Protecting Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Rights in Organization of Islamic Cooperation States: Through the Universal Periodic Review

拟议项目旨在分析普遍定期审议（UPR）在伊斯兰合作国家组织（OIC）促进和保护性取向和性别认同权利（SOGI）方面的有效性，分析OIC国家提供的反对SOGI建议的理由的合法性，这些建议经常以文化相对主义和宗教限制性条款为框架。SOGI权利是迄今为止最具争议的人权问题之一（Cowell和Milon， 2012）。科菲·安南对普遍定期审议的设想是避免联合国人权委员会面临的批评，但它复制了其前任所面临的许多地区主义批评。数据将高水平的宗教自由与对SOGI权利的更高支持联系起来（Grim 2019），这表明双方并不是那么对立，但双方继续保持距离（Petersen 2020）。我将开展一系列案例研究（卡塔尔、沙特阿拉伯和阿拉伯联合酋长国），研究伊斯兰会议组织成员国因反对2016年联合国人权理事会关于“防止基于性取向和性别认同的暴力和歧视”的第32/2号决议而参与普遍定期审议的SOGI权利。该决议引发了关于承认SOGI权利的最激烈的辩论之一，包括建立一个独立的SOGI专家授权，并导致联合国人权委员会的埃及代表退出联合国人权委员会的咨询小组。拟提出的研究问题是：1。2.普遍定期审议在多大程度上对促进SOGI权利有效；2 .普遍定期审议是否成功地与其他负责保护SOGI权利的联合国实体（如SOGI独立专家）进行了接触？联合国是如何在维护宗教和信仰自由的同时寻求维护《特殊人权指标》的权利的？一旦确定了伊斯兰会议组织国家的样本，将对普遍定期审议的所有三个周期进行分析，以确定这些国家对SOGI权利的参与情况。这将通过分析普遍定期审议的在线知识库和模式（利益攸关方报告、国家审查、联合国汇编报告）来实现。这项研究将以普遍定期审议为视角，确定在何种程度上，有关特殊宗教信仰权利的人权原则不应受到宗教或信仰自由特权的限制。为此，将调查普遍定期审议和特别程序机制之间的协同作用，以确定这个问题。然后，将对联合国人权高专办和普遍定期审议利益攸关方的作用进行批评，以确定人权主张可能在多大程度上影响伊斯兰会议组织国家对SOGI权利的推进和承认。博士将根据人权原则，参与并促进我们对SOGI权利的理解和倡导。希望该项目将影响如何向伊斯兰会议组织成员国提出关于SOGI权利主题的建议，提高对SOGI问题的认识，并最终渗透到旨在保护SOGI权利的未来立法改革中。

The Proposed Project intends to analyse the effectiveness of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in the promotion and protection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Rights (SOGI) in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation States (OIC), analysing the legitimacy of the justifications that the OIC states provide in opposing SOGI recommendations which are frequently framed in culturally relativist and religiously restrictive terms. SOGI rights are one of the most contentious Human Rights issues to date (Cowell and Milon, 2012).Kofi Annan's vision of the UPR was to avoid to the criticisms faced by the UN Human Rights Commission, however it has replicated many of the regionalist criticisms its predecessor faced. Data links high levels of religious freedom with a higher support for SOGI rights (Grim 2019), indicating the two sides are not so oppositional, yet both sides continue to keep one another at arm's length (Petersen 2020).I will be conducting a series of case studies (Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) of OIC states engagement with the UPR on SOGI rights, due to their opposition to the 2016 UN Human Rights Council's Resolution 32/2 on 'protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity'. The resolution sparked one of the most intense debates over recognition of SOGI rights including the creation of an independent expert mandate on SOGI and lead to the UNHRC's Egyptian delegate withdrawing from the UNHRC's consultative group.The proposed research questions are:1. to what extent is the UPR effective for the advancement of SOGI rights;2. Has the UPR been successful in engaging with other UN Entities tasked with protecting SOGI rights,such as the Independent Expert on SOGI;3. How has the United Nations sought to preserve SOGI rights in the presence of also preserving Freedomof Religion and Belief (FORB).Once the sample of OIC states was identified, all three cycles of the UPR are to be analysed to determine the engagement with SOGI rights in those states. This will be undertaken through an analysis of the UPR's online repository and modalities (Stakeholder Reports, National Review, UN Compilation Report). This research will engage with the UPR as a lens to determine the extent to which the Human Rights principles on SOGI rights cannot be restricted by a privileging of Freedom of Religion or belief. To do this, the synergies between the UPR and the special procedure mechanisms will be investigated to determine this question.Then the role of the UN OHCHR and the UPR Stakeholders will be critiqued to determine to what extent human rights claims might be capable of influencing the advancement and recognition of SOGI rights in OIC states.The PhD will engage and contribute to our understanding and advocacy of SOGI rights, based on human rights principles. It is hoped that this project will influence how recommendations are made to OIC states on the topic of SOGI rights, increasing awareness of SOGI issues and ultimately filtering into future legislative changes aimed at protecting SOGI rights.