The United Nations is the primary international body charged with the promotion and protection of human rights, and it has numerous mechanisms for upholding this area of responsibility. In this context, the mechanisms of the UN can provide a valuable tool to focus attention on universal human rights and to bring pressure to bear on governments to live up to their promises to defend them.
Sexual orientation and gender identity are sometimes controversial in the intergovernmental processes of the UN, and some states have been actively hostile to the idea that universal rights apply to LGBTI people. However, there have also been incredible advances in recent years, thanks to the engagement of activists and the documentation/reporting of UN experts.
News
