URGENT: The rights of LGBTI staff at the UN are in danger!

Dear colleagues,

At this time I was planning to send you all an end of the year message highlighting UN-GLOBE achievements over the past few months.

Instead, I have to message you about something direr.

The revised ST/SGB, which now recognizes legal unions according to the laws in the country where it was performed, will be debated by member states over the next few days.

Needless to say, there is danger that they will succeed in asking for the policy to be withdrawn.

Over the last few days UN-GLOBE has been doing all it can to ensure this outcome does not happen, including working with allies on statements to the Fifth Committee that will be issued shortly (I will share this with you). I still continue to hope that any effort against our hard-earned right will fail. And I will continue to work on this until this is so.

It is our collective right to demand and to receive equality. And we will never stop demanding this.

For now, I strongly encourage all of you who have taken that big decision to make your relationship official, please do this as soon as you can. And please write to your employer to have your personal status changed. (Instructions on how to write to your employer are available at Resources)

I will also ask you for one thing: all those of you who have had your union recognized since the decision of the Secretary-General, please write to me at nam@un.org, and let me know who you are. We may need you.

I will update you on this issue over the coming days.

Please know that UN-GLOBE will continue to do all it can to ensure our rights.

Sincerely,

Hyung Hak Nam (Alfonso)

President, UN-GLOBE