The Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination unanimously appointed Mr Biedron as General rapporteur on the rights of LGBT people at its meeting in Madrid on 17 September 2013. Mr Biedron replaces Mr Håkon Haugli who was the first holder of this mandate. The General rapporteur on LGBT rights has the responsibility to intervene in the area of the protection and the promotion of the rights of LGBT people, particularly on issues related to discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. In this interview, Mr Biedron explains his role and and the priorities of his mandate.

You have just been appointed General rapporteur. Could you tell us more about your role in the Assembly and the priorities of your mandate for the coming year?

The General rapporteur plays an important role in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. I can intervene in the area of the protection and the promotion of the rights of LGBT people. I shall also report periodically to the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination on the information collected and the actions taken. Violations of the rights of LGBT people are indeed a major problem in Europe. The Parliamentary Assembly has adopted several resolutions and recommendations regarding this issue and I will follow up on their implementation. My roadmap will be the recent report by Mr Håkon Haugli, former General rapporteur, on “Tackling discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity”. I will do my best to continue his excellent work.

Read more at Council Of Europe’s offical website