HRC 58: IYAFP- RDC and SRI Statement to the adoption of the UPR of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

We call on the international community to support the DRC's efforts to build institutional capacity, raise community awareness and ensure access to affordable and quality reproductive health services. These measures will help to reduce maternal mortality, promote gender equality and respect women's rights.

HRC 58: Rising Flame Joint Statement: ID with the SR on the rights of persons with disabilities

We commend and appreciate the efforts of the Special Rapporteur in highlighting the rights of women and girls with disabilities by aligning the Beijing+30 review with commitments made in UNCRPD and SDG. We also thank her for spotlighting the leadership of women with disabilities in the regional B+30 processes.

UPR Submissions - 49th session

The 49th session of the Universal Periodic will take place from 28 April to 09 May 2025. 14 Countries are under review during the session: Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Guinea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Spain, Lesotho, Kenya, Armenia, Guinea-Bissau, Sweden, Grenada, Türkiye, Guyana and Kuwait. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI submitted reports for Armenia, Sweden and Kenya.

HRC 57: Joint Civil Society Statement on Abortion : General Debate Item 8

We need a new sustainable development model that prioritises equal and equitable access to all resources for all, and which values people over profits. On the occasion of International Safe Abortion Day, we call for an intersectional feminist model to development that centres the voices of women, girls and gender-diverse persons in determining indicators to measure global development.

HRC 54 SRI & partners statement to the adoption of Botswana's UPR 43 outcome

We regret that Botswana received and noted several recommendations on decriminalising abortion, on repealing Section 167 of the Penal Code, and on ensuring access to legal gender recognition. Botswana must eliminate discrimination against women and ensure their access to legal, safe, and affordable sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion, which Botswana still criminalises, and gender-affirming care.

HRC 54 FEDERA Statement to Item 3 General Debate

The criminalisation of abortion is taking an increasing toll in my country. Women die because of lack of access to life saving abortion care, the entire hospitals rely illegally on the consciousness clause. The recent police intervention in the case of a woman who took an abortion pill and another who miscarried show how the restrictive legal and policy environment is facilitating the abuse of powers by authorities, and legitimising the refusals of care by medical providers.

HRC 53 JOICFP and partners Joint Statement to Japan's UPR

JOICFP delivers this statement on behalf of 9 partner organizations on the issues related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR in short). We deeply regret that Japan did not accept the recommendations it received on decriminalization of abortion, removal of spousal consent requirement for abortion, revision of law that forces sterilization to trans-persons under the legal gender recognition process, and implementation of comprehensive sexuality education.

HRC 53 Alliance for Accountability Advocates Zambia (AAAZ) and SRI Statement to Zambia's UPR

Although progress has been made in Zambia’s HIV/AIDS response including a general drop in new infections, there has been an increase in new infections amongst youth and adolescents. Zambia needs to increase the roll out of youth-friendly health services, clarify the policy position on the age of consent to health services, and it needs to ensure that young people and adolescents have access to HIV testing, treatment and care.

HRC 53 Youth Action Movement-Ghana (YAM-Gh) and SRI Statement to Ghana's Outcome of the UPR

We regret that Ghana has taken such an inconsistent approach to the sexual and reproductive health and rights-related recommendations it received during its UPR review, and regret that the addendum to the report does not provide adequate explanations for the chosen approach.

HRC 52 Statement to the Adoption of the UPR for South Africa

We welcome the numerous recommendations made to South Africa on adolescent and youth SRHR, access to modern contraceptives, termination of pregnancy services and on accelerating a funded, coordinated, and measurable response to gender-based violence and femicide. We regret the lack of recommendations pertaining to comprehensive sexuality education and remain concerned about its delivery in schools.

HRC 52: FEDERA Statement to Item 4 General Debate: Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention

Decriminalisation of abortion in Poland is imperative. The recent case of criminal conviction of an activist who helped in abortion and persistent denials of legal abortion services demonstrate that only full liberalisation and decriminalisation of abortion would make a change in the Polish context.

