Open letter of the Ambassadors of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Venezuela as well as the General Representative of the Government of Flanders, the CEO of Wallonie-Bruxelles International, the Representative of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Poland, the Acting Head of the Representative the European Commission in Poland, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration, the Secretary General of the Community of Democracies, the Head of Poland and the Baltic States, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Resident Representative of the World Bank for Poland and the Baltic states.
This letter has been coordinated by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Poland.
We express our support for the efforts to raise public awareness of issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) community and other communities in Poland facing similar challenges.
To this end, we acknowledge the efforts of the organizers of the equality parade and marches in Białystok, Bielsko-Biała, Częstochowa, Gdańsk, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Gryfino, Jelenia Góra, Kalisz, Katowice, Kielce, Koszalin, Kraków, Legnica, Lublin, Łódź, Milicz, Olsztyn, Opole, Piła, Poznań, Rzeszów, Sanok, Słupsk, Szczecin, Sztum, Toruń, Warszawa, Wrocław and Zielona Góra. This year, we also acknowledge the LGBTQI+ community’s contributions to supporting those fleeing the war in Ukraine as an integral part of Polish society.
We affirm the inherent dignity of each individual as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Respect for these fundamental rights, which are also enshrined in OSCE commitments and the obligations and standards of the Council of Europe and the European Union as communities of rights and values, obliges governments to protect all citizens from violence and discrimination and to ensure they enjoy equal opportunities.
To this end, and in particular to shield communities in need of protection from verbal
and physical abuse and hate speech, we need to jointly work on an environment
of non-discrimination, tolerance, and mutual acceptance.
This includes in particular sectors such as education, health, social affairs, citizenship, public service, and public documents.
We pay tribute to the hard work of LGBTQI+ and other communities in Poland and around the world, as well as the work of all those who seek to ensure human rights for LGBTQI+ and other persons belonging to communities facing similar challenges,
and to end discrimination in particular on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Human rights are universal and everyone, including LGBTQI+ persons, are entitled
to their full enjoyment.
This is something that everyone should support.
Signed,
H.E. Lloyd Brodrick, Ambassador of Australia
H.E. Andreas Stadler, Ambassador of Austria
H.E. Rik Van Droogenbroeck, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium,
H.E. Haroldo de Macedo Ribeiro, Ambassador of Brazil
H.E. Catherine Godin, Ambassador of Canada
H.E. Aylin Estrella Joo Liem, Ambassador of Chile
Mr Christian Kandler Rodriguez, Chargé d’affaires, Embassy of Costa Rica
H.E. Petros T. Nacouzis, Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus
Mr Miroslav Kolatek, Chargé d’affaires, Embassy of the Czech Republic
H.E. Ole Toft, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark,
H.E. Miko Haljas, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia
H.E. Päivi Maarit Laine, Ambassador of Finland
H.E. Frédéric Billet, Ambassador of France
H.E. Thomas Bagger, Ambassador of Germany
H.E. Michael-Efstratios C. Daratzikis, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic
H.E. Hannes Heimisson, Ambassador of Iceland
H.E. Patrick Gerard Haughey, Ambassador of Ireland
H.E. Luca Franchetti Pardo, Ambassador of Italy
H.E. Ambassador Pascal Schafhauser, Ambassador of Liechtenstein
H.E. Eduardas Borisovas, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania
H.E. Paul Schmit, Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
H.E. Maria Assunta Farrugia, Ambassador of the Republic of Malta
H.E. Juan Sandoval Mendiolea, Ambassador of the United Mexican States
H.E. Daphne Bergsma, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
H.E. Alana Hudson, Ambassador of New Zealand
H.E. Anders Eide, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway
H.E. Luís Cabaço, Ambassador of Portugal
H.E. Dario Galassi, Ambassador of San Marino
H.E. Bojan Pograjc, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia
H.E. Nomvula Josephine Mngomezulu, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa
H.E. Ramiro Fernández Bachiller, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain
H.E. Stefan Gullgren, Ambassador of Sweden
H.E. Fabrice Maurice Ernest Filiez, Ambassador of Switzerland
H.E. Anna Clunes, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
HE Mark Brzeziński, Ambassador of the United States of America
H.E. Luis Gómez Urdaneta, Ambassador of Venezuela
Mr Matteo Mecacci, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Ms Marzenna Guz-Vetter, Acting Head of Representation, European Commission in Poland
Mr Witold Naturski, Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Poland
Mr Kevin J. Allen, Representative of UNHCR Representation in Poland
Mr Thomas Castrel, General Representative of the Government of Flanders
Ms Pascale Delcomminette, CEO of Wallonie-Bruxelles International, Wallonia-Brussels Office in Warsaw
Mr Thomas E. Garrett, Secretary General of the Community of Democracies
Ms Livia Styp-Rekowska, Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Ms Elisabetta Falcetti, Regional Director, Head of Poland and the Baltic States, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Mr Marcus Heinz, World Bank Resident Representative for Poland and the Baltic states