Statement by Council of Europe rapporteurs

Jonas Gunnarsson (General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBT people) and Piet De Bruyn (rapporteur on ‘Promoting the human rights of and eliminating discrimination against intersex people’) have issued a joint statement for Intersex Awareness Day on behalf of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. It calls for an end to unwanted medical interventions, and notes the drafting of a special resolution.

“It is time to end shame, secrecy and unwanted medical interventions on intersex children,” said both the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s (PACE) General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBT people Jonas Gunnarsson (Sweden, SOC) and rapporteur on ‘Promoting the human rights of and eliminating discrimination against intersex people’, Piet De Bruyn (Belgium, NR), on the day of Intersex Awareness Day.

“The situation of intersex people is still too little known to the general public,” they said. “People whose bodies do not have exclusively either male or female sex characteristics are too often taught to be ashamed of their bodies. Intersex children are frequently subjected to irreversible and highly intrusive surgery without their informed consent, and intersex people of all ages experience human rights violations in many aspects in their daily lives. Prejudice and ignorance moreover exacerbate the inequalities they face.”

“We are proud that the Parliamentary Assembly has decided to begin work on a draft resolution on promoting the human rights of and eliminating discrimination against intersex people throughout Europe. Today more than ever we look forward to raising awareness on these issues and working towards removing the discrimination experienced by intersex people,” they concluded.

Read the statement on the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly website (English)
Read the statement on the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly website (French)