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.

UPR Submissions - 42nd session

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.

UPR Submissions - 47th session

The 47th session of the Universal Periodic will take place from 4 to 15 November 2024. 14 Countries are under review during the session: Norway, Albania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugual, Bhutan, Dominica, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Costa Rics, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Qatar and Nicaragua. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI submitted reports for Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bhutan and Albania.

UPR Submissions - 45th Session

The 45th session of the Universal Periodic was held from 22 January to 02 February 2024. 14 Countries were under review during the session: Saudi Arabia, Senegal, China, Nigeria Mauritius, Mexico, Jordan, Malaysia, Central African Republic, Monaco, Belize, Chad, Congo and Malta. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI submitted reports for Malaysia and Nigeria.

UPR Submissions - 44th Session

The 44th session of the Universal Periodic was held from 6 to 17 November 2023. 14 Countries were under review during the session: Turkmenistan, Cabo Verde, Uzbekistan, Germany, Canada, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Tuvalu, Djibouti, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Cuba, the Russian Federation and Cameroon. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI submitted reports for Canada, Bangladesh and Azerbaijan.

UPR 43 Romania Submission: ACCEPT, ECPI and SRI

The Romanian Constitution guarantees equal treatment of all citizens before the law and public authorities, without any privilege or discrimination. This includes explicit reference to sexual orientation as a protected ground, and legal protection against hate crimes. Despite this, Romania is not respecting, protecting and fulfilling a broad range of rights related to sexuality and gender, particularly as pertains to sexual and reproductive health and rights. This failure is marked by an inability to provide adequate access to contraceptives, the lack of accessibility and availability of abortion services despite abortion being legal in the country, and the failure to invest in HIV/AIDS programming to prevent new cases in the country.

UPR 43 Botswana Submission - Banana Club, Back Queer DocX, Botswana Trans Initiative, Love|Loss|Life, Mmammati Human Rights Hub, Iranti, SALC and SRI

This report is a joint submission by autonomous collectives in Botswana, whose work is centred on the promotion and protection of LGBTIQ persons, women in the margins of society and young queer persons ’rights and freedoms, with the support of Iranti, Sexual Rights Initiative and Southern Africa Litigation Centre.

UPR Submissions - 42nd session

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.

UPR Submissions - 43rd session

The 43rd session of the Universal Periodic review begins on 1 May 2023. The working group session will take place from 1 to 12 May 2023. 14 Countries will be under review during the session: France,Tonga, Romania, Mali, Botswana, the Bahamas, Burundi, Luxembourg, Barbados, Montenegro, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Liechtenstein and Serbia. In collaboration with our partners, the SRI collaborated on reports for Romania and Botswana.

UPR 42 Japan Submission - APA and the SRI

2. This report is jointly submitted by nine (9) national, regional, and international civil organizations striving to promote SRHR. It highlights ongoing issues concerning SRHR in Japan with a focus on six (6) topics: access to contraceptives including emergency contraception, access to safe abortion, redress for victims of forced sterilization, discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE), law reform of the crimes of sexual violence including rape, and universal access to comprehensive sexuality education.

UPR 41 South Africa Submission - SRHR Africa Trust, the PACT, and SRI

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.

UPR 41 Netherlands Submission - Rutgers and SRI

This report is submitted by Rutgers and the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) and focuses on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights in The Netherlands. In general, SRHR in the Netherlands are well respected, however, challenges remain with regards to the provision of comprehensive sexuality education, the persistence of sexual violence and access to information, education, contraceptives and services for marginalized groups.

UP 41 Poland Submission - Foundation for Women and Family Planning (FEDERA) and SRI

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.

UPR 41 India Submission - Human Touch Foundation, the PACT and SRI

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.

UPR Submissions - 41st session

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.

