DPM Marković participates in “Out on the Street” conference on LGBT rights in London

Podgorica, Montenegro (14 November 2012) -- Government of Montenegro has been adopting and implementing clear policies in the area of promotion and protection of rights and freedoms of LGBT persons and their better visibility in the Montenegrin society, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice and Human Rights Duško Marković in addressing the participants of the “Out on the Street” conference held in London on Tuesday.

Underlining that no country in Europe can be described as providing for absolute legal and social equality of LGBT people, notwithstanding the good practices in place, Mr Marković pointed out that “it’s about a complex social process, the results of which could not be attained by acting in an ad-hoc manner or overnight. Montenegro is at the very beginning of the process: it is leaving the stage of taboo and reaching the stage of open dialogue on these issues.”

DPM Marković stated that “the Government of Montenegro spares no effort in embracing a strategic approach, and drafts, through analysing different sorts of homophobic behaviour and in cooperation with civil society and international partners, concrete measures whose implementation will bring about changes to mindsets and behaviour.”

Expounding the concrete activities of the Government of Montenegro in the area of promoting LGBT rights, Deputy Prime Minister Marković said that these activities have been recognised as an example of good practices to be followed in the region. He stated that such an acknowledgement entails further commitments in the field of improving human rights in general, which will bring benefits not just to furthering the democratic progress of the society but also to the aims of European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Montenegro.

In that context, Mr Marković reminded the participants that the Government of Montenegro was the first in the Western Balkans to host an international conference on LGBT rights and freedoms, and that it has been chosen as the first beneficiary state in the Council of Europe’s project “Combating discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity”.

The Government has also established the Anti-Discrimination Council comprising seven line ministers and Prime Minister as chair. It launched a regional initiative on LGBT rights at the highest level in March this year, and plans to adopt an Anti-Homophobia Strategy, the Deputy Prime Minister explained. 

He concluded by repeating the key massage of the Government’s policy in this area: “Nobody should live in fear or be invisible.”