For UPR 45 (deadline 18 July) - we are interested in supporting English-language submissions by feminist activists in the review of the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Mauritius, Jordan, Central African Republic, Monaco, Chad, Congo, and Malta.
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.
This submission reflects on the progress that Azerbaijan has made since its last review to meet its obligations to respect, protect and fulfil human rights. Azerbaijan received and supported recommendations during the last cycle of the UPR on gender equality, violence and discrimination against women, as well as women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) issues. These include bodily autonomy, reproductive health and family planning, sexual orientation and gender identity, maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, and child marriage. These sets of rights are cornerstones of democratic societies.
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.
This report is submitted by REDJUAMUGEN, The PACT and SRI and the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI). This report is the result of a consultation convened to contribute to the UPR in Guatemala, led and implemented by REDJUAMUGEN, was carried out through a multisectoral analysis. This identified the needs and demands of Guatemalan youth, guaranteeing the gender approach by investigating the current national situation in different sectors, forming a holistic analysis, then generating milestones to formulate recommendations for the country and the diverse Guatemalan youth.
The Federation for Women and Family Planning's statement on on behalf of the Sexual Rights Initiative during the 47th session of the Human Rights Council.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the United Nations Information Service in Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, are pleased to invite you to the viewing of “Des Femmes et des Hommes”, sponsored by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The film will be shown in Room XVIII of the Palais des Nations on Friday, 6 March 2015, at 5.00 p.m.
Human Rights Council – 28 th session – March 2015
Annual full-day meeting on the rights of the child
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
Human Rights Council – 28th session – March 2015
Item 3: General Debate
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
The Power of Empowered Women 2015
Women's Leadership in Peace and Security
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
UPR Submissions 18th session: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, New Zealand and Uruguay
UPR Submissions - 19th session: Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Nicaragua, Norway and Portugal
UPR Submissions 20th session: Bolivia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Egypt, El Salvador, Iran, Kazakhstan and Madagascar
UPR Submissions - 22th session: Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Malawi, Maldives, Panama and the USA
UPR Submissions - 27th session: Brazil, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Netherlands and Poland
UPR Submissions - 28th session: Guatemala, Ghana, Benin, Argentina, Switzerland, Zambia and Pakistan
UPR Submissions - 32nd session: Chile, Macedonia, New Zealand and Uruguay
In this report, the Working Group examines discrimination against women and girls in cultural and family life. The cultural construction of gender determines the role of women and girls within the family, including in marriage. After analysing the impact of culture and religion on the enjoyment of equal rights by women and girls in society and the family, the Working Group redefines family by incorporating a gender perspective.
Human Rights Council – 29th session – June 2015
Item 6: Consideration of the UPR Outcome of Turkey
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
Human Rights Council – 29th session – June 2015
Item 3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development: General Debate
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
Human Rights Council – 29th session – June 2015
PANEL: Realizing the equal enjoyment of the right to education by girls
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
Human Rights Council – 30th session
Item 6: Universal Periodic Review Outcomes: Maldives
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
Human Rights Council – 30th session
Item 6: Universal Periodic Review Outcomes: Bulgaria
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
Human Rights Council – 30th session – September 2015
UPR Submissions - 25th session: Ireland, Sudan, Tajikistan, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Samoa
Human Rights Council – Agenda Item 6 – Universal Periodic Review – Norway
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
Human Rights Council – 27th session – September 2014
Item 6: Consideration of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s UPR Outcome
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
Human Rights Council – 25th session – March 2014
Item 6: Consideration of Mexico’s UPR Outcome - Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
HRC25: Agenda item #8: statement - Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
Theme: 20-year anniversary of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
HRC26 General comments Italy on behalf of the EU
Rebecca Brown speaking on the side-event Abortion Stigma, Criminalization and Restrictive Laws and Policies during the 27th Session of the 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.
Fernando D'Elio, from SRI partner Akahatá, explains how Akahatá uses the international human rights system and the HRC to advocate for human rights related to gender and sexuality.
Most States in all regions of the world deliver some form of sexuality education as part of their education system. However, their implementation is often missing critical aspects related to gender equality, sexuality, human rights, relationship skills, and gender-based violence. During the event, panelists will discuss new tools, guidelines and strategies to bridge these gaps and ensure policy is driven by evidence and human rights standards.
We, the members of civil society and individuals present at the International Conference on Human Rights and ICPD Beyond 2014 (The Hague, 7-10 July, 2013), representing diverse constituencies from around the globe, welcome the constructive spirit and promising tone of the International Conference. In that same spirit we repeat our call upon governments and agencies to commit to the full realization of the sexual and reproductive rights of all people.
Challenge religious fundamentalism
One important step in addressing protection gaps in sexual rights: taking a greater intersectional approach and perspective within the existing international framework.
