In the framework of Iceland’s Presidency of the Council of Europe, the SOGI Unit, with the support of the Permanent Representation of Iceland to the Council of Europe, is organising a conference on ‘Advancing the Human Rights of intersex people’, on 26 January 2023 (13:00-18:00 CET) at the Council of Europe. The event will alse be live streamed online.
The protection of the human rights of intersex persons has increasingly gained attention in many Council of Europe member states. Some have adopted legislation banning so-called “sex-normalising” surgeries while others have revised anti-discrimination legislation to include sex characteristics as a protected ground, through various regulatory techniques. Along with Malta (2015), Portugal (2018), Germany (2021) and Greece (2022), Iceland (2019) has introduced legal provisions concerning children born with variations of sex characteristics (VSC) via its legislation on the “Amendment on the Act on Personal Autonomy”, which prohibits unnecessary medical interventions on minors until the child can give informed consent. Belgium and Spain are currently in the process of elaborating national regulations regarding intersex human rights.
While raising awareness of the situation of intersex people in Europe, the conference will launch the work on a new Draft Committee of Ministers Recommendation on equality of rights of intersex people that will be prepared by the Council of Europe working group on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (GT-ADI-SOGI) of the Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI), by 2025.
A panel of experts will discuss the recent best practices in terms of legislative and policy frameworks, and provide recommendations for the protection and the inclusion of intersex people. Topics will include: Right to physical integrity and bodily autonomy, comprehensive medical and social care, access to justice and reparations, civil status, legal gender recognition and the right to respect for private life, preventing and combating discrimination and stigmatisation based on sex characteristics and equality and diversity policies for mainstreaming the inclusion of intersex people.
Speakers include: Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe; Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland; Dunja Mijatović, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights; Christophe Lacroix, Parliamentary Platform for the rights of LGBTI people in Europe; Sophie Élizéon, Chair of the Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI); and Dan Ghattas, Director, OII-Europe.
On 27 January (13:15-14:45), the documentary film ‘Entre Deux Sexe’ (Between two sexes) by Régine Abadia, will be screened at the Council of Europe, followed by a discussion with Ins A Kromminga, an intersex activist and artist, protagonist in the film.
The exhibition #MyIntersexStory, featuring personal accounts of intersex people living in Europe, based on campaigns of OII Europe, will run from 23-27 January at the Council of Europe.
Live streaming - The Conference will be live streamed online on 26 January 2023, 13:00-18:00 CET.
