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Treaty Monitoring Bodies
SRI works at the UN Treaty Monitoring Bodies in partnership with national and regional civil society organisations and tracking recommendations made by treaty bodies on sexual rights. Committees assigned to a treaty will review its implementation by analysing reports submitted by States and contrasting that information with reports sent by civil society.
We prepare stakeholder submissions to Treaty Monitoring Bodies Committees and provide technical assistance to civil society organisations wishing to make submissions to Treaty Bodies. We also contribute to Committees' debates, discussions, and panels when there is an opportunity to do so.
Our Work on UN Treaty Bodies
This submission suggests the Committee (1) develops a comprehensive interpretation that recognizes the inextricable connection amongst the rights to peaceful assembly (ICCPR 21), freedom of expression (19), and freedom of association (22) and; (2) implements the strict tests of necessity and proportionality for restrictions of these rights. The lack of a cross-cutting standard for the restriction of these rights particularly affects those who are perceived to have transgressed sexual and gender norms.
This submission is made on behalf of 12 civil society organizations and individuals working on issues concerning gender, sexuality and migration from different perspectives. We commend the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW) for addressing the pressing issue of migrants’ rights to liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention and welcome the opportunity to provide inputs to the Draft General comment No. 5 (2020) on migrants’ rights to liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention in a very critical time given the COVID-19, discriminatory government response against the migrant workers during the pandemic and worryingly increasing incidents and crackdown against migrant workers globally. We believe that integrating a clear intersectional and gender analysis will further strengthen the draft general recommendation and set out some analysis and recommendation below for the Committee’s consideration.
Last year, our work continued to highlight how sexual rights are profoundly impacted by the interrelated global crises brought on by capitalism through rampant neoliberalism, unchecked extractivism and climate degradation, violent populism and nationalism, soaring inequality within and between states, and entrenched patriarchal, racist, classist and ableist systems of oppression. Read below for our highlights of 2023.You'll find in this post the most recent opportunities for feminist engagement in the UN human rights system from February to April 2024.
Submissions
This submission suggests the Committee (1) develops a comprehensive interpretation that recognizes the inextricable connection amongst the rights to peaceful assembly (ICCPR 21), freedom of expression (19), and freedom of association (22) and; (2) implements the strict tests of necessity and proportionality for restrictions of these rights. The lack of a cross-cutting standard for the restriction of these rights particularly affects those who are perceived to have transgressed sexual and gender norms.
This submission is made on behalf of 12 civil society organizations and individuals working on issues concerning gender, sexuality and migration from different perspectives. We commend the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW) for addressing the pressing issue of migrants’ rights to liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention and welcome the opportunity to provide inputs to the Draft General comment No. 5 (2020) on migrants’ rights to liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention in a very critical time given the COVID-19, discriminatory government response against the migrant workers during the pandemic and worryingly increasing incidents and crackdown against migrant workers globally. We believe that integrating a clear intersectional and gender analysis will further strengthen the draft general recommendation and set out some analysis and recommendation below for the Committee’s consideration.
Summary of the submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) to inform the elaboration of General Recommendation no 37 on racial discrimination and the right to health
Submitted by: Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI), National Council of Women Leaders (NCWL), Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network (DHRDNet), International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN), The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID), Her Rights Initiative (HRI), and Alisa Lombard
The suggested changes to the Draft General Recommendation proposed in this document are based on the joint submission, and focuses on the impact of systemic racism on global health systems, and consequent impact on people.
What are UN Treaty Bodies?
The Treaty Monitoring Bodies are committees of independent experts that monitor the implementation of international human rights treaties.
When States ratify a human rights treaty, they agree to periodically report to the respective Committee on the steps taken to ensure everyone in the State can enjoy the rights set out in the treaty. The Treaty Monitoring Bodies also develop and adopt General Comments or Recommendations to guide States in the implementation of the obligations set out in the human rights treaties.
To learn more about the Treaty Monitoring Bodies, please visit their website or watch this video produced by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Special Procedures
SRI engages with the UN Special Procedures to influence the content of their thematic work and reports. As independent experts, Special Procedures have a particular role to play in echoing feminist analysis and demands and are sometimes able to do so more freely than other human rights mechanisms. We work in this context to bring an intersectional approach that includes sexual rights and foregrounds a Global South perspective to thematic mandates in their contributions to the development of norms and standards.
We engage with Special Procedures by making submissions to their thematic reports. We also contribute to the debates, discussions and panels with independent experts at the Human Rights Council. We participate in their consultations and connect them with activists at the national level when they undertake country visits. Finally, we support organisations and activists who want to make a complaint through the communication procedure.
