What to Expect at HRC35
The 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 6th to the 24th of June 2017. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, and parallel events taking place during the 35th session.
Click here to access the full programme of work for HRC35
Expected Resolutions Relevant to Sexual Rights
- Accelerating efforts to eliminate violence against women (Canada)
- Protection of the human rights of migrants (Mexico)
- Right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (Brazil)
- Trafficking in persons, especially women and children (Germany, Philippines)
- Elimination of discrimination against women (Mexico, Colombia)
- Right to education (Portugal)
- Strengthening efforts to prevent and eliminate child, early and forced marriage (Sierra Leone, Netherlands, Argentina, Canada, Ethiopia, Honduras, Italy, Maldives, Montenegro, Poland, Switzerland, Uruguay, United Kingdom, Zambia)
- Youth and human rights (Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Tunisia)
- Protection of the family (Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, Mauritania, Morocco, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia)
Sexual Rights Related Panels
Annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women
Panel 1: Accelerating efforts to eliminate violence against women: engaging men and boys in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls
The panel will provide an opportunity to discuss existing experiences and promising practices of engaging men and boys in the prevention of – and response to – violence against women and girls. Click here to download the concept note »
Panel 2: Women’s rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: health and gender equality
Recognizing the centrality of gender equality to the success of the 2030 Agenda, the panel discussion will provide an opportunity to discuss how to operationalize the Sustainable Development Goals in compliance with human rights obligations, particularly related to gender equality and paying attention to the impact of intersecting forms of discrimination. It will be an opportunity for States, United Nations entities, civil society and other stakeholders to share good practices and suggestions on how to implement people-centred approaches to development, specifically in the area of gender equality, so as to deliver on the promise to leave no one behind. Click here to download the concept note »
Click here for a list of all panels and concept notes
Sexual Rights Related Reports
A/HRC/35/3* E/CN.6/2017/7
Report of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women on the activities of the United Nations Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women – Note by the Secretary-General.
Click here to read the report »
A/HRC/35/5
Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the expert workshop on the impact of existing strategies and initiatives to address child, early and forced marriage.
Click here to read the report »
A/HRC/35/7
Summary report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the panel discussion on youth and human rights.
Click here to read the report »
A/HRC/35/9
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on ways to bridge the gender digital divide from a human rights perspective.
Report not yet available.
A/HRC/35/10
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the impact of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence in the context of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on the full enjoyment of all human rights by women and girls.
Click here to read the report »
A/HRC/35/11
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the realization of the equal enjoyment of the right to education by every girl.
Click here to read the report »
A/HRC/35/12
Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the inter-sessional Seminar on the Protection of the Family and Disability.
Report not yet available.
A/HRC/35/21 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Click here to read the report »
A/HRC/35/29
Report of the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice.
Click here to read the report »
A/HRC/35/30
Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences.
Report not yet available.
A/HRC/35/36 Report of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Click here to read the report »
A/HRC/35/37
Report of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
Click here to read the report »
Click here for a list of all reports
Sexual Rights-related Parallel Events
30 MAY
Public Event on Child, Early and Forced Marriage in Humanitarian Settings
Sierra Leone, Netherlands, Girls not Brides, Save the Children
15:00-16:30, Room VIII
7 JUNE
LGBT Rights
ARC International
12:00-13:30, Room XXI
LGBTI Human Rights Defenders
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
14:00-15:30, Room VIII
8 JUNE
Mental health and its impact on transgender people
Swedish Federation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL)
11:30-13:00, Room
XXI Young People’s Voice at HRC
World Young Women’s Christian Associations (YWCA)
14:30-16:00, Room XXIV
9 JUNE
Women Challenge Corporate Power
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
13:30-15:00, Room XXVII
12 JUNE
Side event on SRHR Denmark 10:00-11:30, Room XXVI
13 JUNE
Women’s health as key to empowerment and full realization of rights Finland 11:00-13:00, Room IX Young People’s Rights at HRC World Young Women’s Christian Associations (YWCA) 19:30-10:30, Room XXI
14 JUNE
Women’s Rights and the Internet Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 11:00-12:00, Room XXVII
15 JUNE
Making the Treaty on Transnational Corporations Count for Women Association for Women in Development (AWID) 10:00-11:30, Room IX Expression and Religion Online Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 11:30-13:00, Room IX
16 JUNE
Achieving SDG 5.3: ending CEFM – the role of national human rights institutions
OHCHR The Commonwealth
12:30-14:00, Room XXVII
Click here for a list of NGO parallel events
Read the SRI & IPPF
UPR Toolkit for Sexual Rights Advocates
Available in
English, French, Portuguese, Spanish & Arabic.
The National Sexual Rights Law and Policy Database documents and compares the status of law and policy related to sexual rights issues in different countries around the world.
Click here to access the database
Created in 2006 to replace the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Council is the foremost international body for the promotion and protection of human rights and can be used to bring substantial pressure on governments to take steps to implement human rights norms. The Human Rights Council is comprised of governments of countries that are members of the United Nations and is an important venue to develop and advance sexual rights as a critical part of the international human rights framework.