnose the problem. We all see it. We all have to ask them, well, what can we do? What can we do about it? First things first for Ireland, we've increased our development cooperation funding every year for the last five years, particularly with organisations in the civil society sphere in the global south who work with the LGBTQ+ community, and that's something that we'll continue to do. Secondly, and you might have seen the banner outside, Ireland is running for a seat on the Human Rights Council. The great thing, and I can say this as a queer politician, it's an uncontested so we're going to win. And we have made a very clear five-point plan, and one of the very clear pillars is that for our two-year term on the Human Rights Council, that we will make the uncomfortable points, that we will make the aggressive interventions about how we stand up for the rights of LGBTQI+ people. How do we stand up for our friends, for our colleagues, and how do we say, no, no. For too long, too many people sacrificed to achieve very fundamental basic equality and rights for everyone. That throws the last question for me: how do I be a better ally? How do I be a better ally as a member of the straight community? How does Ireland be a better ally for countries where this is becoming widespread? We can all ask that. It is an open question for those of you who are suffering persecution or for those of you from countries who suffered extreme rollbacks and the rise of those who are anti-rights. What more can we do? What do you need from us? We are here, we are willing, we are not here just to stand with you, we are here to fight with you. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. Cabo Verde, please, and after that South Africa.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Excellencies, colleagues and friends. In times of adversity, it is easy to defend the rights when they are popular. But the true test comes for our commitment is whether we defend them when they are contested. For Cabo Verde, championing diversity is not about choosing some rights over others. It is about the simple principle that every person is entitled to dignity, equality, and respect. without exemption. This is enshrined in our fundamental law, the Constitution of the Republic of Cabo Verde. As a small island state, we have learned that resilient societies are built not by excluding differences, but by embracing them. Social cohesion grows when every person knows they belong and can contribute without fear of discrimination or violence. Progress is never inevitable. It must be renewed by every generation through political leadership, strong institutions, partnerships with civil society, and the courage to speak up, even when the path is not the easiest one. And this is why Cabo Verde is a proud member of the UN LGBTI Core Group. In moments of uncertainty, our response cannot be silence. It must be solidarity. Because diversity is not a challenge to be managed, but rather a strength to be celebrated and protected. Thank you, and I apologize for having to leave before the end of the meeting. Thank you.

Thank you so much. South Africa, please, you have the floor.

Thank you, and thank you for the co-chairs for hosting this meeting, and it's an honor to be speaking in front of the SCO group again. As indicated by many of the speakers, we meet today at a time when adversity is, in fact, I wanted to say it may be, but is in fact eroding our valued norms of adversity. Adversity is rising. There is, as been pointed, a global movement against human rights and the values outlined in the International Bill of Rights, which promotes and protects the human rights of all people without distinction of any kind. We are witnessing, as has been pointed out, rollbacks in all areas, including the LGBTQI+ rights, but also the human rights of women, and especially SRHR rights. There's a growing narrative globally that seeks to determine who belongs in our society and who does not. So we're seeing the discriminating differentiators are all too familiar, race, religion, origin, migrant status, sexual orientation, and gendered identities. I raise this because South Africa is not immune to these developments, as the recent anti-migrant actions by essentially non-state actors is testament to, as is the high levels of gender-based violence, and has been pointed out by Gloria, in still cases where people are being attacked based on their sexual orientation. In this area of adversity, our advocacy must then be strengthened, but our advocacy must also be intersectional. We've said this in this forum time and again. And as we work to strengthen the protections for LGBTQI+ persons, we must ensure that we align it with the protections of people based on race, class, origin, and religion, and also their migrant status. And also be aware of how this violence and discrimination is amplified by situations of occupation, migrant status, and also living in situations of war and conflict. The South African experience indicates that legal protections are important as it provides avenues for redress, but it is not enough. We need continuous horizontal advocacy to ensure that the ideologies of superiority that give rise to discrimination are challenged. I will conclude by stating that, as has been pointed out by the colleague from the Netherlands. The rollback is not natural. It is funded and it is well organized. There is a family values conference planned for South Africa next year, organized by the very same people who organized for the legislative change in Ghana. This means that investment in civil society organizations that can counter that messaging and narrative is important. as is protection of the human rights systems and the pillars of the human rights in the UN system, that the reform agenda must not undo that. I'll conclude there 'cause I can see you're getting quite anxious. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, I appreciate that. We are now going to, we have four speakers left, United Kingdom, Uruguay, France, and Estonia. And I'm afraid someone's going to come in maybe in five minutes and start interrupting us. So please, if you can shorten your remarks a bit. Thank you.

Thank you, Chair. I'll do my best. The UK believes that diversity is a source of strength, that every person should be able to live with dignity, freedom, and equality. time when many LGBTI+ people continue to face discrimination, violence and exclusion, and when we see concerted efforts to roll back rights that many fought hard to secure. The UK remains committed to defending universal human rights and promoting more inclusive societies. That commitment is reflected in our international work. Through our international LGBTI+ rights programme, we have committed to supporting LGBTI+ communities globally with 21 million from 2026 to 2029. Alongside our civil society partners, we are working to reduce violence discrimination, strengthen inclusion laws and policies, and support grass-roots organisations driving change. We continue to use our diplomatic influence to champion equality and inclusion internationally. That will also be the focus of our new special envoy for LGBT rights, Lord Collins of Highbury, who will strengthen our engagement with Governments, business and civil society to tackle discrimination, violence and persecution. We're also proud that London will host the European IDAHOT forum in 2027, partnering with the Council of Europe, bringing together governments, policymakers, activists and civil society organisations across Europe to advance cooperation on LGBT+ equality. The message we want to send today is simple: equality benefits everyone, and the UK will continue to work with you all to promote diversity, defend human rights and ensure LGBTI+ people everywhere can live lives that are equal, safe and free.

