From 3 to 5 March 2016 the South African Human Rights Commission convened an African regional seminar to discuss how to practically end violence and other forms of discrimination against persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE).

Download the Ekhuruleni Declaration

The ‘Africa regional seminar on finding practical solutions for addressing violence and discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression’ was held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The seminar was a follow up on a number of regional and international human rights resolutions and reports by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the UN Human Rights Council. Among these were Human Rights Council resolution 17/19 titled ‘Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity’ , the UN High Commissioner’s report on ‘discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity’ (A/HRC/19/41) and Resolution 275 of the African Commission on ‘protection against Violence and other Human Rights Violations against Persons on the Basis of their Real or Imputed Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity'.

Michael Masutha, the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services has asked Africans to protect the rights of LGBTIs.

The seminar was attended by commissioners from national human rights institutions across Africa, the AU Commission, ambassadors, the deputy minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and other members of the Judiciary, representatives of civil society organisations and human rights defenders from across the continent.

Participants deliberated on how to practically end violence and discrimination and this was reflected in the Ekhuruleni Declaration.