Pedido de adesão: declaração conjunta da sociedade civil no CDH 51 sobre aborto

Em apoio ao próximo Dia Internacional do Aborto Seguro em 28 de setembro, a Sexual Rights Initiative, Center for Reproductive Rights, Association for Women’s Rights in Development, CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, International Planned Parenthood Federation, Ipas, International Service for Human Rights, Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, MSI Reproductive Choices e a Swedish Association for Sexuality Education formularam uma declaração conjunta sobre o direito ao aborto a ser lida na 51ª sessão do Conselho de Direitos Humanos da ONU em Genebra.

طلب للتّوقيع على بيان مشترك لمجلس حقوق الإنسان ٥١ والمجتمع المدني بخصوص الإجهاض

في سياق دعمنا لليوم العالمي للإجهاض المأمون في ٢٨ أيلول/سبتمبر، أعدّت «مبادرة الحقوق الجنسيّة» و«ائتلاف العدالة الجنسيّة والإنجابيّة» و«مركز الحقوق الإنجابيّة»، و«الرّابطة لحقوق المرأة في التّنمية»، و«CHOICE للشّباب والجنسانيّة» «اتّحاد التّخطيط الأسري» و«Ipas» و«الخدمة الدولة لحقوق الإنسان» و«مركز المرأة لمنطقة آسيا والمحيط الهادئ للموارد والأبحاث» و«MSI للخيارات الإنجابية» و«الرّابطة السّويديّة للتّثقيف الجنساني» بيانًا مشتركًا بشأن حقوق الإجهاض لتقدّمه عند انعقاد الجلسة الـ٥١ لمجلس الأمم المتّحدة لحقوق الإنسان في جينيف.

Sign-on: HRC51 joint civil society statement on abortion

In support of the upcoming International Safe Abortion Day on 28 September, the Sexual Rights Initiative, the Center for Reproductive Rights, 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, Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, MSI Reproductive Choices and the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education have developed a joint statement on abortion rights for delivery at the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva

UPR adoption of Seychelles

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.

SRI Submission to the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health: Sexual Rights During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the Special Rapporteur’s call for contributions, SRI made a submission locating the impact of COVID-19 on the right to sexual and reproductive health within a broader context of racial capitalism, patriarchy, colonialism, ableism and austerity.

Abortion and COVID-19 in Canada

All people in Canada have a human right to safe, legal, affordable, and accessible abortion care. While the federal government and many provincial governments declared abortion an essential service at the start of the pandemic, little has been done by governments to ensure that people in Canada continue to be able to access the SRH services, including abortion care, that they need. In the face of mounting anti-abortion tactics, it is critical that governments prioritize dismantling the barriers to SRH services and abortion care.

Request for Sign-On: HRC 45 Joint Civil Society Statement on Abortion

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.

Submission to the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities Sexual Rights Initiative

This submission reviews bioethics and how it has related to the rights of persons with disabilities. It first highlights how bioethics constitutes its own authority and experts to have a say in the lives of persons with disabilities. Secondly it provides a brief overview of a global feminist approach to bioethics and its contributions to a critique of the field. After highlighting the contributions of women with disabilities to the so-called “bioethical discussions,” the submission recommends to move away from bioethics and adopt a human rights-based analysis.

HCR35 Item 3: ID with Working Group on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice

Human Rights Council: 35th session

Item 3: ID with Working Group on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice Thank you Mr. President,

Action Canada makes this statement on behalf of the Sexual Rights Initiative.

HRC25: Agenda item #8: statement - Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action

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

HRC25: High-Level Dialogue on Sexual Violence in DRC

HRC25: High-Level Dialogue on Sexual Violence in DRC

Thank you Mr. President.

I make this statement on behalf of the Sexual Rights Initiative.

We welcome Security Council Resolution 2122, which invites the Secretary General to commission a global study on the implementation of Resolution 1325. We also welcome HRC Resolution 24/27, highlighting the persistence of a very high level of cases of sexual violence, used as a weapon of war in conflict, and the recommendations contained therein.

