Guidelines for efforts by Norwegian embassies to promote the rights of LGBT people

Norway plays an active role as an advocate for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transpersons – LGBT - both in the UN Human Rights Council, the UN General Assembly and bilaterally. The starting point for Norway’s efforts is that human rights apply to everyone, regardless of their sex, social and ethnic background, religion or sexual orientation.

In many countries, securing the rights of LGBT people is a sensitive issue. We have therefore developed brief guidelines for efforts by Norwegian embassies to promote the rights of LGBT people.

The guidelines have been developed in cooperation with Norwegian embassies in Nicaragua, Nepal, Kenya and Uganda.

The guidelines include the following recommendations:

• Embassies should be aware of the Norwegian policy on LGBTs
• Human rights efforts must extend to issues relating to LGBT people
• Embassies should gain an overview of the situation for LGBTs
• Embassies should raise the general issue of LGBT rights in their talks with authorities
• Events of arrests or abuse of LGBT people should be monitored and reported

Guidelines for efforts by Norwegian embassies to promote the rights of LGBT people (pdf)