SRI as a feminist coalition has participated in every regular session of the Council since its formation. SRI works at the Human Rights Council to bring a feminist and intersectional approach to sexuality and gender while foregrounding the voices of the Global South. We do this through advocacy with member states, UN mechanisms and agencies. Each session, we engage the council’s debates, discussions and panels through statements, often written and delivered in collaboration with activists and other civil society organisations. We also provide workshops and trainings to organisations and activists interested in engaging with the council. Finally, we contribute to developing knowledge on sexual rights by organising events and panels, organising campaigns and creating and sharing knowledge resources. 

At the HRC, we:

  • Support the individual and collective power of feminist and SRHR advocates, particularly from the Global South, to (re)claim this space for accountability and justice
  • Engage with states to shore up support, leadership and positive engagement on SRHR issues. 
  • Engage with various stakeholders (states, UN agencies, civil society organisations and activists) in the Council to better integrate an intersectional, decolonial, and economic justice approach to SRHR.

This work intersects with the Special Procedures when they report to the Council and the Universal Periodic Review. 

 

How is the Human Rights Council useful for activists:

The Political Context of Human Rights at the HRC:

 

Our work at the HRC

HRC Statements
HRC 59: Joint statement to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s UPR adoption
Bosnia and Herzegovina must undergo extensive legislative reform, and adopt comprehensive policy instruments which inter alia improve its recognition of the rights to private life of same-sex couples, and the rights of transgender and intersex persons to healthcare and legal gender recognition.
HRC 59: Joint statement to Angola’s UPR adoption
Angola must address violence against women from a broader social justice perspective and strengthen prevention work by getting to the core of the patriarchal ideologies that sustain the violence, countering harmful narratives, and uprooting the norms that perpetuate it.
HRC 59: Joint statement to Bolivia’s UPR adoption
We are deeply concerned that the State, by not recognizing these restrictions, did not accept recommendation 122.274, claiming that there is no legal provision that discriminates against transgender people. Likewise, the lack of acceptance of recommendations concerning civil marriage for LGBTIQ+ people, without valid legal justification, disregards the constitutional rule.
HRC 59: Statement by the Sex Workers' Delegation to the ID with Special Rapporteur on VAW
By focusing on “protective” approaches rooted in moral frameworks, the report reinforces harmful narratives that view sex workers primarily as victims, or ignore the existence of sex work as work! The digital frontier is not new for sex workers; for years, we have faced cyber-bullying, online harassment, cyber monitoring, and platform discrimination. Punitive laws and anti-sex work policies continue to expose sex workers to violence, both online and offline, and restrict our access to digital tools that we utilize for our safety
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SRI events at the HRC

HRC Statements
HRC 58 Side-event: Addressing Preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity: An Intersectional and Systems-Based Approach
HRC 57 Side event: Feminist approaches to the right to development
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Our latest statements

HRC Statements
HRC 59: Joint statement to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s UPR adoption
Bosnia and Herzegovina must undergo extensive legislative reform, and adopt comprehensive policy instruments which inter alia improve its recognition of the rights to private life of same-sex couples, and the rights of transgender and intersex persons to healthcare and legal gender recognition.
HRC 59: Joint statement to Angola’s UPR adoption
Angola must address violence against women from a broader social justice perspective and strengthen prevention work by getting to the core of the patriarchal ideologies that sustain the violence, countering harmful narratives, and uprooting the norms that perpetuate it.
HRC 59: Joint statement to Bolivia’s UPR adoption
We are deeply concerned that the State, by not recognizing these restrictions, did not accept recommendation 122.274, claiming that there is no legal provision that discriminates against transgender people. Likewise, the lack of acceptance of recommendations concerning civil marriage for LGBTIQ+ people, without valid legal justification, disregards the constitutional rule.
HRC 59: 2nd Statement by the Sex Workers' Delegation to the ID with Special Rapporteur on VAW
The report on consent presents overly broad generalisations without clear alternatives, grouping diverse industries under uniform criticism. Her paternalistic analysis denies the decision-making autonomy of women, effectively denying their agency under the guise of protection. This protectionist analysis, which is reflected in the Special Rapporteur’s work, scapegoats trans and gender diverse people, creating an artificial hierarchy of rights.
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UN Advocacy tool

image of dandelions with text UN Advocacy tool

This tool is a collaborative project by Fòs Feminista and the Sexual Rights Initiative. It aims to facilitate access for advocates and delegates to UN intergovernmental resolutions, expert guidance, and technical information in order to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights at the global level and hold governments accountable for their international obligations and commitments.

This tool includes two sections:

A searchable database of adopted intergovernmental documents and of expert guidance related to sexual and reproductive health and rights,

A curated list of key sexual and reproductive health and rights terms with selected examples of agreed language and additional guidance, definitions and resources.

Consult the UN Advocacy tool

 

What is the Human Rights Council?

The Human Rights Council, an intergovernmental mechanism made up of 47 UN member states, was created by the General Assembly in 2006 to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights across the globe and address human rights violations and make recommendations. The HRC can discuss either thematic or country-specific issues. The human rights council has three regular sessions every year and special sessions for urgent situations. 

47 UN Member States are elected by the UN General Assembly to serve on the Human Rights Council for a three-year term. All 193 UN Member States can participate in the proceedings of the Human Rights Council; however, only the 47 Members are entitled to vote on actions to be taken.

The Human Rights Council is mandated to:

  • Engage governments, civil society, and experts to debate, discuss, and adopt resolutions on thematic and country-specific human rights concerns.
  • Appoint Special Procedures to analyze and report on human rights related to particular themes and in specific countries.
  • Assess the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States through the Universal Periodic Review.
  • Examine human rights violation complaints.

The Human Rights Council meets three times a year for regular sessions in March, June, and September at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland.

To learn more about the Human Rights Council, please visit its website or watch this video produced by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.