The press-service of "Gay-Forum of Ukraine" has announced that on April 20, the UN, after a lengthy revision and process of approval, published the final recommendations of a major international consultation on homosexual men, which took place at the end of the last year in Kiev for the Eastern European, Baltic, Central Asia and Caucasus countries.

The consultation, organized by the UN Development Program in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Population Fund (YUNPFA), has gathered over 150 delegates from 30 countries, representing a broad spectrum of government agencies, civil society organizations and donor agencies.

Following the consultations, a compromise was reached, which is reflected in the final document.

It was recommended that the states in the region, in particular Ukraine and Russia, should take the following measures:

• Take steps to ensure that those committing discrimination on the grounds of SOGI [sexual orientation and gender identity] are punishable by law;
• Make systematic arrangements to tackle homophobia and to prevent acts of aggression, violence and psychological pressure on MSM/LGBT people from law enforcement personnel;
• Carry out effective, prompt and impartial investigation of crimes and other incidents, where discrimination on the basis of SOGI is the primary motive;
• Introduce legislation to deal with acts aimed at inciting hatred or enmity, as well as the humiliation of a person or group of persons on the ground of SOGI committed publicly or through the media.

The most revolutionary conclusion formulated in the final document was a recommendation "to introduce legalization to permit same-sex partnerships," which should apply to all countries in the region without exception.

It is also stated in the final recommendations that "widespread stigma and discrimination against MSM/LGBT people remains one of the key factors hindering the implementation of programs to combat HIV infection among this group in the population."