Spain is going to launch a “global alliance for the decriminalization of crimes related to LGTBI identity,” as announced this Friday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares. Although the minister has not offered more details, diplomatic sources have explained that the initiative will be similar to the global alliance launched in 2017 to outlaw the trade of instruments used in the application of the death penalty and torture by the EU, Mongolia and Argentina. Usually these types of initiatives are sponsored by several countries or organizations from different cultural fields and include the commitment to incorporate the alliance’s objectives into the foreign relations agenda.
Almost 70 countries around the world criminalize consensual homosexual relations between adults and around twenty punish them with the death penalty or life imprisonment. In recent times, homophobic legislation has been tightened in countries such as Uganda, which punishes the promotion of homosexuality with 20 years. But they are not just African or Islamic states: Russia has classified the LGTBIQ+ movement as a “radical organization”, which allows its activists to be imprisoned; and even EU countries, such as Hungary or Poland, have been denounced for their legislation or the adoption of homophobic measures.
Albares made this announcement at an informative breakfast organized by the Nueva Economía forum in which he also urged the United Kingdom to reach an agreement on Gibraltar’s relations with the EU once Brexit is completed. After ensuring that both countries are “close” to reaching an agreement, he added: “It must be done soon.” The Foreign Minister alluded to the fact that the EU is holding elections in June, which will mean the dissolution of the current European Commission, which must reach the agreement, and the European Parliament, which must ratify it; while the United Kingdom will also hold elections later this year.
The minister has revealed that last Wednesday he spoke about the issue with his British counterpart, David Cameron, at the Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland). The matter will be addressed by the new Secretary of State for the EU, Fernando Sampedro, with his British counterpart during the second’s visit to Madrid this Friday. After reiterating that Spain put a “generous and balanced” proposal on the table months ago, he urged London “to definitely take that step with courage and get the agreement right now.”
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