The United Nations last week held its first-ever ministerial
meeting on LGBT rights.
Thursday's meeting was organized by Navi Pillay, the United
Nations high commissioner for human rights.
“When I became high commissioner for human rights five years
ago, there was almost no discussion at the United Nations on the
human rights challenges faced by lesbian, gay, transgender and
intersex people,” Pillay told foreign ministers attending the
meeting. “That is no longer the case. And I want to commend you,
members of the core group, for the part you are playing in bringing
about a new era of openness and dialogue.”
Eleven countries signed on to a resolution stating “those who
are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender must enjoy the same human
rights as everyone else.”
At the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also announced
a $1 million contribution from The Netherlands to the Global Equality
Fund, a global initiative to support gay rights first announced in
2011 by former secretary Hillary Clinton.
(Related: Hillary
Clinton announces global fund to support gay rights.)
The meeting was attended by ministers of Argentina, Brazil,
Croatia, El Salvador, France, Israel, Japan, The Netherlands, New
Zealand, and the United States and the High Representative of the
European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. (Highlights
from the meeting can be seen in a video embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)