First Musings of Salzburg Statement Underway

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Jun 05, 2013
by Salzburg Global Staff Writer
First Musings of Salzburg Statement Underway

“This is not a UN resolution!” - Session Chair reminds Fellows

The global campaigns group, led by HRC’s Ty Cobb, discuss their recommendations to the Salzburg Statement

The first recommendations for incorporation into the Salzburg Statement on LGBT and Human Rights are in!

But despite the lengthy drafting process as panel moderators send in their recommendations and Fellows spend hours in working groups hashing out their ideas on the various aspects to be incorporated into the Statement, Session Chair Klaus Mueller was keen to remind everyone: “This is not a UN resolution!”

Unlike a UN resolution, the Salzburg Statement is supposed to be a collection of shared principles – not directives for signatories to follow.

So far recommendations have come in from the moderators of the panel on ‘The rule of law, international institutions and LGBT human rights’, ‘Multiple Discrimination against and within LGBT communities’ and ‘What do local organizations really need?’

The rule of law, international institutions and LGBT human rights

  1. Donor countries should be careful when linking aid conditionalities to LGBT rights. This can – and has – backfired in the past.
  2. Western donors should not be prescriptive and should understand local contexts and listen to the advice of local organizations on the ground. ‘Parachuting’ in and dictating approaches and strategies is not a conducive means of engagement.
  3. Action by progressive states at the United Nations is important because a global minimum standard is then set. This, theoretically, trickles down to regional and then national levels. Furthermore, what is achieved at the UN must be protected and this too requires ongoing engagement.

Multiple Discrimination against and within LGBT communities - What data do we have and what is still missing?

  1. It is essential that the United Nations and its entities set up groups or workforces which are designed to address human rights issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
  2. It is essential that the United Nations and its entities carry out a worldwide survey into the human rights situations confronting LGBT people across the world. Special reference should be given to methodologies that are to be used.
  3. It is essential that the United Nations and its entities incorporate gender identity into documenting and monitoring human rights violations around the world.

What do local organizations really need?

  1. Alliance-building. There is too much “navel-gazing” and LGBT organizations need to move beyond silos and build allies with other movements and causes.
  2. There should be a willingness and an ability to learn from other movements so that best practice is shared.
  3. There is increasingly the need to move beyond the human rights discourse towards the economic discourse. New emerging economic powers have little appreciation of human rights and the LGBT movements need to take this into account in their planning.

The Salzburg Fellows will continue to discuss the different elements of the Statement in their themed groups on Wednesday before deciding on the final text on Thursday.