HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases...LGBTQI+ Special Envoy Stern’s Travel to Mauritius and South Africa hide LGBTQI+ Special Envoy Stern’s Travel to Mauritius and South Africa Media Note Office of the Spokesperson August 1, 2023 Jessica Stern, U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI)+ Persons, will travel to Africa, including Mauritius and South Africa, from August 2-11. In Mauritius, SE Stern will participate in the Pan Africa ILGA conference for LGBTQI+ human rights defenders from throughout Africa, as well as scheduled meetings with civil society, officials from the Government of Mauritius, and likeminded international partners. Afterward, SE Stern will visit Pretoria and Johannesburg, South Africa, where she will participate in meetings with local and regionally focused civil society, as well as government officials, on the eve of National Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the contributions and recognizes the challenges confronting women and girls in South Africa. For further information, please contact DRL-Press@state.gov. Tags Africa Bureau of African Affairs Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Civil Society LGBT Rights Mauritania Office of the Spokesperson Official International Travel Regional Issues South Africa Women's Issues