As observers of the Human Rights Council, we have repeated and continue to repeat our concerns with these so-called efficiency measures. The so-called efficiency measures privilege convenience over the Council's effectiveness, which should concern all of us. The lack of general debates during the June sessions has severely impacted civil society participation. It is particularly true for feminist groups and groups that work on issues of gender and sexuality.
Around the world, health systems and health financing have been eroded, undermined and weakened by decades of neoliberalism, austerity, privatisation and structural adjustment programs and an emphasis on minimising State intervention and relying on a discourse of “personal responsibility.
The rising inequalities, made even starker due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, are a symptom of the failed economic system that prioritises profit over people and impoverishes people. It is very important to look at the impact of the erosion of public systems through privatisation and financialisation and resulting human rights violations and abuses. In particular, to delve deeper into why public health systems were woefully inadequate to deal with the Pandemic.
Joint Civil Society Statement on Abortion at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council. This statement has been supported by more 450 organisations and 425 individuals as of Monday, 3 October, 2022. A full list of signatories will be published on our website shortly.
Statement by the Sexual Rights Initiative on the Item 6 General Debate: Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Statement by the Sexual Rights Initiative, Al-Haq, IWRAW Asia-Pacific, ILGA and AWID on the Panel discussion on the negative impact of the legacies of colonialism on the enjoyment of human rights at the 51st session of the Human Rights Council.
Statement by SRI's partner the Federation for Women and Family Planning to Item 4 General Debate at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Statement by the #EmptyChairs Campaign to the Annual discussion on the integration of a gender perspective to the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Statement by AWID, SRI and IWRAW Asia Pacific to the Biennial panel discussion on the right to development at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council
Statement by Sexual Rights Initiative to the interactive dialogue with the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development at 51rst session on the Human Rights Council.
Action Canada makes this statement on behalf of the Sexual Rights Initiative, the International Dalit Solidarity Network, Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network and National Council of Women Leaders.
SRI Statement to the Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance at the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
Statement by independent activists in Sudan and the Sexual Rights Initiative to the Outcome of the Universal Periodic Review for Sudan at the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council
Statement by Dili Model United Nations and SRI Statement to Timor-Leste's Universal Periodic Review outcome at the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council
Statement by the Uganda LBQ Loose Network, a collective working towards increasing the voice and visibility of lesbian, bisexual and queer women in advocacy, feminist leadership, and women’s rights in Uganda, CREA, the Coalition of African Lesbians and the Sexual Rights Initiative to the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Uganda at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council.
Statement by Girls Awake, Peer to Peer Uganda, the PACT, and the Sexual Rights Initiative at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council on the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review for Uganda.
SRI statement to Annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women - Panel 2:Human rights-based and gender-responsive care and support systems at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council
SRI and Center for Reproductive Rights Statement: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council
SRI Statement to the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants at 50th session of the Human Rights Council
SRI, Her Rights Initiative, the Women’s Legal Centre Statement to the Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
SRI Statement to the Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Statement by Action Canada, Action Canada's National Youth Advisory Board and the Sexual Rights Initiative to the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls.
Statement of Federa to the Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls at the 50th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
SRI Statement on the commemorative event on the occasion of the 50th session of the HRC.
The Human Rights Council will marked its 50th session through a high-level interactive discussion that provided stakeholders an opportunity to reflect on the achievements made and the lessons learned since its 1st session. The following is SRI's statement to this interactive discussion.
Collection of data and assessments of consequences of climate change is crucial. However, we already have data that evidences the profound mismatch between neoliberal capitalism, together with patriarchy, racism and colonialism and the right to development and the environmental crisis. This discrepancy will only bring more exclusion, inequality and social control that impacts disproportionally on the most vulnerable and marginalized groups; and will never bring development, and even less sustainable development.
Joint Statement: Informal Conversation on Implementation of HRC ‘Efficiency’ Measures (PRST/OS/13/1)
We make this statement on behalf of the Sexual Rights Initiative, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Joint civil society letter on the arrest and detention of EIPR human rights defenders.