Submissions
Women and girls’ sexuality continues to be perceived as the dominion of everyone except women and girls themselves. Laws, policies and practices are constantly defined and redefined towards ‘acceptable’ behaviour of women and girls. Acceptable behaviour is then countered with ‘deviancy’ and the need to ‘correct’ this deviancy. Most often ‘deviancy’ is any behaviour or action that does not mirror the dominant community hegemonies including a non-adherence to the stereotypes of gender and sexuality.
This submission reviews bioethics and how it has related to the rights of persons with disabilities. It first highlights how bioethics constitutes its own authority and experts to have a say in the lives of persons with disabilities. Secondly it provides a brief overview of a global feminist approach to bioethics and its contributions to a critique of the field. After highlighting the contributions of women with disabilities to the so-called “bioethical discussions,” the submission recommends to move away from bioethics and adopt a human rights-based analysis.
This joint submission in response to the questionnaire by the Special Rapporteur provides context to the analysis on laws on violence against women. As a critical aspect to understanding laws on rape and other forms of sexual violence, this submission locates penal laws within the larger structural paradigm that dictates and influences the enactment and implementation of these laws and policies. It provides critical analysis of the harms of carceral approaches or approaches that rely on punishment and incarceration, when addressing gender-based violence. It argues that the report of the Special Rapporteur is an opportunity to lay down clear frameworks on consent and to counter paternalistic and essentialist discourses.
Prepared in response to the call for inputs issued by the Special Rapporteur on the right to development to inform his 2023 thematic reports and priorities for the mandate, this submission recommends adopting an intersectional approach to the right to development by engaging with gender, racial and economic justice, among others.
Statements
Women and girls’ sexuality continues to be perceived as the dominion of everyone except women and girls themselves. Laws, policies and practices are constantly defined and redefined towards ‘acceptable’ behaviour of women and girls. Acceptable behaviour is then countered with ‘deviancy’ and the need to ‘correct’ this deviancy. Most often ‘deviancy’ is any behaviour or action that does not mirror the dominant community hegemonies including a non-adherence to the stereotypes of gender and sexuality.
We echo the report’s call on States to repeal all laws and policies that penalise individuals for structural inequality, and to move away from punitive and carceral approaches.
There is overwhelming evidence showing that the criminalisation of drug use and of sex work is deeply discriminatory, disproportionately affecting people on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity and class. It also increases exposure to physical and sexual violence. It is also used as a driver of other harmful policies, for instance by restricting access to safe housing and shelter, as well as to safe places of work and labour rights for sex workers.
We urge States, especially Global North States, to implement Special Procedures’ recommendations and call for a permanent ceasefire, and immediately stop their support for Israel’s genocide. This Council must concern itself with human rights violations and do away with double standards.This submission reviews bioethics and how it has related to the rights of persons with disabilities. It first highlights how bioethics constitutes its own authority and experts to have a say in the lives of persons with disabilities. Secondly it provides a brief overview of a global feminist approach to bioethics and its contributions to a critique of the field. After highlighting the contributions of women with disabilities to the so-called “bioethical discussions,” the submission recommends to move away from bioethics and adopt a human rights-based analysis.
Thematic work on special procedures
While we cover a range of topics related to sexual rights, our current focus through the Special Procedures currently covers the following themes:
Latest news on Special Procedures
2023 In Review
Last year, our work continued to highlight how sexual rights are profoundly impacted by the interrelated global crises brought on by capitalism through rampant neoliberalism, unchecked extractivism and climate degradation, violent populism and nationalism, soaring inequality within and between states, and entrenched patriarchal, racist, classist and ableist systems of oppression. Read below for our highlights of 2023.
Published on February 12, 2024
What are Special Procedures?
UN Special Procedures are human rights experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate, analyse and report on thematic or country-specific human rights concerns.
UN Special Procedures can take the form of Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts, or Working Groups. The Special Procedures submit annual reports to the Human Rights Council, respond to communications of urgent human rights violations, undertake country visits, and contribute to developing international human rights norms and standards.
To learn more about the Special Procedures, please visit their website or watch this video produced by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Sexual Rights at the United Nations Human Rights Council
SRI as a feminist coalition has participated in every regular session of the Council since its formation. SRI works at the Human Rights Council to bring a feminist and intersectional approach to sexuality and gender while foregrounding the voices of the Global South. We do this through advocacy with member states, UN mechanisms and agencies. Each session, we engage the council’s debates, discussions and panels through statements, often written and delivered in collaboration with activists and other civil society organisations. We also provide workshops and trainings to organisations and activists interested in engaging with the council. Finally, we contribute to developing knowledge on sexual rights by organising events and panels, organising campaigns and creating and sharing knowledge resources.
