U.S. State Department Releases 2023 Human Rights Reports
04.23.24 (PRESS STATEMENT) – Yesterday, the U.S. Department of State released the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which includes reporting on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in almost 200 countries. The Center commends the Biden-Harris Administration for its steadfast dedication to documenting reproductive rights around the world, especially in the face of regressive measures undermining access to abortion and gender-affirming care in the United States. These reports serve as a critical countermeasure to ongoing attempts by anti-rights groups to erode protections for and ultimately erase SRHR from global human rights discussions.
Statement from Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights:
“The Human Rights Reports document and affirm a global trend of countries moving towards liberalizing their abortion laws and enhancing access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare. Over the past three decades, more than 60 countries have taken steps to expand abortion access and we hope to see more follow suit. These Reports serve as an invaluable instrument when we seek accountability from nations that persist in criminalizing and infringing upon the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQI+ individuals by impeding their access to fundamental healthcare services. It is vital that Congress take steps to safeguard the integrity of reporting on SRHR under future administrations, shielding it from politicization or interference.”
Each spring the State Department releases these reports, which include a section that covers the status of contraception prevalence and accessibility, quality maternity care, abortion access, and access to family planning information. They are a key resource for policymakers, advocates, immigration judges, refugee and asylum officers, journalists, academics, and human rights bodies around the world. They inform policy and decision-making on a broad range of issues and advocates use them to hold governments accountable for abuses. These reports are especially valuable when inspecting the impact that ongoing global conflicts, climate disasters, rising political and economic insecurity have on access to sexual and reproductive health services and the human rights of women, girls, and gender diverse individuals.