Voters in Liechtenstein will soon decide whether to give the green light to legislation on same-sex marriages, which has already been sanctioned by the country’s parliament.

Those campaigning for the recognition of same-sex partnerships have described it as a civil right and an end to discrimination against gay couples.

According to Human Rights Watch, a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum will entitle gay couples to most rights enjoyed by married heterosexual couples, except in a few areas, such as second-parent adoption, artificial insemination, and surrogacy.

A registered partnership Bill has already been adopted by the Liechtenstein Parliament and is due to come into force at the beginning of September.

But under Liechtenstein law, a Bill can be prevented from becoming law if it is blocked through a referendum, which must be held within three months of its adoption. The referendum will be held on June 17.

As recently as last November, the European Court of Human Rights affirmed the stable relationship of a cohabiting same-sex couple falls within the notion of ‘family life’, as protected in Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

The court recognised that over the past decade, there has been a rapid evolution of social attitudes toward same-sex couples in many member countries of the Council of Europe, including affording them legal recognition.

“Member states of the Council of Europe should not continue to leave the family lives of same-sex couples without legal protection,” Human Rights Watch said.

The Liechtenstein government’s decision to recognise their rights to legal protection and to make legal provision for registered partnerships is in keeping with the country’s human rights obligations,’ according to the international NGO.

The country, which has a population of 35,000, introduced divorce legislation in 1974.