LIU, Alm.del - 2013-14 - Bilag 20: Brev af 13. december 2013 fra Europarådets nye rapporteur for bøssers, lesbiskes, bi- og transkønnedes rettigheder

Strasbourg, 13 December 2013Dear Ms RiisagerI am writing to inform you that a role of General Rapporteur on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender (LGBT) people has been established within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europeand that I recently had the honour of being elected to this function.It will be my responsibility to intervene in the area of the protection and promotion of human rights for all, andagainst all forms of discrimination and hostility on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. My mainpriorities will include raising awareness on violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe,promoting compliance with the principles upheld by the Parliamentary Assembly and the execution of judgmentsof the European Court of Human Rights. In this respect, the legislation on so-called homosexual propaganda inforce or under discussion in some Council of Europe member states will be among my main concerns. Inaddition, I intend to draw public attention to the situation of specific groups, such as LGB women and transgenderpeople.In my capacity as General Rapporteur, I will endeavour to follow relevant legal and policy developments withinCouncil of Europe member states so as to ensure that international human rights standards are taken intoaccount. Developing working relations with external bodies and institutions active in combating discrimination onthe grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity and promoting equal rights for LGBT people is therefore apriority.I should be very grateful if you could keep me informed of developments in this area in your country. I lookforward to establishing our cooperation.Please do not hesitate to contact Mr Giorgio Loddo, Co-Secretary of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination (tel. + (33) 3 90 21 59 08, fax + (33) 3 90 21 56 52, email [email protected]) for furtherinformation.Yours sincerely,