Introduction

On 17 June 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a resolution expressing grave concerns about discrimination and violence on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The resolution, proposed by South Africa, passed on the basis of a 23–19 vote. It called upon the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to examine the laws and policies of states concerning the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) persons. As a result, the UN High Commissioner has been actively engaged in support of LGBT rights, which led to the creation of a dedicated website, UN Free & Equal (www.unfe.org), to disseminate information about such rights and promote a greater awareness of them.