WAS Statement: Acknowledging “Traditional Values” Should not Undermine the Rights of the LGBT People

PRESS RELEASE

[London, United Kingdom] – The World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) expresses deep concern over the United Nations Human Rights Council’s resolution on “promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of humankind.” While seemingly benign, this resolution risks legitimising discrimination and undermining the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and women under the vague and subjective guise of “traditional values.”

WAS urges the Human Rights Council to reaffirm its commitment to universal human rights by rejecting any resolution that could be used to justify inequality or human rights violations.

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24 March 2011

A letter to the UN Human Rights Council

We have learned through web-based news reports that representatives in the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution titled ‘promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of humankind.’ We believe that this resolution promoting ‘traditional values’ will serve as justification for countries to discriminate and violate the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people and women.

Ultimately, this resolution may counteract much of the good work being done by the Human Rights Council, such as the resolution of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC June 17 2011) on the rights of homosexual and transgender people which calls for an end to sexual discrimination and recognizing the matter as a “priority issue” of the U.N. We strongly protest this resolution on the grounds that the vaguely defined term ‘traditional’ can be used to legitimize human rights abuses.

Please immediately take action to dismiss this resolution in order to honor your commitment to human rights, and preserve the good reputation of the United Nations.

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Links

• Human Rights Council Advisory Committee discusses traditional values and human rights

• Article 19 statement: Human Rights Council: Reject resolution on “traditional values”

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About WAS

WAS promotes sexual health throughout the lifespan and through the world by developing, promoting and supporting sexology and sexual rights for all. WAS accomplishes this by advocacy actions, networking, facilitating the exchange of information, ideas and experiences and advancing scientifically based sexuality research, sexuality education and clinical sexology, with a multi and trans-disciplinary approach. WAS represents over 100 sexological and sexual health organisations around the world.

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Media Queries

Contact Lisa Welsh, our Communications Lead.

media@worldsexualhealth.net