A/HRC/44/53 27. It is confirmed in an abundance of the literature that mental health professionals continue to carry out such practices, for example in China, the Republic of Korea, 28 the United States29 and countries in Eastern Europe.30 In China, a randomized survey found that roughly 50 per cent of “conversion” agents were public hospitals.31 Roughly one third of some 1,000 mental health professionals interviewed in a study carried out in China said that being gay was a form of mental illness and that they regarded practices of “conversion therapy” as effective.32 28. In a recent global survey, a total of 1,641 survivors of practices of “conversion therapy” identified main perpetrators. Medical and mental health providers were identified as the main perpetrators in 45.8 per cent of cases, religious authorities, traditional healers and groups in 18.9 per cent, conversion camps and rehabilitation centres in 8.5 per cent and parents in 6.9 per cent. State authorities – such as police, military and other entities – accounted for 4.4 per cent of cases, and school authorities in 4.4 per cent.33 29. Perpetration of the practice may be the result of a coalition between those groups; in Ghana, Christian, Muslim and traditionalist organizations have reportedly created a coalition to articulate their views on what is the correct stance on human sexuality and to offer practices of “conversion therapy”, including treatment in a teaching hospital in Accra.34 In a recent inspection carried out by State and non-State entities of centres that used those practices in Brazil, it was found that all institutions visited had religious practices as a point of reference.35 30. Faith-based organizations and religious authorities in particular operate in a space surrounded by blurred lines, 36 advising the family and victim and often promoting or providing the practices alone or in partnership with others; in a recent survey conducted in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, more than half of the providers were shown to be faith-based organizations (51 per cent).37 In Kenya, a church was found to have been running a programme that used starvation and incessant prayer over the course of three days as its main methods.38 In Nigeria, several churches subject sexually diverse and gender-diverse persons to “deliverance” to set them free of demons that allegedly cause same-sex attraction or influence gender identity.39 31. In investigating the economics behind practices of “conversion therapy”, the Independent Expert has received persuasive evidence that they are, in many cases, a lucrative business for providers around the world. In the United States, the cost for a single episode of “conversion therapy” may range from no cost to $26,000.00;40 in Ecuador, the 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Korean Society of Law and Policy on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, “Human rights situation of LGBTI in South Korea”, 2016. See https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/conversion-therapy-and-lgbt-youth/; and www.utah.gov/pmn/files/513643.pdf. Submission by the Eastern European Coalition for LGBT+ Equality. Such cases have been documented by the Russian LGBT Network. FanFan, “Five years later, who really needs to be ‘corrected’?”, LGBT Rights Advocacy China, public WeChat account, 2019. Available at https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5CzIP3b59wZCNoirtc6kzA. Beijing LGBT Center, “Investigation report on attitudes of mental health and psychological counseling practitioners towards minorities”, 2017. Submission by LGBT Foundation. OutRight (2019)See outrightinternational.org/reports/global-reach-so-called-conversion-therapy. See www.mpf.mp.br/atuacao-tematica/pfdc/midiateca/nossas-publicacoes/relatorio-da-inspecaonacional-em-comunidades-terapeuticas-2017/view (in Portuguese). See https://static1.squarespace.com/static/580025f66b8f5b2dabbe4291/ t/5bd78764eef1a1ba57990efe/1540851637658/LGBT+conversion+therapy+in+Australia+v2.pdf. See www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-lgbt-survey-summary-report/national-lgbtsurvey-summary-report. OutRight (2019) See outrightinternational.org/reports/global-reach-so-called-conversion-therapy. See www.premiumtimesng.com/entertainment/naija-fashion/282248-pastors-activists-debate-gayrights-in-nigeria.html. See Annesa Flentje and others, “Sexual reorientation therapy interventions: perspectives of ex-ex-gay individuals”, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, vol. 17, No. 3. 7