Global Advocacy

The Center for Reproductive Rights plays a leading role in establishing and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as human rights at the United Nations and other multilateral fora.

Summary

Governments around the world are guided and influenced by the standards established at the United Nations (UN). This includes the development and application of international human rights law, humanitarian law and global commitments such as the Sustainable Development Goals. UN bodies play a key role in defining sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), which include the rights to life, health, non-discrimination, freedom from torture and ill treatment, and access to information, among others. The UN has declared that ending gender-based discrimination, reducing preventable maternal mortality and ensuring access to reproductive health care are goals all countries should meet by 2030.

The Center has played a key role in working with and supporting the UN agencies, treaty bodies, Human Rights Council and Security Council to clarify state responsibility and increase state accountability for SRHR. In turn, we work to ensure those standards are implemented at the national level and to hold states to account when they fail to do so.

Key Facts

193

All 193 countries in the world have ratified treaties that protect SRHR.

100%

SRHR apply in every country and every context, including crisis, conflict and disaster.

65

More than 65 countries have liberalized their abortion laws since 1994.

Work Highlights

Explore highlights of the Center’s global advocacy work.

Joint statement issued by civil society organizations and human rights defenders marking the anniversary.

Guideline affirms abortion access as essential to health and human rights and calls for the removal of legal barriers to access.

Resolutions on maternal mortality and humanitarian situations. (Image courtesy of the United Nations.)

Publications

Center Factsheet Outlines Recommendations of New WHO Abortion Guideline card link

Center Factsheet Outlines Recommendations of New WHO Abortion Guideline

Factsheet highlights core themes and recommendations concerning law and policy.

Up-to-date Human Rights Standards on SRHR card link

Up-to-date Human Rights Standards on SRHR

Titled “Breaking Ground,” this series summarizes the jurisprudence from United Nations treaty monitoring bodies (TMBs) on SRHR. Read more.

Briefing Paper: SRHR in Conflict card link

Briefing Paper: SRHR in Conflict

This paper analyzes legal standards and principles relevant to protecting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls affected by conflict. Read more.

Briefing Paper: Adolescent Capacity and Consent card link

Briefing Paper: Adolescent Capacity and Consent

A report discussing the barriers adolescents face in realizing their sexual and reproductive health and rights and proposals to guarantee the full exercise of those rights. Read more.

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