© Bishkek City Administration View of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. UN experts called on Kyrgyzstan to withdraw the bill restricting the rights of transgender people Human rights
United Nations experts have expressed deep concern about the progress of a bill in Kyrgyzstan that, in their opinion, could lead to state discrimination against transgender and gender-diverse people, as well as significantly limit their fundamental rights and freedoms.
The reason for the statement was the adoption by the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan in the first reading of the draft law “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Kyrgyz Republic.” According to UN experts, the bill defines gender as immutable and based solely on biological characteristics received at birth. It also prohibits changing gender markers on civil records and other documents, bans medical interventions for gender reassignment, and obliges parents to raise their children strictly according to the sex assigned to them at birth.
“We deeply regret the passage of the bill on first reading,” UN experts said. They stressed that the proposed amendments contradict both the Constitution of Kyrgyzstan and the country’s international human rights obligations. associations.
UN experts criticized the arguments of the authors of the bill linking the recognition of gender diversity with threats to demographic policy, national security and sustainable development. They called on the Kyrgyz parliament to withdraw the bill and ensure that any future legislation complies with the country’s international and national human rights obligations.
Independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. They are not UN employees and do not receive wages for their work. Experts act in their personal capacity and do not represent any government or organization.