At its 61st Meeting held today, the Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms considered the Proposal for the Law on Same-sex Life Partnership and Strategy for Improving Quality of Life of LGBT Persons, along with the 2019-2023 Action Plan for implementing the Strategy for Improving Quality of Life of LGBT Persons 2019-2023 for 2020 and the Report for implementing the 2019 Action Plan.
The introductory explanation of the Proposal for the Law was given by the Director General of Directorate for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms Ms Blanka Radošević Marović who said that the Proposal for the Law on Same-sex Life Partnership was identical to the text of the Proposal for the Law which had been in the parliamentary procedure in 2019. Even though in 2019 the Proposal for the Law was supported by the Legislative Committee, Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms and Gender Equality Committee, it was not adopted in the plenary sitting.
UN Human Rights Advisor Anjet Lanting reminded that Montenegro accepted the recommendations of the 2018 Universal Periodic Review for Montenegro and of the UN Human Rights Council to adopt this law.
Chairperson of the Committee Mr Halil Duković reminded of much greater challenges that existed about 10 years ago, at the beginning of the narrative on human rights of LGBT persons. Today in the Parliament, we discuss openly and in democratic atmosphere the proposal for the law, which is a testimony for the raised awareness and great step forward in Democratic Montenegro.
With a majority of votes, the Committee supported the Proposal for the Law on Same-sex Life Partnership and proposed to the Parliament to adopt all four amendments of the Committee which were accepted by the representative of the proposer.
The introductory explanation of the Strategy for Improving Quality of Life of LGBT Persons, along with the 2019-2023 Action Plan for implementing the Strategy for Improving Quality of Life of LGBT Persons 2019-2023 for 2020 and the Report for implementing the 2019 Action Plan was given by Ms Blanka Radošević Marović, Director General of Directorate for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms.
The Committee decided to draft a report along with a conclusion, and to submit them to the Collegium of the President of the Parliament of Montenegro for discussion and to the relevant institutions for implementation.