In support of the upcoming International Safe Abortion Day on 28 September, the Sexual Rights Initiative, the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition, the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, the Association for Women’s Rights in Development, CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Ipas, the International Service for Human Rights and the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education have developed a joint statement on abortion rights for delivery at the 45th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The Sexual Rights Initiative has signed on a coalition letter addressed to the members of the Human Rights Council led by the ACLU to demand for an independent UN inquiry into the escalating police violence and repression in the US.
Here are statements the Sexual Rights Initiative has made during the 39th session of the Human Rights Council.
September 10, 2018
Item 3: Clustered interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and the Independent Expert on democratic and equitable international order.
Thank You Mr President,
The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI), Child Rights Connect (CRC), the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC), the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Plan International, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU) welcome the theme of the Human Rights Council resolution on the protection of the rights of the child in humanitarian situations.
The African Court denies civil society access to justice and fails to pronounce on the independence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
HRC36: General Debate Item 8 2
The 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council is took place from 11-29 September 2017. Here are transcripts of oral statements made by the Sexual Rights Initiative.
The 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from the 6th to the 24th of June 2017. The SRI made oral statements related to sexual orientation and gender identity, poverty, women’s rights, peaceful assembly, family, and physical and mental health. Continue reading for complete transcripts of each statement.
Joint statement by the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Sexual Rights Initiative, and Child Rights Connect. Delivered on 24 March following the Human Rights Council adoption of a resolution on the protection of the rights of the child in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
SRI Oral statements made to date during the 34th session of the Human Rights Council. This session is ongoing and will conclude on 24 July 2017.
Oral Statements to date
SRI Statement on Lithuania, UPR Report Consideration – 00:31:18
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SRI Statement on Togo, UPR Report Consideration – 00:43:24
A fundamental principle of human rights is the equal right to participate in political and public affairs. This is guaranteed by Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as other several human rights instruments, and is a key component of a human rights based approach which seeks to eliminate marginalization and discrimination in the development of laws and policies.
This statement has been jointly prepared by 190 sex worker rights, women’s rights, and human rights organizations.
Statement Co-Produced by the Sexual Rights Initiative & Centre for Reproductive Rights
Human Rights Council adopts resolution on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights in the face of attacks on women’s sexual and reproductive rights
Today, the Council adopted by consensus its biannual resolution on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity. The resolution represents an advancement to women’s human rights on several counts.
The resolution:
Thank you Mr. President, Action Canada makes this statement on behalf of the Sexual Rights Initiative.
HRC33 Statement: Stop Using Women’s Bodies as the Battlefield!
SRI Oral Statements made during the 33rd session of the Human Rights Council during the Consideration of the Outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Sudan, Tajikistan, and Thailand. The UPR outcome for each State reviewed during UPR25 is adopted during this session of the HRC. The outcome report indicates which recommendations the State agrees to implement, and its responses to other recommendations.
SRI Statement on Ireland, UPR Report Consideration – 00:38:13
HRC33 Oral Statement on Violence Against Indigenous Women & Girls
Joint Statement and Call for Action for the Polish Parliament to Examine the Right to Access to Safe and Legal Abortion
Thank you Mr President.
This statement is delivered on behalf of the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Sexual Rights Initiative, and the International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights.
We welcome the follow up report by the OHCHR on the technical guidance on the application of a human rights-based approach to the implementations of policies and programmes to reduce preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.
The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) is a coalition of organizations from Canada, Poland, India, Egypt, Argentina and South Africa that have been advocating together for the advancement of human rights related to gender, sexuality and reproduction at the UN Human Rights Council since 2006. We are committed to and strongly in support of rights related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. Many of us are directly affected as people who are non-conforming in terms of our gender identity and expression and our sexual orientation.
The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) welcomes the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights’ General Comment 22 on the Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health, adopted in March 2016. The SRI actively engaged in the development of the General Comment (See SRI submission to the General Day of Discussion) and believes that General Comment 22 makes a valuable contribution to the realization of sexual and reproduction health and rights for all.
During the 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council, the SRI collaborated with national-level organizations and advocates to deliver oral statements regarding outcomes from the Universal Periodic Review ‘s (UPR) of five countries:
Partners in the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) coalition – Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, Akahata, Coalition of African Lesbians, CREA, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, and Federation for Women and Family Planning – condemn the detention of Egyptian journalist Hossam Bahgat by the military police.
