The Coalition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Transvestite, Intersex (LGBTTTI) Organizations and Sex Workers of Latin America and the Caribbean that work within the framework of the Organization of American States (OAS), participated in the 50th Ordinary Period of Sessions of the General Assembly, that took place on October 20 and 21, 2020 in Washington DC. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings took place virtually. During the Dialogue with heads of delegations, the Secretary General and civil society, that took place on October 19th, two members of the Coalition spoke representing sex workers organizations and LGBTI organizations respectively.

ISLA, AMSHeR and Synergía hosted the first virtual session of the ACHPR Civil Society Organisations’ Side Events (ACSE). The two-week webinar series took place from 21 September until 2 October 2020, with a total of 21 webinars hosted in parallel on Zoom and GoToWebinar. All sessions were open to the public, free of charge and in some cases offered simultaneous interpretation services for French and Spanish speaking participants. Over 500 people participated in the online seminars, workshops, plenaries and member meetings. As in previous sessions since 2012, ACSE has managed to successfully engage a global community that remains committed to

ISLA, AMSHeR and Synergía will host the ACHPR Civil Society Organisations’ Side Events on September 21st-October 2nd, 2020. The ACHPR Civil Society Organisations’ Side Events is a space for civil society organisations engaged in advocacy before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Commission, incubate coalitions interested in building strategic advocacy strategies, and foster the development of CSOs priorities and implementation plans. The side events will take place online via Zoom and GoToWebinar. CSOs who are interested in hosting an event should apply by completing this Google form. The full schedule of

El primer  encuentro se realizará  el día martes  25  de Agosto  11 am ( Argentina) 10 am Washington y Paraguay. Los y las disertantes: Dra Soledad García Muñoz – Relatora Especial  DESCA – CIDH Dr Julián López Ministro de Justicia y Derechos Humanos de Córdoba – Argentina Sr Raul La cava Secretario de Desarrollo Social – Municipalidad de Córdoba – Argentina Dra Carmen Colazo Miembra del Grupo Impulsor de Paridad ONUMUJERES Marcelo Ernesto Ferreyra Coordinador Regional para América Latina y el Caribe – SYNERGIA – Iniciativa por los Derechos Humanos. Encuentro vía Zoom  Inscripción previa/gratuita haciendo click en este enlace

On July 17th, OAS-PUICA and Synergía presented the reports Overview of the Legal Recognition of Gender Identity in the Americas and Guidelines for the Implementation of the Advisory Opinion no. 24 of the Inter-American Court on Human Rights and the Role of Civil Registries to the judges of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The meeting was chaired by the President of the Court, Judge Elizabeth Odio Benito, and attended by Judge Raúl Zaffaroni, Judge Eduardo Ferrer Mac-Gregor and Judge Ricardo Pérez Manrique, together with the Court’s Executive Secretary Pablo Saavedra and a number of lawyers. The meeting was also attended by the Director

On May 28th, OAS-PUICA and Synergía, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Argentina before the OAS, shared the results of a joint project aiming at strengthening access of civil registry institutions to knowledge and good practices for recognition of self-perceived gender identity. The panel was opened by Rebeca Omaña, Coordinator of PUICA, and Stefano Fabeni, Executive Director at Synergía. Panelists were: Juan Pablo Delgado, PUICA Project Manager; Fanny Gómez Lugo, Synergía’s Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy; Víctor Madrigal Borloz, UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity; Flávia Piovesan, Rapporteur on the Rights of LGBTI Persons of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; Marcela

Despite the postponement of the 66th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACmHPR) due to the current health crisis, the African Men on Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR) and Synergía celebrate the 6th anniversary of the adoption of Resolution 275/2014 on May 12th, 2014. Resolution 275 on Protection against Violence and other Human Rights Violations against Persons on the basis of their real or imputed Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity (ACHPR/Res.275(LV)2014) is a groundbreaking document for the protection of all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in Africa. AMSHeR and Synergía will

The Coalition for the Independence of the African Commission (CIAC) is seeking new members (both ordinary and implementing members) to protect and defend the independence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The CIAC was established in 2019, following the adoption of Decision 1015 by the African Union (AU) Executive Council in June 2018, and a subsequent convening of civil society organizations in Banjul, The Gambia, in October 2018. Decision 1015 constitutes an unprecedented attack to the independence of a human rights body by AU member states. Current CIAC implementing partners are the African Men for Sexual Health and Rights

As it has been known for more than a month, humanity is facing one of the most challenging threats in recent years in the face of the spread of COVID-19. The insidious ease of its transmission has forced governments to create and implement strategies aimed at blunting the force and reducing the speed with which it has infected countless people around the world. These policies, while aimed at reducing infections, have also dangerous consequences for various social groups. Women’s rights and feminist groups have warned about the likely increment of domestic violence against women, the lack of access to goods

Synergía, along with the Coalition of LGBTTTI Organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean that works within the Organization of American States (OAS), composed of 61 organizations from the region, condemns the murder of our colleague, Karla Valentina Camarena del Castillo, a 33-year-old trans woman, human rights defender, member of the Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Personas Trans (Redlactrans). Karla was murdered with a gunshot on a street in the municipality of San Felipe, Guanajuato state, Mexico, on March 29, 2020. We request the state of Guanajuato and the Mexican federal government to investigate with due diligence, in accordance