Here’s What to Expect at HRC 53
The 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from 19 June to 14 July 2023.
The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions have meant that HRC 53 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 events taking place during the 53rd session
Please note that all dates are provisional and subject to change.
The latest information about the session will be available on OHCHR’s HRC53 page.
Access the full programme of work for HRC53
Access the HRC53 scheduled meeting calendar
Featured News
Autonomy v/s Protectionism: Critical Considerations for Human Rights Council on Sexuality and Gender
Protectionism views women, girls, and other marginalised individuals as inherently vulnerable and in need of state and patriarchal protection. However, these policies sacrifice autonomy and freedom and do not address systemic inequality and root causes of discrimination and violence. This side event will delve into the underpinnings and impact of protectionist policies and propose alternative frameworks, including prioritising bodily autonomy.
21 June 10h00 - 11h00 CEST
Room XXV Palais des Nations
Online on Zoom: https://bit.ly/AutonomyProtSRI
Expected Resolutions Relevant to Sexual Rights
- New and emerging digital technologies (Republic of Korea, Austria, Brazil, Morocco, Denmark)
- The negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights (Argentina, Morocco, Austria, Argentina, Poland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
- Civil society space (Ireland, Japan, Chile, Sierra Leone, Tunisia)
- Human rights of migrants in transit (Mexico)
- The realisation of the equal enjoyment of the right to education of every girl (United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
- Social Forum (Cuba)
- Enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights (Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement)
- Right to education and mandate renewal of Special Rapporteur on Education (Portugal)
- The incompatibility between democracy and racism (Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina)
- Accelerating efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls: Preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in criminal justice detention (Canada)
- Human rights and climate change (Philippines, Bangladesh and Vietnam)
- Mandate renewal of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking and focusing on the agricultural sector (Argentina, Germany, Jordan, Philippines)
- Child, Early and Forced and Marriage (Argentina, Canada, Honduras, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay)
- Impact of arms transfers on human rights (Peru, Ecuador)
- Address the pervasive challenges of statelessness inequality and nationality rights (United States, Australia, Colombia, Mexico, Slovakia)
- Mandate renewals of SR on leprosy, SR on the independence of judges and lawyers, SR on human rights and international solidarity, SR on poverty, IE on International Solidarity, the Working Group on Business and Human Rights
Sexual Rights-Related Panels
Annual full-day discussion on the human rights of women [accessible panels]
Morning panel: Gender-based violence against women and girls in public and political life
Time: Friday, 30 June 2023, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Afternoon panel: Social protection: women’s participation and leadership
Time: Friday, 30 June 2023, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Annual panel discussion on the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights [accessible panel]
Theme: Adverse impact of climate change on the full realization of the right to food
Time: Monday, 03 July 2023, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Panel discussion on the role of digital, media and information literacy in the promotion and enjoyment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression [accessible panel]
Time: Monday, 03 July 2023, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
See the list of all panels and concept notes
Sexual Rights-Related Reports
A/HRC/53/39
Report of the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls: Gendered inequalities of poverty: feminist and human rights-based approaches
Read the joint submission by SRI, AWID and IWRAW AP to inform the report »
A/HRC/53/65
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health: Digital innovation, technologies and the right to health
A/HRC/53/25
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression: Sustainable development and freedom of expression: why voice matters
A/HRC/53/26
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants: How to expand and diversify regularization mechanisms and programmes to enhance the protection of the human rights of migrants
A/HRC/53/27
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education: The right to education, advances and challenges
Read the report when it becomes available »
A/HRC/53/28
Report of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children: Trafficking in persons and international protection
Read the report when it becomes available »
A/HRC/53/29
Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: Deaths in prisons
A/HRC/53/31
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers: Reimagining justice: confronting contemporary challenges to the independence of judges and lawyers
A/HRC/53/32
Report of the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity: Revised draft declaration on human rights and international solidarity
A/HRC/53/33
Report of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights: The employment guarantee as a tool in the fight against poverty
A/HRC/53/34
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change: Providing legal options to protect the human rights of persons displaced across international borders due to climate change
A/HRC/53/35
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons: Vision and thematic priorities: addressing new challenges and consolidating gains
A/HRC/53/38
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association: Advancing accountability for serious human rights violations related to the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Read the report when it becomes available »
A/HRC/53/40
Report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: Panel discussion on menstrual hygiene management, human rights and gender equality
A/HRC/53/47
Report of the Secretary-General: Adverse impact of climate change on the full realisation of the right to food
Read the report when it becomes available »
A/HRC/53/49
Report of the Unites Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: Impact of the civilian acquisition, possession and use of firearms
A/HRC/53/50
Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights : Compendium of good practices on access to medicines, vaccines and other health products in the context of the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
A/HRC/53/60
Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
Read the report when it becomes available »
A/HRC/53/61
Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: The progress on the two-year comprehensive communications strategy on racial equality
Read the report when it becomes available »
UPR Outcomes
The 53rd session will include the adoption of the outcomes of countries reviewed during the 42nd working group session of the Universal Periodic Review, which took place from 23 January 2023 ‑ 03 February 2023. The council will adopt all 13 outcomes from the reviews of the following countries: Czechia, Argentina, Gabon, Ghana, Peru, Guatemala, Benin, South Korea, Switzerland, Pakistan, Zambia, Japan, Sri Lanka
Among the 13 outcomes to be adopted during this session, the SRI collaborated on reports with organisations and activists in preparing reports for the UPR reviews of Guatemala, Switzerland, Pakistan, Zambia, and Japan.
