In mid-February 2016, the ICJ made a submission to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in advance of Committee’s examination of Namibia’s combined Initial, First and Second Periodic Reports under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
In its submission, the organization drew the Committee’s attention to the detrimental impact of the extant criminalization of consensual anal intercourse between males and of other various forms of sexual activities between consenting men through the crime of “unnatural sexual offences” on the enjoyment of Covenant rights, including, in particular, the principle of non-discrimination and the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health by gay and bisexual men and, more generally, by the gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender community in the country.
The ICJ’s submission contains a number of recommendations that the organization considers the Committee should address to the Namibian’s authorities to address its concerns.