Statement by António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), 17 May 2015
As we get ready to mark this year's International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, I appeal to all governments and societies to promote the values of tolerance and respect for diversity, and to build a world where no one has to be afraid because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Over 40 countries worldwide now recognize, as does my Office, that persecution of LGBTI people may constitute a valid ground for asylum under the 1951 Refugee Convention. It is my hope that more and more States will adopt this approach in the future. People fleeing homophobic and transphobic discrimination and violence often experience multiple persecution, at home and in countries of asylum, including from within their own families and communities. On this day, I call on States and societies to provide them with better protection, and to eliminate all such forms of violence and discrimination.
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The Nansen Memorial Lecture, presented by Mr. Thorvald Stoltenberg, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 4 October 1990
4 Oct 1990 ... League of Nations, began his humanitarian crusade on behalf of victims of persecution and conflict. ... The refugees of today are not only victims of persecution, as defined in the 1951 Convention. They ...... -
Mediterranean crossings rise in first months of 2014 - many fleeing war and persecution
11 Apr 2014 ... They had set off from Zwara in Libya, and many were fleeing violence, conflict and persecution. Main countries of origin include Syria, Eritrea, Somalia, Nigeria, Gambia, Mali and Senegal. The ...... -
International Women's Day: Ogata denounces violence against women, calls for more action to protect them
8 Mar 1999 ... denounced violence against women and urged governments to offer asylum to those fleeing gender-related persecution. "Women refugees often experience persecution differently than men," Ogata said. ...... -
Communication from the European Commission on A Common Policy on Illegal Immigration (COM(2001) 672 final). UNHCR's Observations
1 Jul 2002 ... in which persons who have to flee from persecution in their country of origin find themselves. ... because of a well-founded fear of persecution or other threats to his or her life or ...... -
Som'an Escape. From 'Refugee Teenagers: Escape and Protection from Persecution and War', pp. 4-7
31 Dec 2000 ... iwgeti For decades, there has been war in Cambodia. During the Indochina Wars in the 1970s, South Vietnamese troops supported by the United States fought North Vietnamese soldiers in Cambodia, while ...... -
Refugee protection in international law: internal protection / relocation / flight alternative as an aspect of refugee status determination (6.1)
1 Jan 2003 ... ... to refugee status that flows from a showing of past persecution does not extend to those applicants who ‘could avoid future persecution by relo- cating to another part of the applicant’s ...... -
Address by Ms Erika Feller, Director, Department of International Protection, UNHCR, on the occasion of the 4th International Conference of the International Association of Refugee Law Judges (Berne, 25 October 2000)
25 Oct 2000 ... I have been asked to offer some reflections on the changing nature of persecution. Perhaps the best ... man has qualitatively changed, or that persecution itself has significantly altered its character. ...... -
Sport for refugees - Let's Play!
29 Jul 2008 ... Violence, persecution and flight are common experiences to all refugees. Children are among the most vulnerable victims of displacement, but often the most neglected. For refugee children sport can ...... -
Q&A: Reaching out to refugees persecuted for sexual orientation, gender identity
29 Jun 2011 ... vital as accounts increasingly emerge of persecution and violence towards refugees and ... That presents a real challenge for LGBTIs who are escaping persecution to get to a place that is ......