ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey, in close partnership with its member organisations Colaition Margins, LGBTI Support Centre and Subversive Front from North Macedonia, is submitting this report under the paragraph 89 of the 2030 Agenda, which focuses on the analysis of the position of LGBTI persons in the country in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No. 1, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 16 and 17, as well as the situation on COVID-19 crisis.

EGAL Serbia and Loud and Queer have conducted a research on the needs and obstacles faced by the LGBTI+ community in Serbia, in face of the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures taken by the state to combat it. EGAL, which manages also a drop-in center for the LGBTI community in Belgrade, needed this information in order to best design its response to the needs of the community.

The Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere.

The Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere.

In order to ensure an accurate representation of the developments relating to the human rights of LGBTI people ILGA-Europe and ERA, together in c

ERA’s Annual General Assembly is the biggest LGBTI event organized in the region since 2015. The conference is a lobby, advocacy, capacity building and visibility event which brings together more than 160 participants from across the region, Europe and beyond. LGBTI activists, state officials (governments, Parliaments, equality bodies etc.), donors, researchers, journalists, diplomatic community, representatives of international organizations and members of the local community attend the event.  

Republic of Turkey joined Council of Europe on 9 August 1949 and is one of the oldest members. The Council of Europe has a well-established large-scale country-specific co-operation in Turkey mainly in the field of rule of law and fundamental freedoms. However, the country has been facing some major challenges in the past years, especially in the field of human rights and freedoms, including the overall protection of the rights of LGBTI persons.

The EU accession process has been, and continues to be, a driving force for change in the recognition of the human rights of LGBTI people throughout the region not only through the criteria that countries have to meet, but through the annual Enlargement Reports.