What to Expect at HRC 47

Published on июня 11, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions imposed by Switzerland mean that the HRC 47 will be held mostly online with virtual modalities for informal negotiations, voting and statements.

The 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from June 21 to July 15, 2021.

The following information is about:

  • Restrictions to civil society participation at this session
  • Anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions
  • Panels and reports
  • UPR outcomes
  • Our online event taking place during the 47th session

Please note that all dates are provisional and subject to change.

The latest information about the session will be available on the HRC47 page.

Access the full programme of work for HRC 47

Access the HRC 47 Schedule Meeting Calendar

 

Featured News

Online side event on forced sterilization: Friday, June 24 2021, from 13h30 to 15h00 CET

Online side event on key developments in sexual and reproductive rights, services and advocacy over the past year from the perspective of SRI partners in Argentina, Canada, Egypt, Poland, and South Africa: Thursday, July 8,  2021, from 14h00 to 16h00 CET (to be confirmed)

Read more about the themes of these events below. More details and registration will be available soon.

#emptychairs campaign: nothing about us without us!

Due to the ‘efficiency measures’ put in place in December 2020, there will once again be no general debates during the June Council session.

General debates are vital opportunities for CSOs to raise human rights concerns and advocate for state action on issues otherwise not addressed in the Council’s programme of work.

Because General Debates also do not have a limit on the number of CSO speakers, they are also the most certain in affording CSOs an opportunity to speak. The absence of General Debates in the Council’s agenda represents a real setback to CSO participation and ability to advocate on a broad range of issues.

This, alongside the existing challenges to participation presented by the online modalities will continue to be reviewed and advocated about by the organisations and individuals participating in the #emptychairs campaign.

Expected Resolutions Relevant to Sexual Rights

  • Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity (Colombia, Estonia, New Zealand)
  • Accelerating efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls on preventing and responding to all forms of violence against women and girls with disabilities (Canada)
  • Realizing the equal enjoyment of the right to education by every girl (the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom)
  • Menstrual hygiene management, human rights and gender equality: Elimination of harmful practices, accusations of malicious use of witchcraft, and assault (Africa Group)
  • Promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers (Follow up resolution to HRC/RES/43/1) (Africa Group)
  • Human rights and climate change on the rights of all persons in vulnerable situations: raising awareness of the linkage between the adverse impact of climate change and the effective enjoyment of human rights of all persons in vulnerable situations (Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam)
  • International solidarity with an emphasis on COVID-19 (Cuba)
  • Human rights in the context of HIV and AIDS (Brazil, Colombia, Portugal, Mozambique, Thailand)
  • Negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights (Austria, Argentina, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Morocco, Poland, United Kingdom)
  • Enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights (Azerbaijan on behalf of NAM)
  • New and emerging digital technologies and human rights (Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Morocco, Republic of Korea)
  • Human rights of migrants (Mexico)
  • Impact of arms transfers on human rights (Ecuador, Peru)
  • Civil society space (Ireland, Chile, Japan, Sierra Leone, Tunisia)
  • The promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet (Brazil, Nigeria, USA, Tunisia, Sweden)
  • Right to education (Portugal)

Sexual Rights-Related Panels

High-level panel discussion on the multi-sectoral prevention of and response to female genital mutilation

Theme: The panel highlight commitments, including at the global level, to advocate, influence, mobilize, build and sustain support in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic for human rights-based and gender responsive multi-sectoral coordination, planning, financial and monitoring arrangements and actions to end the practice of female genital mutilation 

Time: Wednesday, June 23, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Download the concept note »

Annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women

Panel 1: Violence against women and girls with disabilities

Time: Monday, July 5, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Download the concept note »

Panel 2: Gender-equal socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic

Time: Tuesday, July 6, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Download the concept note »

Quadrennial panel discussion on promoting human rights through sport and the Olympic ideal

Theme: The potential of leveraging sport and the Olympic ideal for promoting human rights for young people Time: Wednesday, July 7, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Download the concept note »

See the list of all panels and concept notes

Sexual Rights-Related Reports

A/HRC/47/23

Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The central role of the State in responding to pandemics and other health emergencies, and the socioeconomic consequences thereof in advancing sustainable development and the realization of all human rights

Read the report when it becomes available »

A/HRC/47/25

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression

Disinformation and freedom of opinion and expression

Read the report »

A/HRC/47/26

Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences

Rape as a grave, systematic and widespread human rights violation, a crime and a manifestation of gender-based violence against women and girls, and its prevention

Read the report and read the joint submission by NSWP, SRI, and IWRAW Asia Pacific for this report, providing context to the analysis on laws on violence against women.

A/HRC/47/27

Report of the Independent Expert on on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity

Gender, sexual orientation and gender identity

Read the report when it becomes available »

A/HRC/47/28

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health

Strategic priorities of work

Read the report »

A/HRC/47/31

Report of the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity

International solidarity in aid of the realization of human rights during and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic

Read the report »

A/HRC/47/32

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of education

Right to education: the cultural dimensions of the right to education, or the right to education as a cultural right

Read the report when it becomes available »

A/HRC/47/34

Report of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons especially women and children

Implementation of the non-punishment principle

Read the report »

A/HRC/47/38

Report of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls

Women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health rights in crisis

Read the report and read the SRI submission for that report.

