Press statement | 10.10.2018

International "Coming out" day

On the occasion of the International "Coming out" day (symbolic exit from the wardrobe, ie the announcement of one's own sexuality and gender identity and sexual characteristics), on October 11 Ombudsmen want to draw public attention to the fact that LGBT persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina still do not enjoy real equality in everyday life.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a signatory to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, should take appropriate measures to enable all persons to enjoy the rights and freedoms without discrimination on any ground. In the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers / Minister to Member States on measures for combating discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity CM / Rec (2010) 5 of 31.03.2010), the member States of the Council of Europe, and thus Bosnia and Herzegovina, are given recommendations in order to improving the position of members of the LGBT community.

In the light of the above, the Ombudspersons published a Special Report on the Rights of LGBT Persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina in September 2016, in which they determined the current situation and real access to the human rights of members of the LGBT community, containing data and information obtained from public authorities, non- academic experts, as well as examples from the practice of the Ombudsman Institution. In the Report, the Ombudspersons requested recommendations to undertake a series of concrete legal and administrative measures aimed at improving the position of this population.

At the end of the Ombudsperson, they point out that although in the past period the legislative framework for protection against discrimination has been improved, public authorities must make additional efforts to improve the position of this population in all spheres of life.

Link to LGBTI Special Report

Link to CM/Rec(2010)5

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