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. Topics of discussion included the ways criminalization of different aspects of sexuality relates to control over one’s choices, restriction on autonomy and disregard for consent.

The 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 10 – 27 June 2014. Below are some highlights of sexual rights-related to Resolutions, discussions, UPR outcomes and parallel events that the SRI engaged with during this session.

Resolution on the ‘Protection of the Family’

Action Canada for Population and Development reports back from 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council:

In preparation for the 21st session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the SRI, with support from coalition-member Akahata, collaborated with the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) (a Guyanese human rights organization dedicated to achieving equality and justice for all, particularly those who experience discrimination based on their sexuality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression), to prepare a stakeholder submission for Guyana’s review.

To commemorate the 2014 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion, the panel will explore the linkages between abortion stigma, criminalization and restrictive laws and policies, and examine their impact on the rights of women, particularly adolescent girls.

The 27th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from 8-26 September 2014. Here you will find information regarding some sexual rights-related resolutions, discussions, UPR outcomes and parallel events taking place during the session.

Click here to access the full programme of work for the 27th session

Expected Sexual Rights-related Resolutions

Side-event on maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights taking place during the 27th session of the Human Rights Council. The event will be held on 10 September 2014 in Room XXVII and includes French interpretation.

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.

The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) is pleased to announce the publication of the UNFPA report Lessons From the First Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review: From Commitment to Action on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

Developed by the UNFPA and based on research and analysis conducted by Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD) on behalf of the SRI, the report examines the role the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism can play in advancing the realization of human rights related to sexuality and gender at the global, regional and country levels.

The north-south divide between member states at the Human Rights Council continued to intensify during its 27th session. Why has the growing polarisation between a cross section of global north and global south States come up in both formal events and informal negotiations?