January 25, 2018 · 2 min read

TGEU Thanks Nils Muižnieks, Outgoing Coe Commissioner for Human Rights

Nils Muiznieks addressing the participants of the 6th European Transgender Council

25 January, 2018

Transgender Europe (TGEU) thanks outgoing Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Nils Muižnieks and congratulates Dunja Mijatovic on her election as the new Commissioner for Human Rights. Since 2008 TGEU has been working closely with the office of the Commissioner for Human Rights and we aspire to continue the work to foster human rights for trans people together with Mijatovic.

Mijatovic, the first female Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, brings extensive expertise in working for freedom of speech and the media to the role and we look forward to future strides being made to counter emerging anti-trans sentiments and backlash against trans people in the media. Local activists from the LGBTI and women organisation Sarajevo Open Center have expressed their support for Dunja Mijatovic after she warmly addressed the Belgrade Pride 2017.

Outgoing Commissioner for Human Rights, Muižnieks and his staff were unwavering in their support for trans people’s human rights in the last six years. Muižnieks has used his position to continuously remind member States to improve their work on gender recognition laws. He kept up with the office’s tradition of being a trailblazer for human rights, such as with his groundbreaking issue paper “Human Rights and Intersex People” and when strengthening the perspective of young trans people in legal gender recognition or school bullying.

Read the Commissioner speech

Nils Muižnieks’ Keynote Speech at the 6th European Transgender Council (Bologna, Italy 2016)

The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent and impartial non-judicial institution established in 1999 by the Council of Europe to promote awareness of and respect for human rights in the 47 Council of Europe member States; identify possible shortcomings in the law and practice concerning human rights; and facilitate the activities of national ombudsperson institutions and other human rights structures. The Commissioner makes regular visits to the member States to engage in dialogue with governments and civil society and draw up reports on issues falling within his or her mandate.