Call for input to a thematic report: The impact of COVID-19 on the human rights of LGBT persons, communities and/or populations

Deadline: ​19 June 2020

Issued by: Several Special Procedure mandate holders1, including the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity

Purpose: To inform the Independent Expert’s report to be presented at the General Assembly in October 2020

See the joint questionnaire here: English, French and Spanish. 

Background

Several Special Procedure mandate holders will focus their forthcoming thematic reports to the United Nations Human Rights Council or the General Assembly on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the enjoyment of human rights. In order to facilitate responding to questions by Special Procedures, a joint questionnaire has been developed including a list of common questions and specific thematic questions responding to information required by participating mandates.

Objectives of the report

The report of the Independent Expert will focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and gender diverse (LGBT) persons, communities and/or populations. It will build on consultation and research processes triggered since the start of the pandemic, and also the work of States and civil society to create an LGBT-inclusive response to the health crisis. It will analyse the particular circumstance of LGBT persons who are living with disabilities, older persons, youths and children, migrants, minorities, those affected by poverty and homelessness, as well as those who face health challenges. The report will further analyse measures adopted in the context of the pandemic, aimed at persecuting LGBT persons, with indirect or unintended discriminatory effects, and identify and analyse good practice.

Key questions and types of input sought

To inform his report the Independent Expert would like to receive contributions and views from States, regional and national human rights institutions, non-governmental organisation, UN agencies, academic institutions, local governments and other relevant stakeholders.

  1. How did the State evaluate the situation of LGBT persons vis-à-vis the pandemic and potential specific vulnerabilities?

  2. What measures were adopted by the State to ensure that LGBT persons would not be subjected to discrimination in the implementation of COVID-19 related interventions?

  3. Did LGBT civil society participate in the design of measures taken to respond to the pandemic? If no, why not?

  4. What is the information available to the State as to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general situation of LGBT persons and their access to education, housing, health and employment and on their living conditions?

  5. Can you identify good practices in the State interventions in relation to COVID-19 and LGBT persons? Can you identify good practices stemming from civil society actions? Have lessons be learned from the pandemic on how not to leave LGBT persons behind in emergency situations?

See the joint questionnaire here: English, French and Spanish. Questions of particular interest to the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity are published on page 15.

Reports which have already been drafted on relevant topics may also be submitted for consideration.

How and where to submit inputs

Inputs may be sent electronically and must be received by 19 June 2020.

It is kindly requested to limit responses and submissions to 4,500 words and to include hyperlinks to relevant documents, statistical data, public regulations and legislation providing more detailed information.

E-mail address: ​registry@ohchr.org

E-mail subject line: Response to joint questionnaire of special procedures

Postal address: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Office at Geneva, CH 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Word limit: ​4,500 words

File formats: Word

Accepted languages: English, French, Spanish

How inputs will be used

All responses and submissions received in accessible format will be published on the webpages of participating Special Procedures on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, except if confidentiality of the submission is explicitly requested.

Submissions received in non-accessible PDF format will not be published, but will be made available upon request

  1. Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Mr. Olivier De Schutter; Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Mr. Michael Fakhri; Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal; Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Ms. Karima Bennoune; Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Ms. Claudia Mahler; Working Group on Persons of African Decent; Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Mr. José Francisco Cali Tzay; Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, Mr. Tomoya Obokata; Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, Ms. Mama Fatima Singhateh; Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Mr Victor Madrigal-Borloz; Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, Mr. Baskut Tuncak; Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, Ms. Yuefen Li