At the HRC, we:
- Support the individual and collective power of feminist and SRHR advocates, particularly from the Global South, to (re)claim this space for accountability and justice
- Engage with states to shore up support, leadership and positive engagement on SRHR issues.
- Engage with various stakeholders (states, UN agencies, civil society organisations and activists) in the Council to better integrate an intersectional, decolonial, and economic justice approach to SRHR.
This work intersects with the Special Procedures when they report to the Council and the Universal Periodic Review.
Videos
How is the Human Rights Council useful for activists:
The Political Context of Human Rights at the HRC:
Our work at the HRC
We urge the government to prioritise the development of a national plan for the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education in school curricula as a mandatory subject. Access to comprehensive sexuality education will empower them to make informed decisions about their bodies, sexual and reproductive health, sexuality, and relationships. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for promoting gender equality, reducing violence, and enhancing the well-being of students across North Macedonia.
We regret that there were no recommendations explicitly made on the rights of sex workers. Whilst current legislation does not criminalize sex work, the 2008 Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation prohibits activities associated with sex work, leading many to believe that sex work itself is illegal.This Panel is unique in its design as a self-assessing mechanism for the Council to evaluate its progress in integrating a gender perspective in all its mechanisms. However, we found that it has lost its internal focus and moved away from its mandated goal.The principle of universality must be applied to challenge which families are considered to be worthy of state protection and therefore which family members are entitled to human rights, according to the state. At this very moment, we are witnessing families being decimated in service of a racist, colonial state and its expansionist aspirations. Are these family members not entitled to human rights?
Our latest statements
We urge the government to prioritise the development of a national plan for the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education in school curricula as a mandatory subject. Access to comprehensive sexuality education will empower them to make informed decisions about their bodies, sexual and reproductive health, sexuality, and relationships. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for promoting gender equality, reducing violence, and enhancing the well-being of students across North Macedonia.
We regret that there were no recommendations explicitly made on the rights of sex workers. Whilst current legislation does not criminalize sex work, the 2008 Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation prohibits activities associated with sex work, leading many to believe that sex work itself is illegal.This Panel is unique in its design as a self-assessing mechanism for the Council to evaluate its progress in integrating a gender perspective in all its mechanisms. However, we found that it has lost its internal focus and moved away from its mandated goal.The principle of universality must be applied to challenge which families are considered to be worthy of state protection and therefore which family members are entitled to human rights, according to the state. At this very moment, we are witnessing families being decimated in service of a racist, colonial state and its expansionist aspirations. Are these family members not entitled to human rights?
UN Advocacy tool
This tool is a collaborative project by Fòs Feminista and the Sexual Rights Initiative. It aims to facilitate access for advocates and delegates to UN intergovernmental resolutions, expert guidance, and technical information in order to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights at the global level and hold governments accountable for their international obligations and commitments.
This tool includes two sections:
A searchable database of adopted intergovernmental documents and of expert guidance related to sexual and reproductive health and rights,
A curated list of key sexual and reproductive health and rights terms with selected examples of agreed language and additional guidance, definitions and resources.
What is the Human Rights Council?
The Human Rights Council, an intergovernmental mechanism made up of 47 UN member states, was created by the General Assembly in 2006 to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights across the globe and address human rights violations and make recommendations. The HRC can discuss either thematic or country-specific issues. The human rights council has three regular sessions every year and special sessions for urgent situations.
47 UN Member States are elected by the UN General Assembly to serve on the Human Rights Council for a three-year term. All 193 UN Member States can participate in the proceedings of the Human Rights Council; however, only the 47 Members are entitled to vote on actions to be taken.
The Human Rights Council is mandated to:
- Engage governments, civil society, and experts to debate, discuss, and adopt resolutions on thematic and country-specific human rights concerns.
- Appoint Special Procedures to analyze and report on human rights related to particular themes and in specific countries.
- Assess the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States through the Universal Periodic Review.
- Examine human rights violation complaints.
The Human Rights Council meets three times a year for regular sessions in March, June, and September at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland.
To learn more about the Human Rights Council, please visit its website or watch this video produced by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Universal Periodic Review
The SRI works at the UN Universal Periodic Review by collaborating with national and regional organisations and coalitions on stakeholder submissions. These submissions touch on a number of different sexual and reproductive health and rights issues affecting the country under review, such as abortion, sex work, access to contraception, and rights related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.
