<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Spain will assume, together with Colombia, the co-presidency of the Equal Rights Coalition, the main international public-private alliance for the defense and promotion of the rights of LGBTI people throughout the world.</strong></h4> The decision was adopted during the biennial ministerial conference of the Coalition, held on Monday and Tuesday of this week in Berlin. Spain will co-chair this organization through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a period of two years, starting on January 1, according to a press release from the Department headed by José Manuel Albares. The Equal Rights Coalition is made up of 45 States and civil society organizations. “For Spain, the promotion of human rights and, in particular, the defence of the equality and dignity of LGBTI people is not only a foreign policy priority, but an ethical commitment that stems from our history and the values we share as a society,” the Ministry said. “For this reason, the Spanish Government is taking on this challenge, aware of the enormous challenges posed by the fight for the rights of LGBTI people,” it added. According to Foreign Ministry, despite the progress made in many countries, 64 States still punish same-sex relations, and in several of them with extreme penalties, including the death penalty. Added to this are hate speech, especially on social media, violence and discrimination that continue to threaten the lives and dignity of many people around the world because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. “Spain is assuming the co-presidency with a firm commitment to strengthen this unique platform and to work tirelessly in favour of the decriminalisation of sexual relations between people of the same sex,” the Ministry said. During the Spanish-Colombian co-presidency, according to the press release, diplomatic initiatives will be promoted to ensure that fewer and fewer countries have these unjust and anachronistic laws. Cooperation will also be carried out with international organisations, such as the United Nations and the European Union, to ensure that decriminalisation is a central issue on global human rights agendas. “Spain thanks Germany and Mexico for the work carried out as co-presidencies and trusts that, with the collaboration of Colombia and the support of all members, the Coalition will consolidate itself not only as a symbol of hope, but also as an effective tool for change,” declared the Foreign Ministry. “The world we dream of is not a distant ideal, it is an achievable goal if we work together, guided by the values of equality, justice and the dignity of all human beings,” it concluded.
