Geneva, June 13 (IANS) Information about the realities of the LGBT communities around the world is, at best, incomplete and fragmented, a UN expert has warned.

"In most contexts, policymakers are taking decisions in the dark, left only with personal preconceptions and prejudices," Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, said.

In a media statement issued here on Wednesday, the expert cited a report due to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council later this month and called on member states to better understand the root causes to and eliminate violence and discrimination against LGBT people, Xinhua news agency reported.

"States must adequately address this scourge through public policy, access to justice, law reform or administrative actions," said Madrigal-Borloz.

He urged to design and implement comprehensive data collection procedures to assess the type, prevalence, trends and patters of violence and discrimination against LGBT persons.

"When doing so, States should always respect the overriding 'do no harm' principle and follow a human rights-based approach to prevent the misuse of collected data," said the expert.

--IANS ksk