Transcript of the panel: Regional Developments in Abortion Law and Policy Reforms

In support of the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, the Sexual Rights Initiative organized a side event on “Regional Developments in Abortion Law and Policy Reforms”.

Panelists highlighted regional developments in abortion law and policy reform, shed light on regional commonalities and differences that have led to change, and illustrated the ways in which different stakeholders have used human rights law to develop innovative strategies to advance the right to access safe and legal abortion in their region.

UN Special Rapporteur underlines that sexual and reproductive health rights are human rights

In his Preliminary observations during a Country visit to Croatia from 28 November to 6 December 2016, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Mr. Dainius Pūras, recognized the importance of sexual rights stating “…I would like to underline that sexual and reproductive health rights are human rights.

Rebecca Brown at HRC27 Side-Event

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.

HRC27 Side-Event: Questions Part II

Part II of question period during 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.

Chantal Umuhoza at HRC27 Side-Event

Chantal Umuhoza 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.

HRC27 Side-Event: Questions Part I

Part I of question period during 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.

Valentina Zendejas at HRC27 Side-Event

Valentina Zendejas 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.

Global Action on Safe and Legal Abortion

In recognition of the Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, the panel Global Action on Safe and Legal Abortion shared different country experiences of advocating for safe and legal abortion, highlighted the human rights obligations of States to provide access to safe and legal abortion, and discussed opportunities to utilize HRC mechanisms to affect policy and legal changes at the national level.

HRC27 Video: Abortion Stigma, Criminalization and Restrictive Laws & Policies

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).

Reclaiming and Redefining Rights – ICPD+20: Status of sexual and reproductive rights in Middle East and North Africa.

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.

The Airlie Declaration on Safe Legal Abortion

We believe in a world where every woman and girl has the right to make decisions about her body, her health and her future. True gender equality cannot be achieved without access to safe, legal abortion.

Yet this vision is still far from reality, due in part to continued restrictions on safe, legal abortion in much of the world. Criminalizing abortion does not eliminate abortion; it puts women’s lives and health at risk.

Download the PDF to continue reading.

Sarah Kennell, Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights, on Canada's UPR

Sarah Kennell (Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights) tells us about Canada's review at the UPR and the work done by Action Canada and the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform to call for better access to abortion care, comprehensive sexuality education, and decriminalization of sex work in Canada.

Unsafe Abortion and Maternal Mortality and Morbidity: What can be done to prevent it?

Held during the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The panel emphasized the importance of addressing unsafe abortion in order to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, while identifying the human rights dimensions of unsafe abortion, and elaborating on State obligations with respect to addressing unsafe abortion.

The Decriminalization of Abortion: A Human Rights Imperative

Reproductive rights are human rights, and they include the right to safe, accessible, and legal abortions. Over 40 million abortions take place each year. In most developed countries and in many developing countries, abortion is legal on demand until the 12th or 14th week of pregnancy, and abortion is legal beyond that timeframe when there is a threat to the woman’s life or health, or fetal impairment, or when the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.

Request for Sign-On: HRC39 Joint NGO statement on abortion rights

In support of the September 28 “Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion” Sexual Rights Initiative, Center for Reproductive Rights, Ipas, the Asia-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, the Youth Coalition for Sexual Health and Rights, AWID and the Swedish Association for Sexuality and Education have developed a joint statement on abortion rights for delivery at the upcoming 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

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

Joint HRC38 End of Session Statement

The Center for Reproductive Rights, the Sexual Rights Initiative, the Association for Progressive Communications, the International Service for Human Rights, the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, the World Young Women Christian Association welcome the major gains on women’s and girls’ rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council.

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 collaborates with national organizations and activists in preparation for UPR30

The 30th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is taking place now until 18 May, 2018 at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva. Fourteen countries will be reviewed during the session: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cabo Verde, CameroonColombia, Cuba, Djibouti, Germany, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Uzbekistan.

Rights of the Child in Humanitarian Settings: A missed opportunity

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.

