HRC 54

The 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 11 September to 13 October. Below, you will find information on some of the key sexual rights-related: Resolutions Panel discussions Oral statements Side Events

Despite 30 years of the Vienna Declaration, universal access to sexual and reproductive health services for all women, girls, and pregnant people is still very far from reality. Sexual and reproductive health and rights are treated as a siloed issue - with limited relevance for the majority of people.

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.

We urge Canada to honour its treaty obligations, fully implement the calls to action set out in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the calls to justice in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s National Inquiry, and to guarantee in law and practice the rights set forth in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

This year’s theme on gender parity must go beyond merely counting the number of women in various positions. We must consider whether the necessary structural changes have been implemented to enable women from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to play a meaningful role in shaping the work of the Council.

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.

Until all neocolonial and occupying states and forces are withdrawn, until transnational corporations and foreign military bases and operations are expelled, until extractivist industries are stopped, until debt is cancelled and the international economic order reframed to put people before profit, people living under occupation and those who bear the brunt of neocolonialism as well as their allies will continue to fight to be free.

When we talk about debt, let us also talk about the unpaid reparations, current and historical illicit financial flows, and the global tax abuses that benefit Global North countries, corporations, and economic elites across the world.

The current economic, geopolitical and global health context is a reflection of colonial power dynamics and structures shaping racist inequalities in resources, health access and outcomes within and among countries. COVID-19 highlighted the impacts of decades of systematic underfunding of health systems partly fuelled by austerity, privatisation and structural adjustment programs, underpinned by neoliberal ideologies and approaches.

We strongly believe that a deeper and more critical scrutiny is needed on the wide range of other rights violated by these measures, including the right to development.

The 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from 11 September to 13 October 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions have meant that HRC 54 will be held in a hybrid format with online and in-person modalities for informal negotiations, voting and statements. Due to the ongoing renovations started in 2020 and since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, side events taking place in the Palais will be limited to one per organisation and one hour in duration. Below you can find information about: Anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports UPR outcomes SRI’s online events taking place during the 54th session

Join us for this side-event that will examine the connections between macroeconomics and sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as responses by different human rights actors.