The UPR provides an opportunity for civil society organisations (CSOs) to engage in advocacy at the United Nations. CSOs can submit stakeholder submissions advocating for improved human rights conditions in their country, including on issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The Universal Periodic Review: A Powerful Tool for Advancing Sexual Rights
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights trends at the Universal Periodic Review
Our Work at the UPR
We urge the government to prioritise the development of a national plan for the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education in school curricula as a mandatory subject. Access to comprehensive sexuality education will empower them to make informed decisions about their bodies, sexual and reproductive health, sexuality, and relationships. Comprehensive sexuality education is crucial for promoting gender equality, reducing violence, and enhancing the well-being of students across North Macedonia.
We regret that there were no recommendations explicitly made on the rights of sex workers. Whilst current legislation does not criminalize sex work, the 2008 Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation prohibits activities associated with sex work, leading many to believe that sex work itself is illegal.The 46th session of the Universal Periodic was held from 29 April to 10 May 2024. 14 Countries were under review during the session: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Chie, Comoros, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, Eritrea, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Viet Nam and Yemen. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI submitted reports for Cambodia, North Macedonia, Chile and Uruguay.The 45th session of the Universal Periodic was held from 22 January to 02 February 2024. 14 Countries were under review during the session: Saudi Arabia, Senegal, China, Nigeria Mauritius, Mexico, Jordan, Malaysia, Central African Republic, Monaco, Belize, Chad, Congo and Malta. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI submitted reports for Malaysia and Nigeria.
UPR Database
ImageThe UPR Database, a project of the SRI, allows you to access and search all the sexual rights related recommendations and references made during the Universal Periodic Review.
What is the Universal Periodic Review?
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is an intergovernmental process in which each of the 193 UN Member States is reviewed on their entire human rights record every four and a half years. The UPR highlights actions that countries need to take to fulfil their agreed human rights obligations—these actions are presented as recommendations that states must accept or note.
Explainer on Terminology
- Accepted Recommendation: The state under review agrees to implement the recommendation
- Deferred Recommendation: The state under review will announce in [later] if it agrees to implement the recommendation
- Noted Recommendation: The state under review does not agree to implement the recommendation
To learn more about the Universal Periodic Review, please visit its website or watch this video produced by UPR-Info.-
Uploaded on April 29, 2024The 47th session of the Universal Periodic will take place from 4 to 15 November 2024. 14 Countries are under review during the session: Norway, Albania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugual, Bhutan, Dominica, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Costa Rics, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Qatar and Nicaragua. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI submitted reports for Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bhutan and Albania.
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Published on April 26, 2024The 46th session of the Universal Periodic will take place from 29 April to 10 May 2024. All of the review sessions will be live-streamed on UN Web TV. 14 Countries are under review during the session: New Zealand, Afghanistan, Chile, Cyprus, Uruguay, Yemen, Vanuatu, North Macedonia, Comoros, Slovakia, Eritrea, Viet Nam, Dominican Republic and Cambodia.
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Published on April 26, 2024La 46.ª sesión del Examen Periódico Universal se llevará a cabo del 29 de abril al 10 de mayo de 2024. Todas las sesiones del Examen se transmitirán en vivo por la Web TV de la ONU. Durante la sesión se examinarán 14 países: Nueva Zelanda, Afganistán, Chile, Chipre, Uruguay, Yemen, Vanuatu, Macedonia del Norte, Comoras, Eslovaquia, Eritrea, Vietnam, República Dominicana y Camboya.
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Published on April 26, 2024La 46e session de l’Examen périodique universel aura lieu du 29 avril aud 10 mai 2024. Toutes les sessions d’examen seront diffusées en direct sur la Web TV de l'ONU. 14 pays font l'objet d'un examen au cours de la session : Nouvelle-Zélande, Afghanistan, Chili, Chypre, Uruguay, Yémen, Vanuatu, Macédoine du Nord, Comores, Slovaquie, Érythrée, Viet Nam, République dominicaine et Cambodge.
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Published on April 10, 2024The 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 26 February to 5 April 2024. Due to the ongoing liquidity crisis experienced by the Council, civil society organisations were asked to pay for the use of hybrid modalities for their side events through the WebEX platform for the first time in the Council's history. This puts an additional and significant burden on organisations that have very limited budgets to engage with the HRC, which is deeply concerning.
