| MS | Title | Partners | Description | More details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malta | Coordination of government policy in the field of LGBTIQ equality |
|
The SOGIGESC Unit within the Human Rights Directorate is responsible for coordinating government policy in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) equality. The unit provides support to ministries and departments across the public sector, and it also had a mandate to assess and monitor the implementation of the 2018–2022 LGBTIQ equality strategy and action plan. Representatives of the SOGIGESC Unit also sit on the LGBTIQ Consultative Council. The council is an advisory body under the Parliamentary Secretariat for Equality and Reforms that advises the government on LGBTIQ matters. The members of the council are appointed by the minister from organisations and among experts active in the LGBTIQ field. The council is made up of a government representative from the SOGIGESC Unit and representatives from LGBTIQ- and human-rights-focused non-governmental organisations, the equality arms of political parties, trade unions and academia. Over the years, the LGBTIQ Consultative Council has served as both a platform for civil society and a sounding board for the work of the SOGIGESC Unit and, in turn, the Human Rights Directorate. The SOGIGESC Unit gives updates of its work on the implementation of the government’s LGBTIQ equality strategy and action plan to the council. Members of the council are also at times invited to meetings and round-table discussions to identify and discuss challenges faced by LGBTIQ individuals in various sectors, such as sports and sexual health. Through the SOGIGESC Unit and the council coordinating meetings with other ministries or departments, changes to policies and procedures have been pushed through that better LBGTIQ rights, such as changes to the health system database that make healthcare more accessible to intersex persons. The council, together with the SOGIGESC Unit, has also been active in ongoing work relating to the introduction of the X (non-binary) marker on birth certificates. The two bodies work collaboratively, mainstreaming legislative and policy changes and monitoring and implementing the national LGBTIQ equality strategy and action plan. |
View more |