On 4 September 2026, the Council of Europe’s Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit, in partnership with the European Implementation Network (EIN), organised a thematic briefing dedicated to the implementation of key European Court of Human Rights judgments concerning the rights of LGBTI persons.

The briefing brought together Council of Europe delegations and civil society organisations from Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania. This timely event took place prior to the September 2026 Human Rights meeting of the Committee of Ministers (CM-DH), where several SOGIESC-related judgments are set for examination.

The briefing focused on three thematic areas, where the most pressing implementation obstacles have been observed: the recognition of same-sex couples, legal gender recognition procedures, and safeguarding of freedom of assembly and combating hate crime.

Participants discussed recent developments, common challenges, and remaining implementation gaps, highlighting persistent legislative and practical barriers as well as country-specific concerns that hinder the full and timely execution of the Court’s judgments.

The briefing strengthened dialogue and cooperation between national delegations and civil society and provided a space for a direct exchange with a view of identifying current gaps and priorities for implementing SOGIESC judgements and advancing equality and the rights of LGBTI persons across Council of Europe member states.