annual report 2015 Uniting communities and movements Thanks and acknowledgements The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association is grateful for the work and support of its volunteers, staff and executive board. A heartfelt thank you goes to the members of ILGA not only for their financial support, but also for the time and energy they commit to furthering the organisation’s aims and objectives. Last but not least, our thanks to the following organisations: 02 | ILGA Annual Report 2015 Advancing equality The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) is a worldwide federation of organisations committed to equal human rights for LGBTI people and their liberation from all forms of discrimination. Founded in 1978, it enjoys consultative status at the United Nations, where it speaks and lobbies on behalf of almost 1,200 member organisations from 131 countries. Vision Strategic plan 2014-2018 ILGA is committed to help shap- become a representative voice rights standards and principles ing a world where the human of LGBTI civil society within without discrimination based on rights of all are respected; where international organisations, par- sexual orientation, gender iden- everyone can live in equality and ticularly the United Nations, tity and/or gender expression, freedom; where global justice through collaboration, engage- and sex (intersex). and equity are assured and es- ment, and support of members and partners. reinforce and develop ILGA’s or- tablished regardless of the peo- ganisational capacity (executive ple’s sexual orientations, gender promote diversity, advance board, staff, regions and mem- identities, gender expressions equality and effective applica- bers) to achieve political, social and bodily diversity. tion and enjoyment of human and institutional change. Mission act as a leading organisation and a global voice for the rights of those who face discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression and sex (intersex). work towards achieving equality, freedom and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people through advocacy, collaborative action, and by educating and informing relevant international and regional institutions as well as governments, media and civil society. empower our members and other human rights organisations in promoting and protecting human rights, irrespective of people’s sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression and sex (intersex), and to facilitate cooperation and solidarity among ILGA regions and members. promote the diversity and strengths of LGBTI people around the world. ILGA Annual Report 2015 | 03 ILGA represents networks, In the last year, we developed movements, communities, and new partnerships, embarked ear friends, bodies that continue to challenge on new projects, increased our D oppressive and discriminatory capacity and strengthened our ILGA is built on the energy and systems, practices and norms governance structures, aiming passion of its global membership that exclude, outlaw, mutilate at continuing to strengthen the and this year’s Annual Report and kill LGBTIQ people. Around 38-year-old legacy that ILGA has. the world, LGBTIQ movements captures the interactions and dy- We continue to be encouraged and communities are led by those namics present in every aspect of and inspired by all the positive who fight these injustices. our work. Passionate and restless energy that our movements Their commitment and work help activists, along with partners, represent, and we will contin- strengthen the links between lo- allies and families, continue to ue to ensure that ILGA remains cal, national, regional and interna- have a profound impact on many a global leader for the LGBTIQ tional communities of activists, movement. LGBTIQ lives around the world. and this is what ILGA is about. 2015 was marked with ground- The work carried out at our office In Solidarity, breaking moments around the in Geneva and the regional offic- world, and we take this opportu- es in Bangkok, Brussels, Buenos nity to salute our members and Aires and Johannesburg reflects Ruth Baldacchino, activists who have worked for this complex web that is the glob- years to achieve these. Whilst we al LGBTIQ movement. Helen Kennedy celebrate the successes, we con- Co-Secretaries General tinue to recognise the tireless and This report represents one year unseen work carried out in coun- in the work of this organisation tries and communities facing in- that continues to represent justices, setbacks or backlashes. ever-changing and ever-grow- We also remember the lives taken ing communities and move- away by hate-motivated crimes ments determined to help shap- and continue to celebrate these ing a world where everyone can lives through our work. live safely, equally and free. 04 | ILGA Annual Report 2015 t the end of the second year of its 2014-2018 Stra- Ategic plan, ILGA finds itself in a process of sustained growth, both in terms of membership and activities. While members have grown from 1,112 to 1,167, the