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Published on April 10, 2024La sesión 55° del Consejo de Derechos Humanos de la ONU transcurrió entre el 26 de febrero y el 5 de abril de 2024. Debido a la crisis de liquidez que vive el Consejo y por primera vez en la historia de este organismo, a las organizaciones de sociedad civil se les pidió que pagaran para poder utilizar las modalidades híbridas de la plataforma WebEX en sus eventos paralelos. Esto supuso una carga adicional y significativa para organizaciones cuyos presupuestos para participar en el CDH son muy limitados, lo que resulta sumamente preocupante.
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Published on April 10, 2024Le Conseil des droits de l’homme (CDH) des Nations Unies a tenu sa 55e session du 26 février au 5 avril 2024. En raison de la crise de liquidités actuelle, les organisations de la société civile ont eu, pour la première fois de l’histoire du CDH, à payer pour utiliser des modalités hybrides pour leurs événements parallèles sur la plateforme WebEX. Cela impose une charge supplémentaire importante aux organisations qui ont un budget limité pour s’engager auprès du CDH – ce qui est très préoccupant.
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Uploaded on April 09, 2024The 46th session of the Universal Periodic will take place from 29 April to 10 May 2024. 14 Countries are under review during the session: New Zealand, Afghanistan, Chile, Cyprus, Uruguay, Yemen, Vanuatu, North Macedonia, Comoros, Slovakia, Eritrea, Viet Nam, Dominican Republic and Cambodia. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI submitted reports for Cambodia and North Macedonia.
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Uploaded on April 09, 2024The 45th session of the Universal Periodic was held from 22 January to 02 February 2024. 14 Countries were under review during the session: Saudi Arabia, Senegal, China, Nigeria Mauritius, Mexico, Jordan, Malaysia, Central African Republic, Monaco, Belize, Chad, Congo and Malta. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI submitted reports for Malaysia and Nigeria.
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Published on March 27, 2024We regret that Azerbaijan noted all the recommendations pertaining to the signing and ratification of the Istanbul Convention. Violence against women is widespread in Azerbaijan and domestic violence is normalised, as violence against women is framed as a "family matter".
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Published on March 25, 2024The implementation of these recommendations is especially urgent given the shortcomings of the Government’s engagement with civil society in this fourth UPR and its overall lack of accountability on international human rights compliance. These shortcomings include a lack of federal leadership, limited information accessibility, unequal opportunities for civil society participation, and no clear process for monitoring and follow up of recommendations.
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Published on March 25, 2024The functional denial of sexual and reproductive rights is connected to the denial of other rights, including the rights to health, non-discrimination, education, and freedom from violence. We are disappointed Canada did not fully accept several recommendations in support of broader health equity, particularly on access to services for undocumented people.
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Published on March 22, 2024Las trabajadoras sexuales ejercemos nuestro derecho a la autonomía corporal y al trabajo. Sin embargo, enfrentamos cotidianamente la vulneración de derechos, esto compromete nuestra integridad, nuestra libertad y en muchos casos nuestras vidas.
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Published on March 22, 2024We urge States, especially Global North States, to implement Special Procedures’ recommendations and call for a permanent ceasefire, and immediately stop their support for Israel’s genocide. This Council must concern itself with human rights violations and do away with double standards.
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Published on March 15, 2024Remote participation is crucial, due to the obstacles faced in accessing multilateral spaces, including discriminatory visa and resource requirements, environmental and security concerns and accessibility.
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Published on March 14, 2024We cannot continue talking about the universality of human rights and social protection while selectively restricting access to protection for specific groups of children. In order for social protection for children to be universal and comply with children’s rights, we must hold States accountable for their obligations not only within their borders but also globally.
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Published on March 11, 2024In many instances, social protection benefits are not accessed by persons with disabilities due to family’s own perception of their legal incapacity. We need to understand what are the additional support elements which need to be available for accessing services ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities.
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Published on March 11, 2024As noted in the report, military spending by Global North states reflects their priorities and disregard for basic human rights - and we remind states in the Global North that their military aid and arms exports currently contribute to the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza, in violation of the current ICJ provisional measures order.
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Published on March 11, 2024El informe señala que el gasto militar de los Estados del norte global refleja sus prioridades y su desdén por los derechos humanos básicos. Recordamos a esos Estados que su asistencia militar y exportaciones de armas están colaborando con el genocidio del pueblo palestino en Gaza, violando las medidas provisorias ordenadas por la Corte Internacional de Justicia.
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Published on March 11, 2024While we appreciate the focus on gendered aspects of care economies, we reiterate that the rights of persons with disabilities to be re-centered in this area, in line with the UN CRPD article 23 as persons with disabilities, in all diversity, are parents, caregivers, and rights holders.