By Tara Henderson | Director of Fundraising and Operations
Included in this summary:
A Vision of Reproductive Health – Animated Video of Intersectionality of the Issues
CBC worked with SRI Coordinator, Meghan Doherty, to progress, and imagines what the future could look like for women’s health in the next 20 years
http://www.cbc.ca/2017/canadais/reproductive-rights-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow-1.4397108
36th Session of the Human Rights Council Summary - September 2017
In September the Human Rights Council held Session 36 – We have a full report in our newsletter here!
Sexual rights related resolutions at HRC included:
The question of the death penalty - This is the first UN resolution explicitly referencing adultery at either the Human Rights Council or the General Assembly.
The resolution condemns the imposition of the death penalty as a sanction for specific forms of conduct, such as apostasy, blasphemy, adultery and consensual same-sex relations, and expressing serious concern that the application of the death penalty for adultery is disproportionately imposed on women. The resolution further deplores the fact that, frequently, poor and economically vulnerable persons and foreign nationals are disproportionately subjected to the death penalty, that laws carrying the death penalty are used against persons exercising their rights to freedom of expression, thought, conscience, religion, and peaceful assembly and association, and that persons belonging to religious or ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented among those sentenced to the death penalty.
The resolution urges States that have not yet abolished the death penalty to ensure that it is not imposed as a sanction for specific forms of conduct such as apostasy, blasphemy, adultery and consensual same-sex relations, calls upon States to undertake further studies to identify the underlying factors that contribute to the substantial racial and ethnic bias in the application of the death penalty, calls upon States to make available disaggregated information on the application of the death penalty and decides that the high-level panel discussion on the topic at the 40th session (March 2019) will address the human rights violations related to the use of the death penalty, in particular with respect to the rights to non- discrimination and equality.
Of particular note is the USA’s vote against this resolution, despite its strong support for previous resolutions condemning violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Furthermore, States that previously voted against the most recent resolution on sexual orientation and gender identity, voted in favour of this resolution, including Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Kyrgyzstan, and Togo.
Egypt, Russia and Saudi Arabia put forward 9 hostile amendments to the resolution, including two sovereignty amendments which would have considerably weakened the text. All amendments were rejected.
The full enjoyment of human rights by all women and girls and the systematic mainstreaming of a gender perspective into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
From rhetoric to reality: a global call for concrete action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Panel discussion on the impact of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence in the context of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on the full enjoyment of all human rights by women and girls can be viewed here.
Mental Health and Human Rights – adopted by consensus. the resolution expresses concern at the marginalization of mental health within health policies, budgets, in medical education, research and practice, and pays particular attention to the mental health rights of migrants, refugees, women, girls, people living with HIV and members of key populations. The resolution underscores that States should ensure that persons with mental health conditions or psychosocial disabilities have access to a range of support services that are based on respect for human rights in order to live independently, be included in the community, exercise their autonomy and agency, participate meaningfully in and decide upon all matters affecting them and have their dignity respected, on an equal basis with others. The resolution further encourages States to support persons with mental health conditions or psychosocial disabilities to empower themselves in order to know and demand their rights, including through health and human rights literacy, to provide human rights education and training for health workers, police, law enforcement officers, prison staff and other relevant professions, with a special focus on non-discrimination, free and informed consent and respect for the will and preferences of all, and confidentiality and privacy. The resolution Requests the High Commissioner to organize a consultation during the 71st session of the World Health Assembly, to discuss all the relevant issues and challenges pertaining to the fulfillment of a human rights perspective in mental health.
For a complete list of statements and resolutions and other highlights of the 36th Human Rights Council visit here: http://www.sexualrightsinitiative.com/2017/hrc/hrc36-srhr-highlights/
International Day for Decriminalization of Abortion brought 285 organizations from around the world to create a joint statement, included in English below. To see footage and partners on this statement visit here. (http://www.sexualrightsinitiative.com/2017/hrc/joint-statement-on-access-to-safe-and-legal-abortion-globally/)
Mr. President,
It is my honour to deliver this statement on behalf of 285 organisations from around the world.
Through the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, States explicitly agreed to prioritize the human rights of women, including the eradication of gender-based discrimination and violence. However, many States have not yet made the important decision that women’s human rights deserve to be upheld and their lives are worth saving. The continued criminalization of abortion and restrictions on access to and provision of abortion and post-abortion care in many jurisdictions is stark evidence of this.
Around 22 million unsafe abortions are estimated to take place around the world annually[ii], leading to 7 million health complications[iii] and 47,000 deaths[iv]. In addition, there are major social and financial costs to women and girls, families, communities, health systems and economies. The criminalization of abortion and failure to ensure access to quality abortion services is a violation of the rights to non-discrimination, to privacy, and to make decisions about one’s own body, and can constitute torture or ill-treatment, as repeatedly highlighted by UN bodies and experts.[v] Prohibiting abortion pushes it underground and gives rise to unsafe abortions, violating the rights to life, health and bodily autonomy. Moreover, the poor and those already facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination are disproportionately affected, making the global community’s pledge to “leave no one behind” ring hollow.
These human rights violations must stop now. On September 28, the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, we urge the Human Rights Council to address the human rights violations arising from criminalization of abortion and the denial of access to safe and legal abortion services through its resolutions, decisions, dialogues, debates, and the UPR. We demand in a collective voice that governments across the world respect, protect and fulfill the right to access safe and legal abortion services and post-abortion care.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The Sexual Rights Initiative organized a side-event about using human rights law and standards to advance the right to access safe and legal abortion. In support of the September 28 Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, the Sexual Rights Initiative organised a panel highlighting the ways in which States, civil society, the UN system, and others can use human rights law and standards to advance the right to access safe and legal abortion. It is intended that this exchange of practices and experiences will inspire further action and collaboration among States, development partners, and civil society towards realizing abortion related rights for all.
The Sexual Rights Initiative would like to thank the 286 NGOs who signed the joint statement marking the September 28 Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion. This was the first mass joint statement on abortion rights at the Human Rights Council. Click here for the statement and video.
The 28th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 6-17 November 2017.
Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR28: Argentina, Benin, Czechia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Japan, Pakistan, Peru, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Zambia.
The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) collaborated with national NGOs in six of the countries reviewed to prepare seven stakeholder submissions and advocate for strong recommendations on sexual and reproductive rights. They include:
• Argentina: SRI, OTRANS Argentina, Convocatoria Federal Trans y Travesti de Argentina, Akahatá – Equipo de Sexualidades y Géneros y la Iniciativa por los Derechos Sexuales.
• Argentina: SRI, Akahatá-Equipo de Trabajo en Sexualidades y Géneros
• Benin: SRI, Avec l’appui de la Coalition Africaine des lesbiennes (CAL), Soumission conjointe de l’Association de Femme pour une Relève Orientée (AFRO-BENIN)
• Ghana: SRI, Sisters of the Heart, Centre for Popular Education Human Rights in Ghana (CEPEHRG)
• Guatemala: SRI, La Colectiva Mujeres, Derechos Sexuales
• Pakistan: SRI, Rahnuma Family Planning Association of Pakistan, Right Here Right Now Platform
• Zambia: SRI, Engender Rights Centre for Justice, Friends of Rainka, Generation Alive, TransBantu Zambia, The Lotus Identity and Women’s Alliance for Equality, Coalition of African Lesbians
For more highlights of the UPR28 review please click here. (http://www.sexualrightsinitiative.com/2017/upr/3103/)
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