B. Positive aspects
6. The Committee commends the State party’s efforts to adjust its policies and procedures in order to ensure greater protection for human rights and to apply the Convention, in particular:
(b) The adoption of a protocol for the treatment of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community who are deprived of their liberty (Ministerial Agreement No. 1265 of 4 July 2016);
C. Principal subjects of concern and recommendations
Violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity
49. The Committee is concerned at allegations of involuntary placement and ill-treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in private centres in which “sexual reorientation or dehomosexualization therapies” are practised. Despite the closure of 24 such centres, the Committee notes with concern that the proceedings initiated by the Attorney General’s Office have, to date, not yielded any convictions. The Committee also strongly condemns the killings of gay and transgender persons that occurred in the State party during the period under review (arts. 2 and 16).
50. The State party should ensure that all cases of violence against persons on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity are investigated with the aim of prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators of such acts. It should also carry out awareness-raising activities for the general public in order to combat the social stigmatization of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.
Link to full text of the report: Concluding Observations-CAT-Ecuador-2016-eng