number and kind of activities has expanded considerably: ad- vocacy at the UN Human Rights Council is no longer limited to the Universal Periodic Review and to lobbying activities in support of resolutions, but covers also Treaty Bodies; the content of the State Sponsored Homophobia report increases in extension of the issues covered and in the depth of the information provid- ed, while ILGA partners with a Ca- nadian data corporation, RIWI, to launch a global attitudes survey on LGBTI people in 65 countries the case of Pan Africa ILGA, to increased visibility of ILGA and as an innovative tool to acquire provide the members in their re- the relevance of its work will essential data for NGOs and al- gions with more opportunities attract new funders and profes- lies to measure the effectiveness to meet, to share and acquire sionals willing to work for us, of their work on the ground and new knowledge and skills and to while the check and balances of to improve on it. The increasing better coordinate their advocacy our governance will ensure that interest and capacity in dealing in relation to their respective the new activities remain within with LGBTI-related data at the regional human rights bodies, the possibility of the organisa- global level has also led us to while the participation of ILGA tion and centred on our mission. in the consortium of NGOs cooperate on a project about a This process of growth would not behind the EU funded initiative global LGBTI inclusion index pro- be possible without the leader- ProtectDefenders.eu provides us moted by the United Nations De- ship of the co-secretaries gener- for the first time with concrete al and the board, the dedication velopment Programme. tools to help and support LGBTI and professionalism of the staff human rights defenders in diffi- members and – ultimately – the At the same time, the connec- culty or even in danger. tion of ILGA with its Trans mem- support of the whole member- bers and non-member organisa- This process of growth, however, ship: these three elements are tions is revitalised thanks to the does not come without challeng- and will continue to be the key in- launch of the Gender Identity and es: the expansion of activities gredients of ILGA’s success. Gender Expression programme, requires on the one hand both while the newly established In- greater professionalism and in- tersex secretariat confirms its creased funding to implement Renato Sabbadini relevance within the global In- them, while posing the risk of Executive Director tersex movement. The regional stretching the energies of the or- structures of ILGA in the global ganisation too thin. South are successfully build- We like to look at these chal- ing their capacity, especially in lenges as opportunities: the ILGA Annual Report 2015 | 05 2015 in numbers 2015 in numbers North America 100 Europe 492 Latin America & Caribbean 295 06 | ILGA Annual Report 2015 1,167 member organisations 13 organisations or coalitions assisted in their from 131 countries representing 6 regions advocacy before 7 different Treaty Bodies 2 regional conferences held 3 awareness-raising side events hosted during three sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council 1 region (Pan Africa ILGA) officially registered as a non-profit organisation 6,755 Facebook page likes 2 new staff members joining the ILGA World team 10,412 Twitter followers 27 statements delivered at the United Nations Human Rights Council raising LGBTI issues 38 LinkedIn followers 17 human rights defenders welcomed to Geneva 29 issues of the weekly LGBulleTIn published for the UPR advocacy weeks 10 media releases and statements issued 9 LGBTI human rights defenders interviewed for the ILGA meets… series 1 social media campaign: What Does The UN Say? Asia 131 Africa 104 Oceania 45 ILGA Annual Report 2015 | 07 Our regions forum on lesbian and bisexual like the writer Pedro Lemebel, ILGALAC health during an international or the murders of trans activists meeting in the Dominican Republic. Francela Méndez from El Sal- In 2015 Latin America and the Ca- We were also involved in a report vador and Diana Sacayán from ribbean took giant leaps forward: on development, sexual orientation Argentina. the Civil union pact was approved and gender identity in Uruguay, in Chile, the ban on blood donations and we contributed to the birth from LGBTI persons was dropped of the Regional Centre for LAC in in Argentina, and Jamaica held the cooperation with Civicus and country’s first Pride parade. The Counterpart International. ILGA Asia regional council of ILGALAC sup- ported initiatives like the adop- Our council members were in- 2014 was a groundbreaking year tion of an employment quota for volved also at the international for ILGA-Asia: its first office trans people by the Province of level: they took part both in the was opened in Hong Kong, and Buenos Aires (Argentina), or the CSW and in the 7th Summit of the later registered with the local project to increase punishments Americas, as well as in the Region- authorities.