Call for submissions | 10 year review of the Yogyakarta Principles

Ten years ago, a group of experts in the field of human rights formulated a statement of the state of international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity in a set of twenty-nine principles which came to be known as the Yogyakarta Principles.

The Yogyakarta Principles affirm binding international legal standards with which all States must comply. They articulate that all people born free and equal in dignity and rights.

The preamble to the Yogyakarta Principles notes ‘that this articulation must rely on the current state of international human rights law and will require revision on a regular basis in order to take account of developments in that law and its application to the particular lives and experiences of persons of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities over time and in diverse regions and countries.’

The tenth anniversary of the launch of the Yogyakarta Principles in 2017 is an occasion to undertake such a review to ensure that the current state of international law with respect to sexual orientation and gender identity is reflected, and that developments in newer areas such as in relation to sex characteristic are considered.

In this light, we are calling for submissions – to be submitted no later than 17 February 2017 – on how the Yogyakarta Principles should be supplemented to reflect developments in and the current state of international human rights law with respect to sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics.

Each submission of no more than 5 pages should consider:

• human rights issues, including issues  pertaining to violence and discrimination, relating to sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics
• how the Yogyakarta Principles should be supplemented to reflect the current state of international human rights law pertaining to sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics
• a discussion on the application of relevant provisions of international human rights law at the national, regional and international levels.

Submissions should be sent to [email protected].

A Drafting Committee with global expertise has been constituted to consolidate submissions and develop a draft commentary to supplement the Yogyakarta Principles. This draft commentary will then be deliberated and adopted by a group of eminent experts in April 2017.

We believe that this supplementary commentary will ensure that the Yogyakarta Principles continue to be a relevant and useful document for taking forward the important work undertaken in litigation, legal reform and activism.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Any further questions can be directed to:
Pooja Patel (ISHR) [email protected]
Arvind Narrain (ARC International) [email protected]