UN Adopts Resolutions to Protect Gender and Reproductive Rights
Center works with partners to provide technical support to governments in UN negotiations to protect the rights of women and girls.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted several resolutions on December 15 related to gender and reproductive rights, providing an important contribution for the development of global policy. The resolutions were developed in the Third Committee’s 77th Session held September 29 – November 18 at the UN’s headquarters in New York City.
In its second year at the Committee and building on its previous work with key institutional partners, the Center for Reproductive Rights’ global advocacy team attended sessions and provided strategic and technical support on the resolutions to cross-regional member States.
The Third Committee is one of the six committees of the UNGA, where all 193 member States meet, consider, and adopt resolutions related to human rights. The Committee specifically addresses human rights, humanitarian affairs and social issues, including issues around the advancement of women and child protection.
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The Center’s Global Advocacy Work
The Center works to establish and promote reproductive rights as human rights at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.
The resolutions adopted addressed the following issues:
- Violence against women and girls
- Child, early and forced marriages (CEFM)
- Trafficking in women and girls
- Intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM)
- Intensifying efforts to end obstetric fistula
“The adoption of these resolutions holds the line for the fundamental human rights of women and girls across the globe,” said Selome Argaw, Senior Global Advocacy Adviser at the Center. “Working with our partners, we were able to help protect and integrate gains on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) into formal negotiations and outcomes at the UN.”
The Center worked with valued partners including Fos Feminista, International Planned Parenthood, Plan International, OutRight Action International and International Service for Human Rights.
While not legally binding, these resolutions reflect the majority global opinion, whether adopted by a majority voting or through consensus. Resolutions are useful for advocacy and can help provide a snapshot of where national and international opinion lies, informed by the views of experts within the UN system, civil society, and national human rights institutions (NHRIs).
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