The Belgian Presidency of the European Union (UE) hosted a high-level conference in Brussels focused on the LGBTQ community, titled "Pride Alliances and Policy: Towards a Union of Equality" held on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Intersexophobia.
The EU member states were called upon to strengthen legal protections and uphold the fundamental rights of LGBTQ individuals. This includes ensuring non-discrimination based on gender identity, sexual characteristics, and sexual orientation, as well as providing legal status to homosexual couples in accordance with EU Court of Justice rulings.
The meeting resulted in the signing by 18 of 27 Member States of a joint declaration on the continued promotion of the human rights of LGBTQ persons.
The States signatories to this declaration notably undertake to implement national LGBTQ strategies and to support the appointment of a new Commissioner for Equality when the next Commission will be formed.
They also call on the European Commission to pursue and implement a new strategy to improve the rights of LGBTQ people during the next legislature by allocating sufficient resources and working with civil society.
The declaration was not signed by Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Croatia, and Italy.
Recently, ILGA-Europe released its map and index which ranks all 49 European nations on their legal and policy situation for LGBTQ rights.
Read the declaration here.
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