Lgbt and Human Rights - Day One - The Pros and Cons of a Unified International Approach

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Jun 03, 2013
by Louise Hallman
Lgbt and Human Rights - Day One - The Pros and Cons of a Unified International Approach

One solution does not suit all

Sociologist Li Yinhe joins fellow panellists Sibongile Ndashe, Lousewies van der Laan and Tamara Adrian

The “biblical” rain kept away Michael Loening, German Federal Government Human Rights Commissioner, one of the panelists for the opening discussion, but in his and many other stranded Fellows’ absence, those who could be in Salzburg ploughed on regardless with the opening discussion.

Tackling ‘The Rule of Law, International Institutions and LGBT Human Rights: How can they move from aspiration to reality in the application of national and trans-national law?’, Venezuelan human rights activist and university professor, Tamara Adrian, together with Sibongile Ndashe, South African human rights lawyer, and Li Yinhe, sociologist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and moderated by Dutch former politician Lousewies van der Laan, drew on their experiences in disparate countries in tackling the issue of legislating for LGBT human rights at a national and global level.

It was apparent from even just these three countries represented that different countries and regions of the world have different attitudes towards and thus different approaches needed to achieve LGBT human rights.

Four key questions emerged:

  1. Does what is happening in the UN help or hinder LGBT human rights processes at a national and social level?
  2. What happens when “the same side” wants or needs a different approach?
  3. What language or terms can be used to be most beneficial to all?
  4. On national level should a radical or conservative approach to legislation be taken?

In the group exercise that followed, many of the problems raised by the Fellows were the same from country to country—but different, and appropriate solutions will needed in each situation; one solution does not suit all.