Türk urges progress on investigating killings of LGBTIQ+ people

Friends and colleagues,

I am delighted to address this Forum on developing a Regional Protocol for the investigation of violent deaths of LGBTIQ+ people in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This is sorely needed. One credible estimate puts the number of LGBTIQ+ people killed in just ten countries in Latin America and the Caribbean between 2014 and 2023 at more than 3,000.

Around the world, people continue to face harassment, discrimination and violence based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics.

The Regional Protocol we are developing together aims to provide practical tools for public prosecutors, forensic experts and others, to guide their investigations into violent deaths of LGBTIQ+ people.   

It will promote accountability, deliver justice, and save lives.

Once finalized, it can be adapted and used in other regions.

In the meantime, we need the contributions of all stakeholders. I welcome participation in this Forum by public prosecutors, lawyers and forensic experts, colleagues from across the UN human rights ecosystem, and LGBTIQ+ human rights defenders.

And I appreciate the support throughout this process of the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors.

Together, I am confident we can develop an important tool to guide investigation of these heinous crimes and build a safer world for LGBTIQ+ people.

I wish you a successful meeting.