A/HRC/47/44

Report of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights

Annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women

Read the report »

A/HRC/47/46

Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Analytical study on the promotion and protection of the rights of older persons in the context of climate change

Read the report »

A/HRC/47/47

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Implementation and enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights

Read the report »

A/HRC/47/48

Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Freedom of opinion and expression

Read the report »

A/HRC/47/51

Report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee

Current levels of representation of women in human rights organs and mechanisms: ensuring gender balance

Read the report when it becomes available »

A/HRC/47/52

Report of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee

Possible impacts, opportunities and challenges of new and emerging digital technologies with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights

Read the report when it becomes available »

A/HRC/47/53

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers

Read the report when it becomes available »

See the list of all reports

UPR OUTCOMES

All 14 of the outcomes from the 37th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will be adopted during this session of the HRC:

  • Micronesia (Federated States of)
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritania
  • Nauru
  • Rwanda
  • Nepal
  • Saint Lucia
  • Oman
  • Austria
  • Myanmar
  • Australia
  • Georgia
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Sao Tome and Principe

The 37th session of the UPR was held in January 2021.

Among the 14 outcomes adopted during this session, SRI collaborated with organizations and activists in preparing reports for the UPR reviews of Georgia, Nepal, Rwanda and Saint Lucia.

GEORGIA

HERA-XXI

Topics:

  • Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
  • Discrimination against women with disabilities
  • Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE)
  • Access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services
  • Youth-friendly services
  • Access to family planning services
  • Safe abortion

Read the submission >>

NGO Partnership for Human Rights

Topics

  • Women and girls with disabilities
  • Access to SRHR services
  • Access to contraception
  • Abortion
  • Maternal health
  • Violence against women
  • Gender-based violence
  • Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE)

Read the submission >>

NEPAL

The Asian Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW),  Nepal Right Here Right Now [Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON); Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC); Blue Diamond Society (BDS); CDS-PARK, Mugu; Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN); Federation of Sexual and Gender Minorities in Nepal (FSGMN); Human Development and Environment Protection Forum (HUDEP); LOOM Nepal; Restless Development; Rural Women’s  Network Nepal (RUWON); Visible Impact; Youth Action Nepal; Youth Development Center (YDC); YUWA and Yuwalaya]

Topics:

  • Young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights
  • Safe abortion
  • Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE)
  • Marriage equality
  • Gender identity-based citizenship

Read the submission >>

RWANDA

African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA)

Topics:

  • Sexual and reproductive health and rights
  • Sex work
  • Sex workers’ rights
  • Criminalization of adult sex work
  • Violence against sex workers
  • Gender-based violence
  • Sexual and reproductive health services
  • HIV and AIDS

Read the submission >>

SAINT LUCIA

Caribbean Right Here Right Now Platform, Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA)

Topics:

  • Gender-based discrimination
  • Gender-based violence/violence against women, including sexual violence and marital rape
  • Sexual and reproductive rights and health focusing on abortion and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE)
  • Human rights related to sexual orientation

Read the submission >>

Access all reports from the Working Groups containing all the recommendations received by States Under Review.

Sexual Rights Initiative Side Events

Online Side Event on Forced Sterilization

Date: Friday, June 25, 2021, from 13h30 to 15h00 CET 

Across the world, State-sanctioned forced sterilization policies have targeted and continue to target women and persons of diverse gender identities, expressions and sex characteristics who are marginalized and subject to intersecting forms of discrimination including on the basis of their HIV status, race, class, gender identity, sex characteristics, immigration status or disability.

This violent form of social control is rooted in patriarchal, racist, ableist, colonial and capitalist systems of oppression determining whose bodily autonomy and integrity are expendable and regulating the reproduction of those it does not deem to be “productive members of society.”

The UN human rights system has called for justice, reparations, and an end to forced sterilization in many countries and in all regions of the world. And yet, the systems that allow and enable forced sterilization are often left unchallenged, and women and girls continue to be sterilized and denied justice.

In this context, the Sexual Rights Initiative, Her Rights Initiative, and the Women’s Legal Centre will host a conversation with activists and women human rights defenders organizing against forced sterilization in a variety of national contexts and movements.

The event will seek to address the legacy of eugenics, colonialism and population control within reproductive politics and to highlight the interconnectedness of struggles for bodily autonomy and reproductive justice within different movements. The event will also explore how the UN human rights system has addressed this issue and identify further opportunities to hold States accountable.

Register to this event

Online Side Event on Feminist Perspectives on Sexual Rights Violations During COVID-19

Date: Thursday, July 8, 2021, from 14h00 to 16h00 CET

As the events related to the pandemic unfolded over 2020, the partners of the Sexual Rights Initiative sought to capture some of the key developments in sexual and reproductive rights – from restrictive measures and moral policing to the force of protests rocking many parts of the world.   

Halfway through 2021, as we struggle with the increasing polarization of the world along established colonial and class lines, we would like to gather to both share information and perspectives and to collectively develop strategies for continuing to fight for sexual and reproductive rights in different regional and national contexts as well as globally.

Register to this event