
Statement of SOCUMES and CENESEX on Cuban vote at the United Nations General Assembly
Cuba: Read the statement of SOCUMES and CENESEX on the Cuban vote at the Third Committee of UN General Assembly in support of the amendment which removed the explicitly mention of “sexual orientation” at the periodic resolution condemning the extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights denied observer status to the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL)
Africa: The African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights denied observer status to the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL). CAL and other lesbian feminist activists rapidly reacted. Read more.
A new Jamaican Public Service Announcement calls for tolerance
Jamaica: A recently produced public service announcement focuses attention on the need to respect LGBT individuals and features prominent Jamaicans requesting tolerance of the Jamaican LGBT community. Read more and watch the video.

Governments Remove Sexual Orientation from UN Resolution Condemning Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions
Global: For 79 votes for and 70 votes against the amendment proposed, and 17 countries abstaining, governments remove sexual orientation from UN Resolution condemning extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

An Activist’s Guide to The Yogyakarta Principles
ARC International (www.arc-international.net) is releasing an “Activist’s Guide to The Yogyakarta Principles”, a tool for those who are working to create change and build on the momentum that has already begun around the Yogyakarta Principles.

Michelle Bachelet will head UN Women
Global: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced in September, 14th that former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet will head UN Women, an agency formed in July to pull together four existing U.N. bodies dealing with the advancement and welfare of women.

UN Women born
Global: The United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously on July, 2nd to create a new entity to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide, establishing the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women — the new gender equality entity at the UN.

Anand Grover and the 14th session of the UN Human Rights Council
The UN Special Rapporteur to health, Anand Grover, has dedicated his thematic report at the 14th session of the UN Human Rights Council to issues

The III Brazilian Human Rights Program: a last chapter?
Brazil: On May 13th, 2010, President Lula finally signed a new decree altering the text of III National Program for Human Rights (PNDH3), in which the Catholic Church and other conservative voices’ prevailed. Read “The III Brazilian Human Rights Program: a last chapter?”, an analisis by Jandira Queiroz and Sonia Corrêa, members of the SPW team.