The 42nd session of the Universal Periodic review begins on the 23rd of January 2023. The working group session will take place from 23 January to 3 February 2023. 13 Countries will be under review during the session: Czechia, Gabon, Benin, Switzerland, Argentina, Ghana, Guatemala, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Sri Lanka and Zambia. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI collaborated on reports for Guatemala, Japan, Pakistan, Switzerland and Zambia.
The 41st session of the Universal Periodic review begins on the 7th of November 2022, and this session marks the beginning of the fourth cycle of the UPR. The working group session will take place from 7 November to 18 November 2022. 14 Countries will be under review during the session: Bahrain, Ecuador, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Finland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, India, Brazil, Philippines, Algeria, Poland, Netherlands and South Africa. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI collaborated on reports for South Africa, India, Poland and the Netherlands.
2. This joint submission assesses the Zambian Government’s human rights record since the third cycle of UPR in 2017, and highlights some of the emerging or increasing challenges, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It specifically assesses Government’s fulfilment of adolescent and young people’s sexual reproductive health and rights, providing follow-up recommendations on key areas of concern Government should prioritise in the coming cycle.
This submission, prepared ahead of the 4th Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, examines the challenges faced by the young people living with HIV in Pakistan in relation to HIV, AIDS treatment and human rights.
This joint stakeholder report assesses Pakistan’s progress since its third cycle review in meeting its obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the sexual and reproductive health and rights obligations it has towards young people, particularly women and transgender persons. The submission focuses on access to safe abortion, the sexual rights of LGBT people, and access to sexual and reproductive health information, education and services.
In this joint submission, we examine the Government of South Africa’s human rights record since its third-cycle universal periodic review (UPR) in 2017. Specifically, we assess the government’s fulfilment of adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health and rights. To this end, we analyse South Africa’s implementation of recommendations received relating to these issues and provide specific, action-orientated follow-up recommendations at the conclusion of this submission. Between the 9th and 10th of March 2022, 15 youth led, serving and focused organizations in South Africa convened in person and virtually to deliberate on how COVID-19 has affected the HIV, SRHR and GBV/F outcomes of adolescents and young people in their diversity.
This report is submitted jointly by the Federation for Women and Family Planning, Poland and the Sexual Rights Initiative. The report focuses on violations of women’s sexual and reproductive rights in Poland and the stark impact of the restriction on abortion introduced in November 2020 that amounts to quasi total abortion ban in Poland. The report also addresses barriers in access to contraception, neglect and demonisation of comprehensive sexuality education, and the decrease in ante-natal care.
This submission, prepared ahead of the 4th Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for the Republic of India, looks at the challenges faced by the adolescent and youth population in India in relation to their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), HIV and human rights. Three key issues, in particular, that affect the country’s adolescents and young people, i.e., SRHR including abortion for adolescents and youth with disabilities and HIV (AL&YPLHIV) have been researched. The report also provides recommendations to the state of India with respect to these issues.
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 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.
Joint SRI and national partner submissions on Uganda, Venezuela, and Sudan for the 40th Universal Periodic Review.
young people continue to face challenges and need to get more involved in order for these commitments to materialize. The adolescent fertility rate remains high, at 65 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 years, contraceptive prevalence rate is currently 46.2%, and high levels of teenage pregnancy is reported as 100 per 1,000 with associated high levels of unsafe abortion. These figures indicate a need for a review of and improvements to sexual and reproductive health and family planning services in Seychelles. Young people are also among the most vulnerable regarding Gender-Based Violence as substantial proportions are victim of sexual abuse. Moreover, these gaps are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent us from reaching our full potential.
Conseil des droits de l'homme - 40ème session
Rapport de l'EPU du Sénégal
Déclaration conjointe de SRI, Right Here Right Now Sénégal et Rutgers
14 mars 2019
40th Session of Human Rights Council
Item 3: Clustered Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on the right to Food and Independent Expert on Foreign Debt
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
28 February 2019
Country: Grenada
Collaborators: SRI, GrenCHAP, Gorundation Grenada
Key Words: LGBT People, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, discrimination based on SOGIE
Country: Guyana
Collaborators: SRI, Society Against
Key Words: Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) LGBT People, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, discrimination based on SOGIE
Country: Kenya
33rd session of the Human Rights Council (13 to 30 September 2016)
Panel discussion on youth and human rights
Concept note (as of 7 September 2016)
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
Recalling also Human Rights Council resolution 32/1 of 30 June 2016 on youth and human rights,
HRC25 - Agenda Item #3 – General Debate
Country: Ireland
Collaborators: SRI, Irish Family Planning Association
Key Words: Abortion; Criminalization; Right to Health; Discrimination
Country: Lithuania
Collaborators: SRI, Family Planning and Sexual Health Association
Key Words: Sexuality Education; Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People
Country: Venezuela
UPR Submissions - 9th session
UPR Submissions - 5th session
UPR Submissions - 2nd session
UPR Submissions - 1st session
Amanda Hodgeson, from SRI partner the Coalition of African Lesbians, tells us about the barriers faced by young Black women in accessing the Human Rights Council.