During the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the SRI collaborated with national-level organizations and advocates to deliver oral statements regarding outcomes from the Universal Periodic Review ‘s (UPR) of Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Malawi, Maldives, Panama, and the USA.
The SRI also delivered statements pertaining to:
The SRI joined more than 50 NGOs in calling upon the U.N. Human Rights Committee to elaborate on the measures States must take to realize women’s right to life, including by guaranteeing access to safe and legal abortion, and other sexual and reproductive health services. The joint statement is below.
Distinguished Committee Members:
During the 29th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the SRI collaborated with national-level organizations and advocates to deliver oral statements regarding outcomes from the Universal Periodic Review ‘s (UPR) of Guyana, Kenya, Turkey, and Spain.
The Sexual Rights Initiative condemns the adoption of the Protection of the Family resolution by the UN Human Rights Council on Friday the 3rd of July. This is a set back to the advancement of the human rights of individuals as it seeks to elevate the family as an institution in need of protection without acknowledging the harms and human rights abuses that are known to occur within families, or recognizing that diverse forms of family exist.
During the 29th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, four UN Special Procedures — the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography — sent a letter to the President of the Human Rights Council expressing concerns regarding the debates on the Protection of the Family resolution.
During the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) collaborated with national-level organizations and advocates to deliver oral statements regarding outcomes from the Universal Periodic Review ‘s (UPR) of Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador and Madagascar. Responses were also prepared for Egypt and Iran but not delivered due to time limitations
During the 27th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) collaborated with national-level organizations and advocates to deliver oral statements regarding outcomes from the Universal Periodic Review ‘s (UPR) of Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Dominica, Nicaragua, Norway and Portugal.
Statement by the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus (ASC):
The ASEAN SOGIE Caucus (ASC) condemns the regressive and inhuman revision of the penal code of Brunei Darussalam that introduces stoning to death as a specific method of execution for same sexual activities. The ASC is somewhat comforted by the postponement of the implementation of the new code. However, the ASC maintains its position on the introduction of the law, albeit the delay.
During the 47th session of the UN Commission on Population and Development (CPD), individuals with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, and their allies, came together to voice concerns regarding ongoing violations of the human rights of individuals with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.
HRC25: SRI Oral statements
During the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) coordinated a response the “protection of the family” joint statement initiated during the session.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), at its recently concluded session, issued a statement on sexual and reproductive health and rights, which is its contribution to the [email protected] review process. The Committee reminds us that it “has observed that failure of a State party to provide services and the criminalisation of some services that only women require is a violation of women’s reproductive rights and constitutes discrimination against them.” It States that “the provision of, inter alia, safe abortion and post abortion care; maternity care; timely diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV), breast and reproductive cancers, and infertility; as well as access to accurate and comprehensive information about sexuality and reproduction, are all part of the right to sexual and reproductive health” and that “every State can and should do more to ensure the full respect, protection and fulfilment of sexual and reproductive rights, in line with human rights obligations.”
Building on the Hague Civil Society Call to Action on Human Rights and ICPD Beyond 2014, the SRI’s written statement for the upcoming 47th session of the Commission on Population and Development calls on governments to:
Ensure the implementation of all human rights obligations related to the Programme of Action of the ICPD;
Promote equality by tackling the root causes of structural inequalities;
Human rights have surged to the forefront of the debate about what will succeed the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. As human rights and social justice organizations worldwide, we feel compelled to lay out some of the baseline implications of embedding human rights into the core of the sustainable development agenda this time around.
On November 12th, the Sexual Rights Initiative sent a letter to UN Women, welcoming its strong, human rights-based approach, to issues of sex work, sexual exploitation and trafficking in persons. The original letter and UN Women’s note can be accessed below.
During the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) collaborated with national-level organizations and advocates to deliver oral statements regarding outcomes from the Universal Periodic Review ‘s (UPR) of Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Russia and Uzbekistan.
Hague Civil Society Call to Action on Human Rights and ICPD Beyond 2014
SRI Statement at ECOSOC Meeting
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.
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)
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.