LGBTI persons in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions face significant discrimination and abuse, including violence, due to their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. The latest Council of Europe Anti-Racism Commission (ECRI) General Policy Recommendation No. 17 outlines recommendations for Council of Europe member states “to ensure that LGBTI people are safe, equally protected under the law and able to enjoy rights and freedoms to the same extent as all other members of society”.
To explore solutions to these challenges, the regional conference “Spaces and services to protect LGBTI communities” was held in Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovina on 5-7 November 2024. This event was organised with the support of the EU and the Council of Europe. Activists and representatives from civil society organisations from the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions gathered to discuss key strategies to create safer environments for the LGBTI community. This conference aimed to foster further collaboration and progress in the region, building on the fundings of previous regional events in the field. [1, 2]
Discussions on initiatives by movements actively working against the recognition, protection, and advancement of human rights, as well as identifying patterns and early warning signs, were crucial. These discussions helped to better identify such movements and anti-rights actors across Europe and the region, while also exploring promising strategies for countering them safely. Representatives of civil society organisations and institutions discussed critical issues such as family violence faced by LGBTI individuals. They also provided an overview of existing social and psychological support services, including safe spaces and shelters. Despite ongoing efforts, the group acknowledged the persistent challenges of securing sustainable finding and political support for human rights defenders in the above-mentioned regions.
The EU and the Council of Europe support human rights institutions and civil society organisations in promoting the rights of LGBTI persons in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership regions. By fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue, these organisations contribute to social change and improvements at both the domestic and regional levels.
Find out more about this topic on the Partnership for Good Governance thematic web page on promoting equality and non-discrimination.
This event is organised within the European Union/Council of Europe Joint Programmes “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and “Partnership for Good Governance”, in co-operation with the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit of the Council of Europe. It is also supported by the Council of Europe project “Enhancing Equality and Non-Discrimination in Georgia” and the European Union/Council of Europe Joint Project ‘’Support for implementing European standards relating to anti-discrimination and rights of national minorities in Ukraine”
