The ICPD Beyond 2014 International Conference on Human Rights took place in The Netherlands from 7-10 July 2013. The Conference is the second thematic conference, following the ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Youth Forum (which took place in Indonesia, in December 2012), to take place within the scope of the ongoing review of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD PoA).

During the 23rd Session of the Human Rights Council, the Sexual Rights Initiative is hosting a side-event entitled “Advancing sexual and reproductive rights and health in the Post-2015 development agenda: The role of the Human Rights Council.” SRI partner ACTION CANADA for Population and Development (ACPD)‘s Executive Director (speaking as a member of the High-Level Task Force for ICPD) will join panelists from the World YWCA, the Government of Uruguay and UNFPA.

On March 8th, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) held its High-Level Panel on Human Rights Mainstreaming, this year choosing to focus it on the post-2015 development framework.

During that debate, Ethiopia delivered on behalf of a select cross-regional group of 24 States a joint statement to the Council stressing the importance of SRHR to the post-2015 framework.

SRI collaborates with national organizations and activists in preparation for UPR19

The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) collaborated with national NGOs in several of the countries under review to prepare stakeholder submissions and advocate for strong recommendations on sexual and reproductive rights.

SRI statement on the follow up and implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action

Delivered by Fernando D’Elio, Akahata (Argentina)

Thank you Madam President

Joint statement of SRI & COC Netherlands

SRI statement on the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and Practice’s first report to the Human Rights Council

Delivered by Dalia Abd El–Hameed, EIPR (Egypt)

Thank you Madam President

We would like to use this opportunity to welcome the report of the working group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice.

Joint Statement of SRI and the International Lesbian and Gay Association during the panel discussion on women’s human rights defenders

Delivered by Fikile Vilakazi, Coalition of African Lesbians (South Africa)

The Special Rapporteur highlights that the killings can be direct with defined perpetrators in the home, community or by the State and, critically, gender-motivated killings can also be indirect where the perpetrator is not so easily defined such as in the case of deaths from clandestine abortions, maternal mortality, deaths from harmful traditional practices and deaths from neglect through starvation or ill-treatment. Restrictive abortion laws and criminalization of abortion that lead women to seek illegal abortions coupled with poor access to reproductive health services have been recognized as causes of preventable maternal mortality. In addition, harmful practices that seek to control women’s and girls’ sexuality through violence and stigma are reinforced by the State’s failure to protect women’s and girls’ rights from a holistic perspective which takes into account the political, economic and social context in which this violence occurs.

We also share the consideration of a problem of killings of women based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This constitutes multiple discrimination and is fueled by homophobic statements and positions by states and non-state actors, including their analysis on tradition, culture and religion.

Transformative reparations must also take into account that marginalized women have the least access to judicial or administrative remedies. Multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination serve to disempower, exclude, and stigmatize women, which if not considered in reparation schemes, will only reinforce existing inequalities.

SRI statement during interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children

The Sexual Rights Initiative and partners co-sponsored a side event at the 20th session of the Human Rights Council focusing on criminal laws and women’s right to health. The objective of the event was to provide a forum for States and stakeholders in Geneva to discuss the key findings and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health’s 2011 report to the General Assembly on the criminalization of sexual and reproductive health including abortion.