Editorial
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Watershed Moment for Intersex Equality: Council of Europe Sets First-ever Comprehensive Standard for Protection of Intersex Rights Across Europe
The Council of Europe’s 46 Member States have unanimously adopted the Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on Equal Rights for Intersex Persons, setting out the most comprehensive framework to date for protecting the human rights of intersex people across Europe. Today, 7 October, 2025, marks a watershed moment for intersex human…
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Policy Brief on Cyberbullying & LGBTQI Youth: Priorities for the EU Action Plan
On September 26 2025, together with IGLYO, ILGA-Europe and TGEU, OII Europe submitted a Policy Brief in the context of the forthcoming EU Action Plan against Cyberbullying. The Policy Brief puts forward recommendations and priorities to protect LGBTQI youth from cyberbullying. Among LGBTQI youth, intersex youth experience alarmingly high levels of in person bullying, as…
Categories: Submissions -
OII Europe welcomes UN experts’ statement on gender as a tool to advance human rights
On the 25th of August 2025, a group of 47 United Nations Special Procedures mandate holders published a joint statement reaffirming the central role of gender as an analytical lens to advance equality and human rights for all. The experts expressed deep concern at attempts to dismiss ‘gender’ as a key concept to understand systemic…
Categories: United Nations -
“Being Intersex in the EU” – FRA report
New FRA report Being Intersex in the EU sheds light on lived realities of intersex people in the EU Download Press Release as PDF On September 17th 2025, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published their report Being Intersex in the EU, featuring an in-depth look at the data from 1920 intersex respondents…
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First ever panel on intersex people’s human rights at the UN Human Rights Council
OII Europe Press Release On the 15th of September 2025 the milestone panel discussion on combating discrimination, violence and harmful practices against intersex persons took place at the 60th United Nations Human Rights Council. This historic event is a testament to the progress made in past years on UN level to recognize the human rights…
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OII Europe Submission on the next EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy
In 2020, the European Commission published its first-ever LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, marking a watershed moment for advancing and protecting the fundamental rights of LGBTIQ people in the EU, including intersex people and the ground of sex characteristics. The 2020-2025 Strategy set down concrete and clear objectives and measures for the Commission to build on in…
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OII Europe submission on the EC Gender Equality Strategy
In the last few years the European Commission has made significant advancements in implementing gender equality policies which include and benefit intersex people, particularly intersex women and girls. In 2020, the European Commission published its first- ever LGBTI Equality Strategy 2020-2025, which comprehensively included a clear mandate to work on a range of actions inclusive…
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Fullfilling the rights of intersex people
Human Rights Council – 60th session side event Date and Time: 17. September 2025 12:00 – 01:00 PM CESTLocation: Room VIII, Building A, Palais des Nations, Geneva Join us for a critical event addressing the human rights of intersex people! Bodily integrity concerns us all. Everyone should be able to make informed decisions about their…
Categories: Human Rights -
Petition to the President of the European Commission
On July 17, together with All Out, ILGA Europe, ENAR, IGLYO, TGEU, ERGO Network, EL*C, and AGE Platform Europe, OII Europe delivered a petition to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Signed by 32,000 people, the petition calls on the Commission to not withdraw its proposed anti-discrimination Directive (also known as…
Categories: Open Letter -
International Intersex Solidarity Fund
In May 2025, OII Europe’s member organisation CIA-OII France, launched the FS2I, the International Intersex Solidarity Fund. This fund was created in response to the many requests for help and support that intersex organisations at national level receive from intersex people abroad who need to flee their homes due to the discrimination, violence and exclusion…
Categories: Calls for Action -
Semenya v. Switzerland: Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights Judgment
Joint press release of the third-party interveners Today, 10 July 2025, in a pivotal judgment, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in the case of Semenya v. Switzerland. The Court overturning its Chamber judgment of 11 July 2023 found a violation of Article 6 § 1 (right to a…
Categories: Press Releases -
Safeguarding civil society in Europe – joint letter to the European Commission
On June 10 2025, together with a group of 13 leading civil society organisations, OII Europe sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and European Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Piotr Serafin, urging the EU to take decisive action to protect civil society. Across the EU and beyond, civil…
