Transparency data

Promoting and Protecting the Rights of LGBT+ People Programme summary 2022 to 2023

Published 30 March 2023

Overview

The UK promotes and defends the full range of universal human rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments. The UK strongly encourages all States to abide by and fulfil their obligations under international law. FCDO human rights objectives currently include a particular emphasis on promoting gender equality and women and girls’ rights.

Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. We are fundamentally opposed to all forms of discrimination and work to uphold the rights and freedoms of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) people in all circumstances.

In recent decades there has been a dramatic and positive shift in both societal attitudes and political acceptance of LGBT+ people and their rights across many parts of the world. However, there is still a long road ahead until LGBT+ people globally can enjoy full equality and equity.

Across the world, LGBT+ people face ongoing, serious and profoundly concerning violations of their civil, political and economic rights. The authorities of many countries continue actively to persecute LGBT+ people. Sixty seven countries continue to criminalise private, consensual sexual activity between consenting adults of the same sex – 32 are in the Commonwealth.

The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity. FCDO promotes and protects the rights of LGBT+ people.

Objectives on promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT+ people

The UK is a champion for the human rights of LGBT+ people around the world. We support and advocate for the right for all people, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity, to live with dignity, free from prejudice, violence, or discrimination. Our objectives are to improve the lives of LGBT+ people through:

• improving institutional protection against discrimination including through removing or amending discriminatory laws, policies and practices
• reducing hate speech, violence or harassment based on discrimination
• improving access to services

Official Development Assistance (ODA) and promoting and protecting LGBT+ rights

This programme is supporting work in more than 40 countries around the world. This programme strand is a blend of ODA and non-ODA. ODA expenditure within this programme is limited to ODA-eligible countries.

The programme has supported projects on:

• technical and legal expertise and support for the reform of laws or policies that discriminate against LGBT+ people
• reducing hate speech, violence or harassment based on discrimination of LGBT+ people
• increasing the participation of minority groups including LGBT+ people in political and public life, including in positions of leadership and influence

The programme is also supporting the work of embassies and missions around the world ensuring that local, grassroots initiatives receive the funding and support they need to protect the most vulnerable.

This programme complements the FCDO’s wider work on equality and inclusion including projects under the cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund.

Supporting the rights of LGBT+ people objectives for financial year 2022 to 2023

The work on LGBT+ rights supports the FCDO’s strategic objective to project our global influence as a force for good. It helps to advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A key pillar of the SDGs is the promise to ‘leave no one behind’, recognising that to eradicate poverty and create a sustainably developed world, the 169 targets need to be met for all segments of society, including marginalised groups and vulnerable populations. This principle is especially relevant for LGBT+ persons who are systematically excluded from society based on their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics.

The FCDO’s work in this area includes:

• building the capacity and capability of grassroots human rights defenders
• providing technical and legal assistance to governments and civil society organisations working to overturn discriminatory laws and policies in the Commonwealth

Protecting LGBT+ Rights Programme during financial year 2021 to 2022

In 2022 to 2023, the programme supported projects across the range of themes. The FCDO publishes an Annual Human Rights report, including delivery through policy programmes.

Promoting and Protecting LGBT+ Rights Programme allocation for financial year 2022 to 2023

The ODA allocation for 2022 to 2023 for work on gender equality and promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT+ people was £1,200,000 (and non-ODA allocation was £1,800,000).