Guatemala
REDJUAMUGEN, The PACT and the Sexual Rights Initiative
Topics: Restrictions on NGOs, sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV
Switzerland
Sexual Health Switzerland and the Sexual Rights Initiative
Topics: Sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence against women, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary and intersex persons, comprehensive sexuality education, access to sexual and reproductive health services, migrant women, female refugees.
Pakistan
Hi Voices, The PACT and the Sexual Rights Initiative
Topics: HIV/AIDS, Young People Living with HIV, comprehensive sexuality education, stigma and discrimination, criminalizing laws
Pakistan
Forum for Dignity Initiatives (FDI), Asia-Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APA) and the Sexual Rights Initiative
Topics: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, women’s health, transgender person’s rights, gender based violence, non-discrimination, stigma, Pink Tax, bodily autonomy, access to information, comprehensive sexuality education, youth friendly health services
Zambia
Zambia Sex Workers Alliance (ZASWA), African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) and the Sexual Rights Initiative
Topics: Sex work, freedom from violence, illegal detentions, stigma and discrimination, poverty, right to health, HIV/AIDS
Zambia
Zoe Janice Health Foundation, SRHR Africa Trust - Zambia, The PACT and the Sexual Rights Initiative
Topics: Adolescents, young people, child marriage, HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender based violence
Japan
JOICFP and others, and the Sexual Rights Initiative
Topics: Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), contraception, emergency contraception, safe abortion, medical abortion, forced sterilization, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, sexual violence, consent law, comprehensive sexuality education.
Sexual Rights Initiative Events
Autonomy v/s Protectionism: Critical Considerations for the Human Rights Council on Sexuality and Gender
Side-event during the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council
21 June 10h00 - 11h00 CEST
Room XXV Palais des Nations
Online on Zoom: https://bit.ly/AutonomyProtSRI
Protectionism views women, girls, and other marginalised individuals as inherently vulnerable and in need of state and patriarchal protection. However, these policies sacrifice autonomy and freedom and do not address systemic inequality and root causes of discrimination and violence. Join us at this side event that delves into the underpinnings and impact of protectionist policies and proposes alternative frameworks, including prioritising bodily autonomy.
Speakers
Anthea Taderera, Sexual Rights Initiative
Lobna Darwish, Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Shalini Singh CREA
Moderator
Carrie Shelver, Sexual Rights Initiative
The Right To Health And The Use Of Technological Innovation: Opportunities And Challenges
23 June 08h00-09h45
Hotel InterContinental Geneva
During the fifty-third session of the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (SR health), Tlaleng Mofokeng, will present her thematic report on digital innovation, technologies and the right to health. This side-event will explore current good practices and challenges experienced in different countries resulting from the growth of technological innovation. The panellists will discuss specific examples where legislation, policies, and practices could be replicated, as well as reflect on the existing gaps at the international level to ensure the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, leaving no one behind.
A holistic perspective: Palestinian women and girls under Israel’s settler-colonialism & apartheid regime
19 June 15h00 - 16h00
Room XXV Palais des Nations
Methods of Israeli violence and oppression against Palestinian women & girls can vary based on the imposed geographical fragmentation. This event aims to add to the mounting recognition of the apartheid reality by Palestinian, Israeli, and international civil society organisations and UN Special Rapporteurs, as well as various UN bodies and reports recognising Israel’s persistent human rights violations and calling for the end of its prolonged illegal occupation and apartheid regime. The speakers will provide an overview of the various challenges faced by Palestinian women and girls across historical Palestine and in exile while discussing the responsibility of the UN and the international community at large to ensure accountability to end relentless Israeli crimes and human rights violations.