Euroopan neuvoston parlamentaarinen yleiskokous hyväksyi torstaina 12.10. päätöslauselman, joka edistää merkittävästi intersukupuolisten ihmisten ihmisoikeuksia Euroopan neuvoston 47 jäsenmaassa. Puheenvuoro päätöslauselman puolesta:
Madame president
This report has been throughly processed in the committee of equality and non-discrimination. I would like to thank Mr De Bruyn and the committee for their work in this important issue.
If adopted, this resolution will be historic. It can help us protect the human rights of thousands of individuals in each of our member countries. This resolution takes nothing away from anybody, it merely promotes equality of all individuals regardless of their personal gender characteristics.
This resolution encourages member states to respect intersex people’s own rights to control their bodies. It discourages and aims to prohibit the use of often invasive and irreversible so called sex-normalising surgeries and hormonal treatments to intersex people without their informed consent.
This means that we would respect especially children’s rights and would wait until they are old enough to choose themselves.
The resolution also encourages member states to take measures to strengthen the legal position of intersex people. The resolution also stresses the need for adequate psychosocial support for parents of intersex children and intersex children themselves.
Determined measures are needed to promote the rights of people belonging to gender minorities. We also need more comprehensive information on intersex issues and gender diversity.
Some countries have already taken measures to the right direction. Malta has probably the most progressive policies of Europe in this topic. In my home country Finland, our national social and health ethics advisory board has suggested among other things that intersex children rights should be respected and harmful procedures should be avoided.
Madame president
A small child is a small child, regardless of gender. All of us know that each child is unique. We should embrace the diversity without fear and let them decide, if there is a need for that, when they grow older.
We should encourage each child to find their own path. And during that path, we should not give in to prejudice or fear.
The resolution should be adopted the way it is, expect for the amendments 1 and 2 which are technical.
The other amendments would destroy the whole purpose of this resolution, and would de facto accept the discrimination of intersex people, which would be against the whole idea of european convention of human rights and the purpose of this general assembly.
I sincerely hope that this resolution passes.