Meeting in Barcelona between
the Secretary Generals of amnesty International and ILGA

Jordi Petit asks Pierre Sane for greater commitment toward the defence ofthose imprisoned for their homosexuality.

The Secretary General of Amnesty International, Pierre Sane and the Secretary General of ILGA, Jordi Petit held a meeting in Barcelona this morning on the occasion of a visit by Pierre Sane to the Annual Assembly of the Spanish Division of AI.

A delegation comprising Gemma Sanchez, Secretary General, Antonio Guirado and Anna Hilgendag, members of the Coordinadora Gay-Lesbiana de Barcelona (Co-ordinating Body for Gays and Lesbians of Barcelona) also took part in the meeting which was conducted in a cordial and co-operative atmosphere.

Jordi Petit, for ILGA, asked Amnesty International for greater commitment to the defence of the human rights of gays and lesbians. Petit recognised the advance achieved by the final decision taken during the Assembly International Council Meeting of AI, held in Cape Town (South Africa) at the end of December last year. By that decision , AI agreed to intensify its efforts on behalf of prisoners detained for their homosexuality and to boost its efforts in researching and publicising this state of affairs and, as well, to organise a network of AI members working on Gay and Lesbian affairs. However, this meeting had not acknowledged "sexual orientation" in the statutes of AI as a cause of persecution.

Pierre Sane agreed with Jordi Petit on the importance of working for the Rights of Gays and Lesbians as they are, equally, Human Rights. Pierre Sane acknowledged that it would be a necessarily sensitive task in countries with a tradition of homophobia and said that it would be a gradual process to achieve full recognition of the rights of gays and lesbians.

Jordi Petit reminded Pierre Sane that there were still 80 countries in the world that penalised homosexual acts including such cases as close to Spain as Romania,Chile and Nicaragua. At the same time, he made positive mention of the recent decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ecuador and Kazakstan, progress which both AI and ILGA welcomed.

Jordi Petit presented Pierre Sane with a copy of the 1997 Annual Report of ILGA and pledged the support of ILGA for AI's campaign on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For his own part, Petit asked for AI's adherence to ILGA's 1998 Manifesto "THE RIGHTS OF GAYS AND LESBIANS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS".

ILGA, the International Association of Gays and Lesbians, consists of 400 member organisations in 75 countries and is a Non Government Organisation (NGO) with Council of Europe consultative status.

On the occasion of the visit of Pierre Sané, Secretary General of amnesty international,to Barcelona during the Asamblea Nacional de AI-España

ILGA, the International Lesbian and Gay Assosiation, wants to add its signature to the millions of signatures Amnesty International will present to the United Nations on 10 December 1998, the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the world's biggest book.

ILGA and so its member organizations will do everything in their power to ensure that the rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights become a reality throughout the world.

Jordi Petit Co-Secretary General of ILGA Barcelona

Jennifer Wilson Co-Secretary General of ILGA Sidney