The Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM) participated in the Human Rights Conference at EuroPride 2024, held in Thessaloniki, Greece. The conference brought together a number of EU and UN ministers and officials, along with LGBTQIA+ activists and organizations working on human rights and gender issues.
The movement, represented by its founder and CEO, met with the Dutch ambassador to the Human Rights Council, “Wim Geerts,” and called for a greater role for LGBTQIA+ activists in peacebuilding efforts in Syria and in the justice and accountability process. This includes advocating for the inclusion of victims of torture and sexual violence from the LGBTQIA+ community in Syria, particularly in light of the case brought by Canada and the Netherlands against the Syrian regime at the International Court of Justice for its ongoing violations of the Convention Against Torture.
The movement also addressed the situation in Iraq during its discussions, highlighting the need for intervention mechanisms to mitigate the effects of the recent laws passed by the Iraqi parliament that criminalize homosexuality and LGBTQIA+ rights defenders. In a side meeting with the EU Commissioner for Equality, “Helena Dalli,” and the French LGBTQIA+ Ambassador, “Jean-Marc Berthon,” GEM called for mobilization to support the LGBTQIA+ community in Syria and the region, ensuring their greater inclusion in the foreign policies of European countries.
The importance of the EuroPride conference lies in its status as one of the largest events discussing LGBTQIA+ issues on a global scale. This annual international event has been hosted by various European cities since 1992. Next year, it will be held in Lisbon, followed by Amsterdam the year after.The Guardians of Equality Movement (GEM) participated in the Human Rights Conference at EuroPride 2024, held in Thessaloniki, Greece. The conference brought together a number of EU and UN ministers and officials, along with LGBTQIA+ activists and organizations working on human rights and gender issues.
The movement, represented by its founder and CEO, met with the Dutch ambassador to the Human Rights Council, “Wim Geerts,” and called for a greater role for LGBTQIA+ activists in peacebuilding efforts in Syria and in the justice and accountability process. This includes advocating for the inclusion of victims of torture and sexual violence from the LGBTQIA+ community in Syria, particularly in light of the case brought by Canada and the Netherlands against the Syrian regime at the International Court of Justice for its ongoing violations of the Convention Against Torture.
The movement also addressed the situation in Iraq during its discussions, highlighting the need for intervention mechanisms to mitigate the effects of the recent laws passed by the Iraqi parliament that criminalize homosexuality and LGBTQIA+ rights defenders. In a side meeting with the EU Commissioner for Equality, “Helena Dalli,” and the French LGBTQIA+ Ambassador, “Jean-Marc Berthon,” GEM called for mobilization to support the LGBTQIA+ community in Syria and the region, ensuring their greater inclusion in the foreign policies of European countries.
The importance of the EuroPride conference lies in its status as one of the largest events discussing LGBTQIA+ issues on a global scale. This annual international event has been hosted by various European cities since 1992. Next year, it will be held in Lisbon, followed by Amsterdam the year after.
