Ask Sharma: Issues of gay and lesbian people in the Commonwealth

Godwyns Onwuchekwa asks:

Dear Mr. Sharma,

We at the Justice for Gay Africans [JfGA] Society are still dismayed that you have not – and still refused to – take a public stand on the issues of gay and lesbian people in the Commonwealth. Many atrocities have been – and continue to be – done against these minority group with many having taken international news into overtime churning.

As we have written you many times and got no answer, we want to ask a simple question: what is the Commonwealth under your leadership doing to encourage governments of its membership to adopt equality and respect of natural rights for all citizens?

Please do not continue to ignore us.

Godwyns Onwuchekwa

Co-ordinator, Justice for Gay Africans Society

The Secretary-General replies:

Thank you for your message on a matter about which I have in fact commented publicly, at length and often.

Please see my comments on the David Kato murder in Uganda, at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March, at the meeting of the Commonwealth National Human Rights Institutions in Port of Spain, at the last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and at this year’s Commonwealth Law Conference in Hyderabad.

So, human rights concerns remain a top priority, but our priority in the Secretariat is always to be constructive in working with national governments to build their national strengths to respond to human rights concerns, and to advance human rights for all.

Kamalesh Sharma