On the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Håkon Haugli (Norway, SOC), General Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBTs), has made the following statement:

"Human rights are for all: there is no exception for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in Europe in the fight against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity: to mention a few examples, in the United Kingdom, protective legislative frameworks and policies have been introduced; in Albania, homophobic discourse by politicians has been resolutely condemned by their peers; and in Sweden, sentences have been handed down to punish the authors of hate speech and violent crimes against LGBTs. (more...)

See also:
- Declaration by the President of the Committee of Ministers
- Moldovan authorities urged to adopt a comprehensive law to combat discrimination, including on the ground of sexual orientation