Through a greater appreciation of a) the ways in which sexual rights intersect with other rights, and b) through an understanding and approach to human rights that seeks to address multiple and intersecting forms of injustices and inequalities, including related to sex, gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion and ability, among others
The year 2014 was meant to be the year that ended the Program of Action adopted by the Cairo Conference for Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994. The document was a paradigm shift in understanding and framing reproductive health and rights and prioritizing individuals’ rights to choose and make decisions with regards to their own bodies.
This toolkit was developed to help individuals and organisations dedicated to advancing a feminist social change agenda—an agenda that believes that all development and social justice must be rooted in gender and social equality. It is based on the assumption that such processes require a diff erent type of leadership, what we may term ‘Transformative Feminist Leadership’ (TFL). Both feminism and Transformative Feminist Leadership are defi ned and explained in more detail in the following section (Module 1).
The State-Sponsored Homophobia report originated from the need to present a concise overview of the legal situation of lesbian and gay people around the world. ILGA needed a comprehensive survey of laws that criminalise consenting adult same-sex sexual acts for its advocacy work and to present aspects of the work carried out by its members.
The 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from June 18 to July 6, 2018. Below you will find information on some of the key sexual rights related resolutions, oral statements and annual discussions. All of which the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) was engaged with during the session.
Featured News
The 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from June 18 to July 6, 2018.
Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels, reports, UPR outcomes, and parallel events taking place during the 38th session.
Click here to access the full programme of work for HRC38
Expected Resolutions Relevant to Sexual Rights
The 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from February 26 to March 23rd 2018. Below you will find information on some of the key sexual rights related: Resolutions, Oral Statements, Side Events and Panels.
The 28th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 6-17 November 2017.
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 will take place from the 6th to the 24th of June 2017. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, and parallel events taking place during the 35th session.
The 27th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva from 1-12 May 2017. Eleven countries were reviewed during UPR27: Bahrain, Ecuador, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Finland, United Kingdom, India, Brazil, Philippines, Algeria, Poland, Netherlands, and South Africa.
Find out which human rights recommendations were accepted, noted or deferred by Haiti, Iceland, Lithuania, Moldova (Republic of), South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), and Zimbabwe during the latest UN Universal Periodic Review.
The 26th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 31 October-11 November 2016.
HRC33 Statement: Stop Using Women’s Bodies as the Battlefield!
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 25th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 2-13 May 2016. Below are some sexual rights related highlights from each UPR25 review.
Gender parity is designed to reduce gender gaps in all sectors, from access to education and parliamentary elections to women’s economic empowerment. But what does parity mean and how does it work in practice?
The following is an overview from the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council. It includes resolutions, panels and discussions, statements and parallel events related to sexual rights of which the SRI was engaged with during the session.
The 29th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 15th of June to the 3rd of July 2015.
The 22nd session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 4 – 21 May 2015.
Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR22 including: Andorra, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Honduras, Jamaica, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Panama, and the United States of America.
The 22nd session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will take place at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 4 – 21 May 2015.
The 21st session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 19 – 30 January 2015.
Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR21 including: Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Guinea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Spain, Lesotho, Kenya, Armenia, Guinea-Bissau, Sweden, Grenada, Turkey, Guyana, and Kuwait.
The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) is pleased to announce the publication of the UNFPA report Lessons From the First Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review: From Commitment to Action on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
Developed by the UNFPA and based on research and analysis conducted by Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD) on behalf of the SRI, the report examines the role the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism can play in advancing the realization of human rights related to sexuality and gender at the global, regional and country levels.
Action Canada for Population and Development reports back from 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council:
The 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 10 – 27 June 2014. Below are some highlights of sexual rights-related to Resolutions, discussions, UPR outcomes and parallel events that the SRI engaged with during this session.
CREA is happy to announce the release of its new publication: Achieving Transformative Feminist Leadership: A Toolkit for Organisations and Movements.
The Toolkit aims to help individuals and organisations dedicated to advancing a feminist social change agenda–an agenda based on the belief that all development and social justice must be rooted in gender and social equality. The Toolkit is part of CREA’s continuous endeavour to strengthen feminist leadership of women and grassroots organisations, seeking to further the transformative goals of the feminist movement.
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.
The 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from March 3 – 28 2014. The first week of the four-week session will comprise of a ‘High-level segment’ during which high-level dignitaries will address the Council.
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.
Hague Civil Society Call to Action on Human Rights and ICPD Beyond 2014
The 23rd Session of the Human Rights Council ran from May 27 until June 14 2013. Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) partners participated in the session to ensure that sexual rights issues are included and advanced. SRI partners collectively advocated for the recognition and integration of issues related to sexual and reproductive rights, gender equality and human rights in the resolutions discussed throughout this session.
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).
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.
