Thank you, Mr. President,

I’m honoured to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of the mandate of the Independent Expert on the protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, comprised of 34 States.

We would like to extend our appreciation to the Independent Expert, Mr. Victor Madrigal-Borloz, for the important work he conducts as Mandate holder and for the thematic report presented today.

We welcome his report about the realization of the right to health in relation to Sustainable Development Goal No. 3, which is a valuable contribution that brings a sexual orientation and gender identity lens to the health-related commitments of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, identifying obstacles, challenges and good practices.

As it is noted in the report, neglecting to address the challenges created by discrimination and violence based on SOGI could significantly compromise achievement of many of the sustainable development goals including SDG 3 on health, creating the risk that a segment of our societies will be left behind.

In this regard, we strongly condemn any form of discrimination and violence against LGBTI persons. We state that direct and indirect criminalisation of same-sex intimacy, gender identity and gender expression are forms of State-sponsored discrimination contrary to international human rights obligations.

Finally, we reiterate the support of the Group of Friends to the work of the Mandate, which has contributed to promote the respect, the protection and the fulfilment of all human rights of persons with diverse sexual orientation and gender identities.

Thank you.