What to Expect at the 36th Human Rights Council Session

The 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 11th to the 29th of September 2017. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, UPR outcomes, and parallel events taking place during the 36th session.

HRC33 Panel: Global Action on Safe and Legal Abortion

In recognition of the Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, the panel will share different country experiences of advocating for safe and legal abortion, highlight the human rights obligations of States to provide access to safe and legal abortion, and discuss opportunities to utilize HRC mechanisms to effect policy and legal changes at the national level.

Three Questions to the Sexual Rights Initiative

During the 49th session of the Conference on Population and Development (CPD) in New York, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) officially launched the National Sexual Rights Law and Policy Database. Simavi spoke with Meghan Doherty and Neha Sood, Policy and Advocacy officers with SRI partner Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, about the importance of this database and how it could support local communities to improve their sexual rights.

 

HRC31: SRI Oral Statements

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:

Sexual Rights at UPR24

The 24th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 18-29 January 2016. Here is a recap of sexual rights at UPR24.

Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR24 including: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Palau, Paraguay, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands and Somalia.

HRC30 Event Highlights: Unsafe Abortion and Maternal Mortality and Morbidity

 

On September 29th, during the 30th session of the Human Rights Council, we co-hosted a side event to discuss the importance of addressing unsafe abortion in order to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.

 

Panel Highlights

The panel opened with a video from Ipas on the lack of access to safe and legal abortion in Rwanda.

 

Joint Statement for the Human Rights Committee’s Day of Discussion on the Right to Life

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:

Wrap-up: Sexual Rights at UPR22

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.

SRI collaborates with national organizations and activists in preparation for UPR20

The 20th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will take place at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from October 27 – November 7 2014. Fourteen countries will be reviewed during the session, including: Italy, El Salvador, Gambia, Bolivia, Fiji, San Marino, Kazakhstan, Angola, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Madagascar, Iraq, Slovenia, Egypt, and Bosnia Herzegovina.

HRC27: SRI Oral Statements

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.

SRI hosts Human Rights Council Event on the ‘Criminalization of sexuality and reproduction’

Alongside the ongoing 26th session of the Council, the Sexual Rights Initiative, in partnership with, Ipas, Amnesty International and UNAIDS, hosted a parallel event examining the interplay of the criminalization of sexuality and reproduction with the international human rights framework.

CEDAW statement on sexual and reproductive health and rights

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 ICPD@20 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.”

SRI prepares written statement for upcoming session of the Commission on Population and Development

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;

Summary of SRI organized event on the Decriminalization of Abortion during the 24th session of the HRC

To commemorate the 2013 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion (September 28th), the Sexual Rights Initiative organized an event that took place during the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council to discuss the realization of women’s human rights, specifically women’s right to access safe and legal abortion, including through the decriminalization of abortion. Being one of the first events on the topic at the Council, it represents a ground-breaking moment in its history. Widely attended by over 30 representatives from Member States – making up half of the audience, UN agencies, civil society, women human rights defenders and academics, they assessed the human rights implications of the criminalization of abortion and explored strategies to strengthen government accountability and responsibility in respecting, protecting and guaranteeing women’s reproductive and human rights.

HRC24: SRI Oral Statements

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.

Requests for Organizational Sign-On: Joint Statement on Abortion Rights

In support of the September 28 Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, the Sexual Rights Initiative, Center for Reproductive Rights and Ipas have developed a joint statement on abortion rights for delivery at the upcoming 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The session runs from Sept. 11-29, and the most suitable Council agenda item for the statement would appear to be the general debate on the implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, scheduled for Monday, Sept. 25.

SRI parallel event on SRHR at HRC23

On June 6th 2013, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI), in collaboration with the World YWCA, and Permanent Missions to the UN in Geneva of Finland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Uruguay organized a parallel event on ‘the role of the Human Rights Council in advancing sexual and reproductive rights and health in the post-2015 development agenda’.

Criminal Laws and Women’s Right to Health

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.