9 September 2014 - Held during the 27th session of the UN Human Rights Council, to commemorate the 2014 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion, the panel explores the linkages between abortion stigma, criminalization and restrictive laws and policies, and examines their impact on the rights of women, particularly adolescent girls.
MODERATOR: Sandeep Prasad (ACPD/SRI)
PANELISTS: Chantal Umuhoza (Ipas Consultant); Rebecca Brown (Center for Reproductive Rights); Valentina Zendejas (IIMMHR/Instituto de Liderazgo Simone de Beauvoir); and Jan Moolman (APC).
Child marriage, early marriage, and forced marriage are all interrelated but distinct terms, and they have been combined in every way possible: early and forced marriage; child and forced marriage; early child marriage; and child, early and forced marriage. Often the terms are used interchangeably in the same document, without any explicit definitions. This paper attempts to analyze most of the terms, with the goal of clarifying each label’s breadth, or at least clarifying the breadth of the ambiguity surrounding each label.
A human rights-based approach was promoted at both the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Through the ICPD’s Programme of Action 179 governments committed to ensuring the realization of reproductive rights for all, including women and adolescents and to providing a comprehensive range of sexual and reproductive health information and services.
Through this submission the SRI would like to highlight the links between adolescents’ sexual rights and education. Gender-based discrimination, social control over girls’ sexuality and sexual abuse lead to high drop out of girls from formal education systems. Discrimination against and humiliation of gender non-conforming and transgender children causes them to drop out as well. In South Asia, for example, intersex children are often given away to hijra communities who, facing social ostracization, live in poverty and are kept out of formal education systems.
Despite several initiatives to improve children’s health and reduce preventable mortality, including, among others, those undertaken to implement the Millennium Development Goals, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, several challenges remain. As noted in the Human Rights Council’s resolution 19/37, more than 7.6 million children under the age of 5 die each year, mostly from preventable and treatable causes.
Today, there are 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10‐24 who should be guaranteed access to the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and sexuality education that they need for a healthy and fulfilling life. Regrettably, this is not the case.
The SRI organized a side event on the margins of session 34 of the Human Rights Council to highlight the role of human rights to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event was held alongside the annual Day of Discussion on the Rights of the Child and negotiations on a resolution on the Rights of the Child in the context of the SDGs. A diverse panel of speakers representing States, UN agencies and youth-led organizations delivered insights on the current political, social and factual context of CSE, the need to address deeply entrenched gender norms that stigmatize young people’s sexuality, and solutions that support young people in realizing their human rights, including their right to CSE.
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.
The 33rd session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 12th the 30th of September 2016. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, UPR outcomes and parallel events taking place during the 33rd session.
Click here to access the full programme of work for HRC33
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Expected Resolutions Relevant to Sexual Rights
The 32nd session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from the 13th of June to the 1st of July 2016. Here is a recap of sexual rights related resolutions, panels and statements.
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.
This list has been compiled by the High-Level Task Force for ICPD. The task force is an independent body to provide a bold, progressive voice for advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, especially for those living in poverty and otherwise marginalized, and to advance gender equality and the human rights of women and girls, and the rights and participation of young people.
For more information
January 2016
Submission by the Sexual Rights Initiative for the Human Rights Council report on the protection of the family and the contribution of families in realizing the right to an adequate standard of living
The 21st session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will take place at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 19 – 30 January 2015.
Fourteen countries will be reviewed during the session, including: Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Guinea, Lao Peopl’s Democratic Republic, Spain, Lesotho, Kenya, Armenia, Guinea-Bissau, Sweden, Grenada, Turkey, Guyana, Kuwait
The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) collaborated with national NGOs and activists in four countries up for review to prepare five stakeholder submissions:
In response to the request from the President of the General Assembly (PGA) for contributions to the High-Level Event on the role of women, the young and civil society, the SRI prepared a submission focusing on women and young peoples’ sexual and reproductive rights. The submission calls for the Post-2015 development framework to integrate a human rights-based approach.
Summary of SRI co-organized event on Maternal Mortality and Morbidity during the 24th session of the HRC