Governments urged to raise questions for Lithuania about LGBT rights improvement

Lithuania is part of the 12th session of the Universal Periodic Review which will occur from 3rdto 14th October, 2011. The aim of this review (according to Article 5 of the Resolution of General Assembly of the UN N°60/251) is to share the situation and the efforts of each country about human rights improvement. As an advocacy organization in LGBT human rights, the Lithuanian Gay League (LGL) participates as well, in collaboration with other NGOs, to the achievement of preparatory documents for this session.
In particular, LGL, with ILGA-Europe, has submitted an overview entitled “Lithuania – The Status of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights”. It presents the legal framework which infringes to the Rights of LGBT people (as instance the new article about “Public promotion of homosexual relations“ in the Code on Administrative Offences) as well as some events that occurred in 2007 and 2010 (e.g. Baltic Pride). It finally gives recommendations to the government for it to fulfill its obligations in order to protect LGBT rights.
Lithuanian government has produced a preliminary report to introduce its achievements in terms of human rights improvement and the legal institutions which are active in this improvement (as the Ombudsman for Equal Opportunities or the Prosecutor General).
About the very subject of transgender people and gender reassignment, of which no reference is made in the aforementioned document, an overview prepared by NGO TransGender Europe (TGEU) will be useful as well for the session. It provides a picture of the legal situation of transgender people in the country, reaffirms the EU legislation and also proposes to the government a way of acting in favor of Trans Rights.
Finally, in July 2011, the Human Right Council of the UN has published two reports ; the first one is a summary of diverse organisations working for human rights and the second one deals with the adherence of Lithuania to International Treaties and the statements of the Treaties Bodies concerning their observations on the situation of human rights in the country.
During the session, the Lithuanian State will be questioned by the Member States of the Council; the troika of rapporteurs consists of Norway, Qatar and Congo.