Briefing on the 25th session of the UN HRC
The 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from March 3 – 28 2014. The first week of the four-week session will comprise of a ‘High-level segment’ during which high-level dignitaries will address the Council.
This briefing provides you with everything you need to know about sexual rights-related to:
- Resolutions,
- Discussions and reports,
- Presentation of UPR outcomes, and
- parallel events
Taking place during the 25th session.
Sexual rights-related Resolutions
- Rights of the Child: access to justice, and renewing mandate of Special Rapporteur on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
- Mandate renewal for the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
- Right to adequate housing “security of tenure of urban poor and renewing mandate of the Special Rapporteur,” including paragraph on gender equality, led by Germany, with Finland
Sexual rights-related discussions & presentation of reports
Discussions
- Annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child
- High Level dialogue on sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Annual discussion on the human rights of persons with disabilities
- Panel on the promotion and protection of civil society Space (HRC res. 24/21)
Reports
- Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment
- Report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Najat Maalla M’jid
- Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya
UPR Outcomes
Outcomes from the 17th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will be reviewed during this session of the HRC. The 17th session of the UPR took place from October 21st to November 1st 2013.
The SRI collaborated with organizations and individuals in preparing five reports for: Belize, China, Malaysia, Mexico and Senegal. In preparing the reports, the SRI collaborated with:
- Belize: United Belize Advocacy Movement, the report focuses on sexual orientation and gender identity; right to education; discrimination; SRR, HIV/AIDS and Stigma.
- China: an anonymous advocate, the report focuses on: sexual orientation and gender identity; right to freedom of expression; right to education; and the right to health.
- Malaysia: Federation of Reproductive Health Association of Malaysia and the Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia, the report focuses on: SRHR,; comprehensive sexuality education; access to modern methods of contraceptives; and abortion.
- Mexico: Programa Interdisciplinario de Investigación Acción Feminista, El Colectivo Hombres XX, the report focuses on : homophobia; biphobia; lesbophobia; transphobia; hate crimes; sexual orientation; gender identity; sexual abuse and different family formations.
- Senegal: Association Sénégalaise pour le Bien-Etre Familial, the report focuses on : SRH services and information; violence against women; and youth SRHR.
All reports can be downloaded here.
All Reports from the Working Groups, containing all recommendations received by States Under Review can be accessed here.
Sexual rights-related parallel events
Too Young to Wed: High Level debate on child marriage. Monday 3 March, 6 :00-7:45pm, Salle des Pas Perdus, Palais des Nations
Speakers include: Michael Møjller, Acting Director-General of UNOG, Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, UNFPA, Enerstrida Mirriam Michelo, Former child bride and human rights activist in Zambia, Her Royal Highness Mabel van Oranje, Chair of Advisory Committee, Girls Not Brides, Emma Bonino, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy, Hooria Mashhour, Minister of Human Rights, Yemen, Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Canada, and Ellen Løj, Chair, Plan International.
The exhibition is brought to you by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in association with the Governments of Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, Honduras, Italy, the Netherlands, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Uruguay and Yemen, as well as the African Union, IPU, OHCHR, UNICEF, WHO, Girls Not Brides, Plan International and World YWCA. The exhibition Too Young To Wed coincides with the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council and International Women’s Day in Geneva. Protect girls’ rights. End child marriage. For more information, please contact Melanie Gilbert at [email protected]
Ensuring human rights in the provision of contraceptive information and services. Thursday 6 March, 10:00-12:00pm, Room XXIV, Palais des Nations
Moderated by: Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director-General, WHO. Speakers include: Dr Marleen Temmerman, Director, Department for Reproductive Health Research, World Health Organisation, H.E. Mr Carsten Staur, Ambassador Denmark, Ms Alanna Armitage, Director, UNFPA, Mr Anders B. Johnsson, Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and Ms Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, General Secretary, YWCA.
Join WHO, the Permanent Missions of Denmark, Netherlands, and Uruguay, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and UNFPA for a discussion on ensuring human rights in the provision of contraceptive information and services. The event will mark the launch of WHO Guidance on human rights and contraception. Speakers will discuss guiding principles, approaches and tools for ensuring human rights in the provision of contraceptive information and services. They also will share recommendations for policy-makers, managers, providers and other stakeholders in the health sector on some of the priority actions needed to ensure that different human rights dimensions are systematically and clearly integrated into the provision of contraceptive information and services. For more information please contact Rajat Khosla at [email protected]
Other relevant sexual rights-related information
Appointment of special mandate holders, including:
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
- Special Rapporteur on the situation on human rights defenders
- Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and in Practice – Latin American and Caribbean Group
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context