State of Play: SOGIESC protections in the Council of Europe region
The 2024 civil society comprehensive review of the implementation of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation (2010)5 on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity presents a complex picture of progress.
The Council of Europe (COE) is currently conducting its 3rd review of the implementation of the Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5, which outlines measures to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In response to this process, ILGA-Europe has prepared a regional report in collaboration with IGLYO, along with input from 27 member organisations and other regional LGBTI networks, to reflect on the progress made since the adoption of the Recommendation in 2010.
A mixed picture of progress
The report presents a complex reality. While some CoE member states have taken significant steps forward, others have stagnated or even regressed in their protections of LGBTI people. Key areas of concern include access to legal gender recognition, protection from violence, and equal treatment in education, healthcare, and employment.
However, there are also positive developments. In the 14 years since the adoption of the Recommendation, progress has been made across the region, demonstrating that equality is achievable when governments work closely with civil society. The report calls on the Council of Europe to fully incorporate civil society perspectives into its upcoming 2025 regional report, alongside self-assessments made by member states, ensuring that the voices of LGBTI people are heard and acted upon.
About the report
This review draws on the input of civil society organisations from 27 Council of Europe member states. Organisations completed a detailed questionnaire, which aligns with the thematic areas of the original 2010 Recommendation. The questionnaire gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on key areas such as:
- Right to life, security, and protection from violence
- Legal gender recognition
- Freedom of association and expression
- Non-discrimination in health, education, employment, and housing
- Protection of LGBTI children and young people
To provide a thorough analysis, this data was supplemented with consultations with national authorities, desk research, and ILGA-Europe’s own monitoring efforts. The report also benefited from contributions by other European networks, including TGEU, OII-Europe, and EL*C, ensuring a comprehensive look at the progress and setbacks in LGBTI rights across the region.
Contributing organisations
This report would not have been possible without the contributions of the following civil society organisations:
- Albania: Alliance Against Discrimination of LGBTI (Aleanca LGBTI)
- Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sarajevo Open Center
- Bulgaria: Youth LGBT organization Deystvie (Deystvie), Single Step
- Croatia: Za Pravo; Proces – udruga za promicanje queer kulture i LGBTIQ+ prava
- Cyprus: Accept LGBTI+ CYPRUS, Queer Cyprus Association, Queer Collective CY
- Czechia: Transparent, Jsme fér, In-Iustitia
- Finland: SETA – LGBTI rights in Finland
- France: Human Development Research Initiative
- Georgia: Equality Movement, Tbilisi Pride, Georgian Young Lawyers Association, Georgian Democratic Initiative
- Greece: Colour Youth – Athens LGBTQ Youth Community
- Hungary: Háttér Society, Transvanilla Transgender Association
- Ireland: LGBT Ireland
- Italy: Rete Lenford – Avvocatura per i Diritti LGBTI+
- Lithuania: National LGBTI Rights Organization LGL (Lithuanian Gay League, LGL)
- Montenegro: Association Spectra, LGBT Forum Progress, Montenegrin LGBTIQ+ Association Queer Montenegro
- North Macedonia: TransFormA, Coalition Margins
- Poland: Lambda Warsaw Association, Love Does Not Exclude Association, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Interaction Foundation, Transprzyjaźń, tranzycja.pl (with input from independent scholar Kornel Sobczak)
- Portugal: Associação ILGA Portugal, Rede ex aequo
- Republic of Moldova: GENDERDOC-M Information Centre
- Romania: Asociația Pride
- Serbia: Labris, Kolektiv Talas TIRV/Collective wave TIGV
- Slovak Republic: Saplinq, o.z.
- Slovenia: Association Cultural, Informational and Counseling Center Legebitra
- Spain: Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gais, Trans, Bisexuales, Intersexuales y más (FELGTBI+)
- Türkiye: SPoD, ÜniKuir
- Ukraine: Gender Stream
- United Kingdom: Mermaids
Additionally, contributions to the final report were made by the Eurocentralasian Lesbian* Community (EL*C), Organisation Intersex International Europe (OII Europe), and Trans Europe and Central Asia (TGEU).
