Message from the SRSG, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, on the occasion of the 2024 International LGBTIQ+ Pride Day

“Ensuring the effective enjoyment of human rights and freedoms for all, leaving no one behind, is at the heart of the United Nations mission worldwide. This is why today, 28 June, International LGBTIQ+ Pride Day, I want to commend the leadership of these communities in peacebuilding despite the security risks, discrimination, and stigmatization they face.

Today, I also want to highlight that the Colombian Peace Agreement is the first in the world to explicitly include a gender-sensitive approach and considerations on LGBTIQ+ rights. Despite the challenges in its implementation, the Agreement has provided success stories in this regard, including milestones in terms of transitional justice, such as the Truth Commission’s Final Report and the opening of Case 11 at the Special Jurisdiction for Peace.

At the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, we reaffirm our commitment to continue working with the Government of Colombia, the United Nations Country Team, and civil society to advance the consolidation of #PeaceInAllColors.

Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Colombia, on the occasion of the International LGBTIQ+ Pride Day.