He said action should be guided simply by three principal commitments into consideration since 2019: “the acknowledgement of LGBT families with the legal recognition of same-sex marriage, the legal identification of gender identity, as well as the adoption of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation”. Mr. Madrigal-Borloz also noted that Cambodia does not have legislation explicitly criminalizing sexual orientation or sex identity, which gives him “an encouraging point of departure”.
Spillover discrimination
“Before and within my visit I did not get any information of massive or even systematic physical violence against the people with whom I spoke, or persons known by them”, he stated. The testimonies he received highlighted that in the Cambodian context, nearby communities identified legal reputation of their families as the key. In presenting his conclusions in late a 10-day visit to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap plus Battambang, the UN indie expert on protection towards violence and discrimination depending on sexual orientation and gender identity, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, urged authorities to legally acknowledge LGBT families. “I encourage the State to make swift progress about this agenda”, he said, “advanced by Cambodian communities along with clear point of reference point in the realities of their lifestyles and needs”.
Information shortfall
Independent experts are usually appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in order to examine and report back on a specific human legal rights theme or a country scenario. The positions are honorary and the experts are not covered their work. Based on the evidence presented to him, the UN specialist concluded that violence and splendour against LGBT persons originate in the family sphere, and spills over to life at school, the workplace, and also whenever accessing health services. Mr. Madrigal-Borloz in his statement, recommended adopting a series of procedures, including more surveys plus data collection, and outlined as indispensable that worried communities and civil modern society organizations fully participate in the look, implementation, and evaluation associated with public policy. An absence of data, however , creates excellent challenges in analyzing the challenges facing LGBT individuals, and the design and execution of measures to address all of them.
Time for ‘swift progress’
“Without exception, State agents with whom I kept conversations acknowledged that variety in sexual orientation plus gender identity was a trait inherent to humankind, which all Cambodian citizens, which includes members of the LGBT neighborhood, were valued members associated with society who have the right to reside in freedom and equality”, he said. This bears specific relation to deeply cherished values that will reinforce family bonds plus intergenerational respect and solidarity as part of the recognition of self-worth and social responsibility. The UN expert met with State representatives at national and provincial levels, civil society organizations and over a hundred LGBT persons who contributed their life experiences with him.
