Statement by: David Hamer, Adviser, Australian Mission to the UN
As delivered

Thank you Chair.

In many parts of the world, LGBTQIA+ communities still experience high levels of discrimination, stigma and exclusion, which can lead to unjust criminalisation, sexual and gender-based violence, higher risks of mental illness, and poorer development and economic outcomes.

Australia asks the Expert:  how can the international community move beyond the impacts of colonisation to recognise that people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities have existed everywhere throughout history?

There is no justification for excluding persons, communities, and populations from the full enjoyment of their human rights based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Laws and practices that criminalise or marginalise individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity should be eliminated.

Likewise, it is critical to provide legal protections against discrimination, ensure access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities, and foster an environment of acceptance and understanding within families, communities and institutions.

For our part, Australia is developing a LGBTQIA+ human rights engagement strategy for our international diplomacy.

We welcome the Expert's 12 recommendations, and believe an intersectional approach better assists in removing societal barriers, contributing to a better understanding of the impacts of colonisation, and achieving genuinely universal human rights for all persons.

Australia strongly supports the Expert's role on protection from violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and extends our deep appreciation to Mr Victor Madrigal-Borloz for his dedication and tireless work.