Politics

Croatia joins LGBT Global Equity Fund Initiative

STAFF REPORTS | WASHINGTON -- The U. S. State Department announced Monday that Croatia has joined the Global Equity Fund, an initiative led by the United States to advance (LGBT) human rights around the world.

On Monday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki congratulated Croatia;

"Today, the United States welcomes Croatia as a new Partner of the Global Equality Fund. Croatia joins nine other like-minded governments (including the United States), three private foundations and two corporations in a multi-stakeholder initiative which aims to protect the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons globally. Since its launch, the Fund has allocated more than $7.5 million to civil society organizations in more than 50 countries to bolster their efforts to increase human rights protections for LGBT persons. 

"As Secretary Kerry stated last year at the LGBT Ministerial Event at the United Nations General Assembly, 'our investments have helped to challenge the discriminatory laws that undermine human rights and bolster civil society organizations that defend those rights.' The Department looks forward to working with Croatia and the other partners of the Global Equality Fund to advance equality and protection for LGBT persons worldwide."

The State Department launched the Global Equity Fund in December 2011 as a collaborative government, business, and NGO effort "with the objective of empowering LGBT persons to live freely and without discrimination."