A/HRC/35/36 the present Covenant, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. 21. Other provisions (e.g. article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights) reaffirm the right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law without discrimination. The stricture against discrimination was deliberated upon by the Human Rights Committee in regard to a seminal case, Toonen v. Australia, that concerned the presence of a local law that prohibited same-sex relations. The Committee found that the local law in question violated article 17 of the Covenant in regard to the right to privacy, and that the reference to “sex” in article 2 (1) (as well as in art. 26) covered sexual orientation. 13 22. Under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the monitoring committee has affirmed that the right to non-discrimination guaranteed by the Covenant includes sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. Under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the monitoring committees have issued general comments and have made recommendations to States covering respect for sexual orientation and gender identity. 23. All countries have engaged with the Human Rights Council’s universal periodic review and most have engaged with one or more of the special procedures. There has been much coverage of the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity under these mechanisms, particularly from the angle of anti-violence and anti-discrimination, such as in the work of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. 24. As evidenced by the wide range of international human rights treaties that are in force, international human rights bodies and procedures — ranging from the human rights treaty bodies, with their general comments and recommendations, to the universal periodic review, to the special procedures’ coverage of sexual orientation and gender identity-related violations, to resolutions and studies — the international human rights system has been strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights without distinction. The protection of persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, and the mandate of the Independent Expert, are based on international law, complemented and supplemented by State practice. 25. Action against violence and discrimination has been espoused more recently in the 17 globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals, to which all countries are committed, with a framework of 2015-2030 for operationalization. Goal 16, which covers inclusive societies and access to justice, aims to bring about substantial reductions of violence and to promote anti-discrimination measures, on the basis of leaving no one behind. An allinclusive approach invites effective coverage of all persons whatever their sexual orientation or gender identity. 26. The initiatives of regional organizations have led to constructive developments. The European human rights system has evolved greatly and proactively on the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights) has flourished, with important case work on sexual orientation and gender identity being carried out. Furthermore, a number of articles of the Convention, on such matters as the right to nondiscrimination, the prohibition of torture, the right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression have been the subject of judicial deliberation. There have been a variety of cases before the European Court of Human Rights, covering a wide expanse of Europe and 13 8 See communication No. 488/1992, Views adopted on 31 March 1994. There have been many other cases, for example Young v. Australia and X v. Colombia, concerning discrimination on the grounds of sex or sexual orientation: see communications No. 941/2000, Views adopted on 6 August 2003, and No. 1361/2005, Views adopted on 30 March 2007, respectively.