The International Day of the Fight Against Homo/Bi/Transphobia is a reminder that human rights must be fought continuously, said the LGBT Forum Progres and the LGBTIQ Social Center.
They said that every May, ILGA-Europe, the umbrella European network of LGBTI organizations, publishes the Rainbow Map, i.e. the ranking system of European countries based on the existing legislative and normative framework in the context of the human rights of LGBTI persons.
"When it comes to this year's map, the example of Montenegro is a clear indicator that we must fight for the human rights of LGBTI persons continuously and that we cannot allow any type of regression," the statement said.
It is added that the stagnation in the adoption of new legal solutions, the inadequate implementation of existing ones and the postponement of the adoption of expedient public policies are only some of the recognized problems in the context of Montenegro.
"Out of the 48 countries included in the map, Montenegro recorded the biggest drop in comparison to the previous year of as much as 13,23 percent, or nine positions (from 12th to 21st place)," the announcement says.
It is estimated that the reason for the decline is the fact that Montenegro did not adopt a new action plan for equality (LGBTI Strategy) or improve policies on asylum and hate crimes.
"Additionally, it was pointed out that most of the candidate countries for accession to the European Union, including Montenegro, lag behind in fulfilling their obligations, delaying the introduction of legal regulations, which puts citizens increasingly at risk of negative reactions and undermining basic rights," it says. in the statement.
It is stated that the ILGA-Europe report for last year shows the situation by category in more detail and highlights the strengthening of hate speech against the LGBTI community and the lack of support for key services.
From the LGBT Forum Progres and the LGBTIQ Social Center, they pointed out that it is of particular importance that Montenegro adopts the best possible LGBTI Strategy for the future period.
"Which will be fully aligned with international principles and standards, and fully respects the Government's prescribed methodology, in order to ensure that LGBTI people feel strong positive changes," the announcement says.
It is also reminded of the fact that the evaluation of the previous LGBTI Strategy (2019–2023) pointed out numerous problems and omissions in its quality, content, implementation and effectiveness, which, as it is added, must not be repeated.
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