The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

NOTED Bahamian attorney, author, and United Nations expert Marion Bethel expressed support for the United Nations resolution that upheld the appointment of an independent expert to investigate worldwide cases of discrimination and abuse against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.

The resolution was heavily criticised last month by religious leaders, and the fringe United People’s Movement party, who claimed that Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn’s appointment, and stance as a gay rights advocate, was a clear attempt to further the gay rights agenda worldwide.

However, Mrs Bethel countered that the appointment and Professor Muntarbhorn’s subsequent report is a part of “evolving human rights”.

She expressed support for the Thai professor during an interview with The Tribune on Thursday.

“I am pleased to know that my country has supported this report that came forward,” Mrs Bethel said, “what it does is it moved forward with the independent expert getting information on discrimination and violence against the LGBTI community. It will help us to understand the root causes of this type of violence and how we can improve our communities in understanding and leading perhaps to legislation or other kinds of social benefits for the LGBTI community.

“I don’t know what the report will finally bring about, this is part of evolving human rights.”

An international law professor from Thailand, Mr Muntarbhorn was appointed in September and given a three-year mandate to investigate incidents of discrimination and abuse around the world.

The December 19 resolution represented the second attempt by The African Group, a regional bloc comprised of 54 member countries, to block the appointment. Underscoring that there is no international consensus on sexual orientation and gender identity, the African bloc has argued that the expert’s mandate had no legal basis.

According to reports, the UN human rights committee rejected an African draft resolution opposing the expert’s work on November 21.

Mrs Bethel is among 11 experts elected to serve on the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. She was endorsed by CARICOM and also received widespread support from many Asian, African and European countries.

Comprising 23 independent experts serving in their personal capacity, the committee monitors the implementation of the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women by States parties.

The convention is an international treaty adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979 and described as an international bill of rights for women.

The newly elected experts will serve on CEDAW from January 1, 2017, until December 31, 2019.

“I will be sitting on the UN CEDAW committee as we look at violence against women. These experts bring to our attention the information we need to make certain decisions and deepen understanding of vulnerable communities.

“For me it’s about deepening our understanding of the human rights infractions of this community, which is really important.

She said: “We need to know the scope of what is happening independently of what governments are putting forward, it is important work to be done.

“It moves us forward to the next stage of gathering information to look at human rights instrument and how it can be updated.”

Mrs Bethel is the wife of Progressive Liberal Party leadership candidate and former Attorney General Alfred Sears.