Thank you so much. And next is Uruguay, please.

Thank you. Uruguay is proud to be a member of this group and also the LAG group in Geneva and the Equal Rights Coalition. Actually, earlier this year, we had the honor of hosting a commemoration in Montevideo to mark the coalition 10th anniversary. We deeply regret the pushback against human rights and diversity that we are currently facing, and in a context in which narratives of intolerance are re-emerging, hard-won gains that once appeared firmly established are being questioned. A regressive language is being promoted in an attempt to relativize or restrict universal human rights. In the face of this, Uruguay reaffirms a simple but firm conviction: human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent. They reinforce one another and they do not allow for regression. No person should have their dignity, freedom, or full enjoyment of their rights limited on the ground of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, or sex characteristics. Our country will continue to promote respectful dialogue grounded in international human rights law, reaffirming equality and non-discrimination as a broadcasting principles. Our collective history demonstrates that progress is never irreversible. Each generation has a responsibility to protect the advances that have been achieved and to build upon them for those who continue to face barriers, exclusions, or violence. In this spirit, Uruguay renews its commitment to the human rights of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics. We will continue working alongside all of you to build societies that are freer, more equal, and more respectful of human dignities, convinced that inclusive societies are also more democratic, cohesive, and peaceful. Thank you.

Thank you so much. We are going to France next, please.

Excellencies, dear colleagues, we care to reiterate the importance we attach to defending the rights of the LGBTIQ+ persons. Today, 66 countries still criminalize consensual same-sex conduct and relations. homosexuality. And roughly two-thirds of the world's population live in a country where those rights are infringed upon. Since the 2010s, we have been witnessing a serious erosion of rights around the world. In this context, we must remain mobilized to counter attacks on the very principles of liberal democracies. I honor the work of the UN LGBTI Core Group, the UN Secretary-General's LGBTIQ+ Strategy, as well as the work of the Independent Expert on these issues. As you know, France, together with Albania, has decided to present a resolution calling for the universal decriminalization of same-sex relations at the Human Rights Council this coming October. We are counting on the support of Council members to help establish this right as an international norm. Beyond the United Nations, our actions on the ground matter just as much. We remain committed to supporting civil society actors, mobilizing our bilateral relationships, and engaging in systematic dialogue with countries that are seriously backsliding on LGBTQ+ rights. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Please, Estonia.

It's my honor to speak in this format for the first time. So, thank you, organizers, co-chairs, civil society representatives for all the work you are doing. For Estonia, the promotion and protection of human rights is a national priority and an integral part of our foreign policy. LGBTI rights are a key priority of our UN Human Rights Council membership in 2026-2028. We will continue to speak clearly against discrimination and violence and for the equal rights and dignity of every person. Estonia is currently also an observer state of the UN LGBTI Core Group, and we greatly value your work and look forward to becoming a member. We are also proud to be a member of the Equal Rights Coalition, working with governments and civil society to advance LGBTI equality globally. At home, Estonia introduced marriage equality on the 1st of January 2024 and adopted its first national LGBTQ+ equal opportunity strategy and action plan for 2025-2030 in December 2025. There is still much work ahead. We must not allow fear, disinformation or political pressure to turn back the clock. To conclude, allow me to underline, LGBTI rights are human rights. And at the time when these rights are under pressure, we must stand together, speak up and strengthen our cooperation. Thank you.

Thank you. I know I said Estonia was going to be last, but, and it's going to sound like I'm playing favorites, but Sweden is on the list. Apologies.

Thank you, and thank you for allowing me to take the floor. Excellencies, ladies, gentlemen, and friends, however you choose to define yourself, Sweden's position is clear. Everyone should be able to live free, freely and safely, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Promoting the human rights of LGBTIQ+ persons is therefore a key priority for Swedish foreign policy. Globally, Sweden is one of the world's leading donors supporting the human rights and equal opportunities of LGBTIQ+ persons. We provide support to civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and UN entities working to combat discrimination and violence around the world. Together with partners, including the LGBTI core group, we all remain a strong voice for the full enjoyment of human rights by LGBTIQ persons in multilateral fora, including here at the United Nations. As a member of the Equal Rights Coalition, Sweden works alongside states and civil society partners to advance human rights through diplomacy worldwide. In addition, the Nordic Council of Ministers works collectively to address the growing global backlash against gender equality and the rights of LGBTQI+ persons. The pushback against gender equality and LGBTIQ+ rights is real, yet today's event reminds us that the struggle for equal rights and dignity is far from over, and I'm really encouraged by the many strong and diverse voices speaking out for the human rights of LGBTIQ persons. Let me take this opportunity to extend a special thank you to the civil society represented present here today for your tireless commitment and invaluable work. Thank you.

Thank you so much. I want to start by saying now, we should, I think all of our speakers deserve another round of applause. There were a lot of good recommendations, and I'm not going to list everything that I heard. I'm going to say the top thing. which is that we can only be successful if we collaborate and strategize together. That includes within the UN LGBTI core group, with businesses, with the UN institutions, and all of us really are needed in order to be successful. I hope all of you feel inspired and feel a sense of hope that while things are difficult and there is backlash, we can We can continue to work together and create a better world. Thank you, everyone, for being here today.