"LESBIAN"

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka moderates a virtual town hall discussion to provide an opportunity for women’s civil society organizations to engage with the Secretary-General on the session’s priority theme: women's full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

Colombia reaping gains of peace process yet reintegration of ex-combatants still work in progress, Special Representative tells Security Council.

Briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

At a meeting of the LGBTI Core Group at the United Nations, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed concern about growing rhetoric on the part of political leaders using homophobic language to advance their agendas, and stressed that hate speech cannot be equated with freedom of expression, lest it undermine human dignity and even human lives. UNIFEED

The United Nations marked the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia or Transphobia (IDAHOTIB), which commemorates the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder. UNIFEED

Briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said more than 70 countries have laws that criminalize consensual same sex relationships and “implicitly encourage prejudice, hatred and violence” against LGBT people but stressed that “laws can change.” UNIFEED

Resist resting on laurels, global community urged during General Assembly debate on complete eradication of AIDS-causing HIV, at 94th plenary meeting.

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.