KATHMANDU, July 7: Chief of Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights-Nepal (OHCHR-N) Jyoti Sanghera on Thursday lauded Nepal as it is the only South Asian country to recognize equal rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons through its commitments under the Supreme Court and Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Addressing an interaction on Equal Rights to Sexual Minorities: Rights to Citizenship Certificate on Thursday, Sanghera, however, said a series of challenges still have to be overcome for the protection and promotion of the human rights of sexual and gender minorities to ensure their equal treatment. [break]
Sanghera recalled that a ground breaking verdict on gender identity and sexual orientation issued by the Supreme Court in December 2007 had directed the government to enact laws protecting and promoting those rights, and to review and amend legislation that discriminated against sexual and gender minorities.
“Under the recent Universal Periodic Review in January and June 2011, the government of Nepal has also made specific commitments on the elimination of discrimination, including on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation and on the implementation of the Supreme Court decision,” she said.
Sanghera noted that despite the order of the Supreme Court, sexual minorities continue to face problems to acquire citizenship certificates according to their identity in Nepal and the LGBTIs are deprived of equal opportunities and of the full enjoyment of human rights.
“It therefore remains paramount to ensure effective implementation of the Supreme Court Order and of the commitments made by the government of Nepal under the UPR,” she further said.