The LGBTI Stakeholder Group is actively participating in the Regional Forum for Sustainable Development in Geneva. Yesterday, alongside other Major Groups and Stakeholders (MGoS), we took part in the Civil Society Forum, a crucial space for gathering civil society actors and strategizing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review at this year’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).
Today, during the opening session of the Regional Forum, Marsel Ganeyev, a Kazakh LGBTI activist and a proud member of the LGBTI Stakeholder Group, delivered a powerful opening statement on behalf of the Regional Civil Society Mechanism (RCEM). His speech underscored the current backlash against civil society, the shrinking democratic space, and the lack of meaningful progress on the SDGs.
Marsel rightly highlighted how governments are failing their commitments to sustainable development while prioritizing militarization, political repression, and economic policies that leave marginalized communities behind. He emphasized the severe impact on LGBTI people, particularly in regions where systemic discrimination and violence are already widespread.
Key points raised in the statement included:
- Healthcare (SDG 3): Persistent inequality in healthcare access, especially for LGBTI people, women, and marginalized communities. Over 50% of trans people face discrimination in medical settings, leading to an ongoing crisis in health and human dignity.
- Gender Equality (SDG 5): The rise of disinformation, far-right radicalization, and gender-based violence is structurally pushing women and gender-diverse people out of leadership and education. Governments must uphold commitments to gender justice, disability inclusion, and racial equality.
- Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8): Precarious labor conditions, youth unemployment, and lack of protections for informal workers are worsening. The call is clear: governments must enforce labor rights, recognize care work, and ensure universal social protection.
- Life Below Water (SDG 14): Plastic pollution, military activities, and extractivist practices are devastating ecosystems. The statement called for strong regulations on plastic waste and military pollution and support for the UN treaty on plastic pollution.
- Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17): The systematic defunding of human rights organizations, feminist movements, and LGBTI groups is a deliberate act of structural violence. Aid cuts from major donors, including the US, UK, Netherlands, Sweden, and Belgium, are dismantling progress. The statement called for a billionaires tax, stronger financial regulation, and sustainable, long-term funding for civil society.
Marsel’s statement made it clear: we are not just participants in this process—we are the drivers of the 2030 Agenda. Civil society is resisting, and we will continue to hold governments accountable for their commitments.
The LGBTI Stakeholder Group remains committed to ensuring that the voices of LGBTI people and other marginalized communities are heard and that sustainable development truly leaves no one behind.
We will continue engaging throughout the Regional Forum and beyond, pushing for concrete actions that prioritize human rights, dignity, and justice for all.
Read the full statement: https://ece-rcem.org/tpost/z3g3rn4c21-rfsd-2025-opening-and-high-level-segment
