HRC 58: Joint Statement to the Annual high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming
HRC 57: SRI Statement to the Panel discussion on the implementation of States’ obligations on the role of the family in supporting the human rights of its members
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?
HRC 56: SRI, AWID & NSWP statement to the interactive dialogue with the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls
Submission to the Special Rapporteur on cultural rights: the right to participate in sports
Prepared in response to the call for inputs issued by the Special Rapporteur on cultural rights to inform her report on the right to participate in sports, this submission advocates for an intersectional approach that examines the colonial, racist, patriarchal and capitalist underpinnings and root causes for violations of the right to participate in sports.
HRC 55: SRI Statement to the Interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on Foreign Debt
Opportunities for feminist engagement in the UN human rights system
HRC 54 Action Canada Statement to the ID with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People
HRC 54 SRI Statement on the ID on OHCHR report on panel discussion on the negative impact of the legacies of colonialism
SRI Submission on the Draft General Recommendation n°37 on Racial discrimination in the enjoyment of the right to health to be adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
HRC 53 SRI Statement to the Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Racism
The relationship between health, race, caste, class and gender is rooted in colonial, patriarchal and capitalist control over women’s sexuality, reproduction and bodies and produces distinct experiences of oppression that are often fatal. Racialised women are specifically targeted by harmful stereotypes, the essentialisation of women to their reproductive capacities, forced sterilisation, forced pregnancies and chromosomal testing in sporting events through state interventions or purposeful inaction. This has profound impacts on their health and human rights.
HRC 53 SRI, Santé Sexuelle & partners' Statement to Switzerland UPR
Submission to the Special Rapporteur on the right to development: thematic priorities for the mandate
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.
Joint submission to the Independent Expert on foreign debt: multiple crises, fiscal systems and human rights
This joint submission by SRI, AWID and IWRAW AP responds to a call for input issued by the Independent Expert on foreign debt for her upcoming report on multiple crises, fiscal systems and human rights. The submission aims to address the current situation as a crisis of neo-liberal capitalism, white supremacy, colonialism and patriarchy, and calls for an intersectional approach to these crises, their causes and their human rights impacts.
SRI BRIEFS: CERD submission summary: Racial Discrimination and the Right to Health
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
SRI submission to the Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures: sanctions and the right to health
In response to the Special Rapporteur’s call for input about unilateral coercive measures and the right to health, SRI made a submission examining unilateral sanctions as forms of economic and racial injustice and imperial domination, and a violation of the right to development.
2022 In Review
As we embark on another year of activism for sexual rights, we wanted to share with you our highlights of 2022. While the UN human rights system continues to be confronted by multiple challenges –from funding shortages, geopolitical tensions and polarisation and attempts to undermine multilateralism to the presence and influence of regressive and conservative actors, we have made steadfast progress in advancing sexual rights in this system. Read below for our highlights of 2022.
Joint submission to the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls: poverty and inequality
SRI, IWRAW Asia Pacific and AWID made a joint submission in response to the Working Group’s call for inputs on “Human security of women and girls in the context of poverty and inequality.” The submission advocates for an economic justice approach and class analysis of poverty and inequality.
Did you miss it? Here’s what happened at HRC 51!
The 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 12 September to 7 October. Below you will find information on some of the key sexual rights-related:
Resolutions
Panel discussions
Oral statements
Side Events
Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: Racial Discrimination and the Right to Health
UPR 44 Canada Submission - Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, Justice for Migrant Workers (J4MW), YWCA Hamilton, The Community Research Platform at McMaster University, and the SRI
This report examines gaps in Canada’s obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil the right to abortion. Abortion is a decriminalized healthcare procedure and is enshrined in numerous human rights instruments and ratified conventions. Despite this, many people in Canada face barriers when seeking abortion services and some are ultimately unable to access care.
UPR Submissions - 44th Session
HRC 51 Statement to Panel discussion on the negative impact of the legacies of colonialism on the enjoyment of human rights
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.
HRC 51- Statement to the interactive dialogue with the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development
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.
HRC 51 - Joint statement on contemporary forms of slavery
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 Statemennt to CERD’s Day of General Discussion on a Proposed General Recommendation on The Right to Health: Panel 2
SRI Statemennt to CERD’s Day of General Discussion on a Proposed General Recommendation on The Right to Health: Panel 1
SRI submission to the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health: racism and the right to health
In response to the Special Rapporteur’s call for inputs on racism and the right to health, SRI made a submission advocating for an analysis of racism and the right to health addressing both racism and colonialism as determinants of health and as structural violence.
HRC50: SRI Statement to the Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism
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.
HRC50 - SRI Statement to the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
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 submission to the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health: violence and its impact on the right to health
In response to the Special Rapporteur’s call for inputs on violence and its impact on the right to health, SRI made a submission addressing violations of bodily autonomy and the operation of systems of oppression as structural violence
HRC 48: Statement for the Annual discussion on the integration of a gender perspective throughout the work of the HRC and its mechanisms
This is the moment to radically reimagine our systems and institutions so that they serve the people. The pandemic has shown that when states choose to, they can act swiftly to implement policies and spend resources that would have been unthinkable two years ago. At the Human Rights Council, we must recognize this moment for what it is -a chance to breathe new and transformative life into the human rights system and everything that it is supposed to stand for.
HRC 48: Joint Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on truth, justice and reparation
Transitional justice mechanisms must respond to historic causes of violence and conflict by addressing structural oppressions that affect people based on their race, class, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, amongst others. Redress comes only when acknowledging how intersectional oppression continues to operate through associated stereotypes, stigma and discrimination, including those related to race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. Intersectionality is crucial to ensure a truth and reconciliation process.
HRC 45: Statement on racism and gender discrimination in sport
This statement on racism and gender discrimination in sport was delivered 22 September.
SRI adds their voice to request for U.N. independent inquiry into escalating situation of police violence and repression in the US
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.
HRC40 - Item 8 General Debate
40th Session of the Human Rights Council
Item 8
Statement by Action Canada for Population and Development
18 March 2019
HRC40 - Debate on Countering Nationalist Populism
40th Session of the Human Rights Council
HRC40th - Global South Leadership on Women’s and Girls’ Rights
Global South Leadership on Women’s and Girls’ Rights
Here’s What to Expect at HRC39
The 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from September 10-28, 2018. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, UPR outcomes, and parallel events taking place during the 39th session.
Expected Resolutions Relevant to Sexual Rights
What happened at HRC38
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
SRI submission to the Special Rapporteur on racism: Nationalist populism
In response to the Special Rapporteur’s call for input on nationalist populism, the submission makes the links between the resurgence of white supremacist, racist and xenophobic discourse in mainstream, right-wing and populist movements, related discriminatory laws and policies, and States’ complicity in furthering violence. It looks at the impact of racial discrimination in the area of sexuality and gender, and advocates for an intersectional approach to these issues.
Here’s What Happened at the 36th UN Human Rights Council
The 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 11-29 September 2017. Below you will find information on some of the key sexual rights related: Resolutions, Oral Statements, Side Events and Panels.
HRC36 Oral Statements
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.
HRC32: Sexual Rights Recap
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.
Sexual Rights at HRC 28
The 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 2nd to the 27th of March 2015.