Human Rights Day event with Ban Ki-moon, Ricky Martin, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and leading human rights defenders starts at 3.15pm today.
This years annual Human Rights Day event will focus on "Leadership in the fight against homophobia", with the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Ricky Martin, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and leading Human Rights Defenders.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Gry Larsen will participate in the event.
The event will be live streamed here: http://webtv.un.org/
Read more about human rights day here.
Background: In December 2011, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) published the first official UN report on violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. The report documented widespread human rights abuses. More than 76 countries still criminalize consensual, same-sex relationships, while in many more discrimination against LGBT people is widespread – including the workplace and in the education and health sectors. Hate-motivated violence against LGBT people, including physical assault, sexual violence, and targeted killings is recorded in all regions. This special event will focus on the need for both legal reform and public information to counter homophobia. In a series of speeches, interviews and exchanges, leaders from the fields of diplomacy, politics, religion, music and civil
society will also reflect on the impact that individuals, especially those in the public eye, can have when they take a public stand against homophobia and in favour of equal rights for LGBT people.
The event is organized by OHCHR and the Permanent Missions to the United Nations of
Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, European Union, France, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United States, as well as Human Rights Watch and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).