Fact Sheet: SRHR in CERD’s General Recommendation on Racial Discrimination and the Right to Health
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination's General Recommendation No. 37.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD Committee) monitors State compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which has been ratified by 182 countries. Its General Recommendation No. 37 provides guidance to States on fulfilling their obligations under the right to the highest attainable standard of health enshrined in the Convention.
While the general recommendation addresses numerous health issues affected by racial discrimination, this fact sheet delves into the implications for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and the overarching principles that influence both SRHR and other health concerns. This general recommendation marks a pivotal moment in acknowledging and addressing the intricate link between racial discrimination and the right to health. As the first general recommendation from the CERD Committee explicitly focused on the right to health, it sets forth groundbreaking standards, which this fact sheet presents and analyzes within the context of SRHR.