News

We regret that Botswana received and noted several recommendations on decriminalising abortion, on repealing Section 167 of the Penal Code, and on ensuring access to legal gender recognition. Botswana must eliminate discrimination against women and ensure their access to legal, safe, and affordable sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion, which Botswana still criminalises, and gender-affirming care.

We urge Canada to honour its treaty obligations, fully implement the calls to action set out in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the calls to justice in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s National Inquiry, and to guarantee in law and practice the rights set forth in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

This year’s theme on gender parity must go beyond merely counting the number of women in various positions. We must consider whether the necessary structural changes have been implemented to enable women from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to play a meaningful role in shaping the work of the Council.

The criminalisation of abortion is taking an increasing toll in my country. Women die because of lack of access to life saving abortion care, the entire hospitals rely illegally on the consciousness clause. The recent police intervention in the case of a woman who took an abortion pill and another who miscarried show how the restrictive legal and policy environment is facilitating the abuse of powers by authorities, and legitimising the refusals of care by medical providers.

Until all neocolonial and occupying states and forces are withdrawn, until transnational corporations and foreign military bases and operations are expelled, until extractivist industries are stopped, until debt is cancelled and the international economic order reframed to put people before profit, people living under occupation and those who bear the brunt of neocolonialism as well as their allies will continue to fight to be free.

When we talk about debt, let us also talk about the unpaid reparations, current and historical illicit financial flows, and the global tax abuses that benefit Global North countries, corporations, and economic elites across the world.

The current economic, geopolitical and global health context is a reflection of colonial power dynamics and structures shaping racist inequalities in resources, health access and outcomes within and among countries. COVID-19 highlighted the impacts of decades of systematic underfunding of health systems partly fuelled by austerity, privatisation and structural adjustment programs, underpinned by neoliberal ideologies and approaches.

We strongly believe that a deeper and more critical scrutiny is needed on the wide range of other rights violated by these measures, including the right to development.

La 54e session du Conseil des droits de l’homme (CDH) de l’ONU se déroulera du 11 septembre au 13 octobre 2023. En raison de la pandémie de COVID-19 et des restrictions connexes, la 54e session du CDH se tiendra en formule hybride, avec des modalités virtuelles et en personne pour les négociations informelles, les votes et les déclarations. Compte tenu des rénovations en cours depuis 2020 et des restrictions liées à la COVID-19, les événements parallèles présentés au Palais des Nations seront limités à un seul par organisation et à une durée d’une heure chacun. Les informations ci-dessous concernent : les résolutions anticipées, les panels et les rapports en lien avec les droits sexuels; les résultats de l’Examen périodique universel (EPU); les événements en ligne de la SRI pendant cette 54e session.

La sesión 54° del Consejo de Derechos Humanos se desarrollará del 11 de septiembre al 13 de octubre de 2023. La pandemia de COVID-19 y las restricciones relacionadas con ella llevaron a que el CDH 54 se realice en un formato híbrido, con modalidades en persona y también virtuales para las negociaciones informales, votaciones e intervenciones orales. Debido a las renovaciones en curso que comenzaron en 2020 y desde el comienzo de la pandemia de COVID-19, sólo se permite un evento paralelo por organización en el Palais y su duración deberá ser de una hora. A continuación, podrán encontrar información sobre: Resoluciones, paneles e informes previstos relacionados con derechos sexuales Resultados del EPU Eventos virtuales de la Iniciativa por los Derechos Sexuales (SRI) durante la sesión 54°