12th Meeting - 62nd Session of Human Rights Council

Excellency, distinguished participants, I hereby declare open the 12th meeting of the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council.
We will now continue the interactive dialogue with the special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and we will continue with a list of speakers.
First, I give the floor to Jordan.
Thank you, Vice President.
We wish to thank the Special Rapporteur for her report, which shines a light on increasing risks facing children in situations of statelessness, migration, and forced displacement.
We underscore the importance of the report's emphasis on lack of organized and safe pathways and lack of care, which exacerbate children's vulnerability and expose them to risks of trafficking in persons.
In this light, we continue our efforts to combat trafficking in persons by developing an anti trafficking in a person strategy 2024, 2027, which focuses on prevention, victim assistance, reinforcing law enforcement, development, identification of victims, and the referral to specialized services, particularly children at risk of exploitation.
We ask the Special Rapporteur What are the practical measures which you recommend for countries to build their capacities in early identification of children at risk of trafficking and ensuring the safe and rapid referral of them to assistance and care services.
In closing, we express our appreciation to the Special Rapporteur for her genuine efforts over the last six years and its contribution in carrying out her mandate and wish her all the best in her future endeavors and thank you, Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Bahrain.
Thank you very much, Vice President.
We've taken due note of the recommendations and conclusions featuring in the report.
We believe that trafficking is a unending crime.
It doesn't finish with the first victim, it always seeks new victims and this therefore requires the mobilization of national and international efforts in order to bring an end to such an offense.
Vice President, we are proud of being for the eighth consecutive year, among the countries that are at the top of the list of countries effectively fighting trafficking.
This can be put down to a number of elements.
First of all, a legislative and procedural framework which fosters this action.
Then we have complementarity between the work of government bodies, awareness raising efforts.
And social partners.
This demonstrates our firm commitment to eliminating this scourge and to combating impunity.
Vice President, improving our preparation is a key priority today in terms of training, capacity building, partnerships with international organizations and stakeholders.
This all aims to broaden our protection to cover particularly women and children.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Cameron.
Thank you very much Vice President.
My country aligns itself with the statement made by the African group and thanks to the Special apportur for the presentation of her report.
We take good note of the analysis and recommendations therein contained.
Cameron shares the concerns expressed in terms of the increased vulnerability of child migrants or IDP migrants, people who have been displaced by force or are stateless.
In the face of the risk of trafficking, this reality requires particular vigilance by the international community, particularly in terms of children who are unaccopanied or separated from their family, who are often victims of criminal networks.
Cameron has set up an effective legal framework, particularly its law 2011 relating to combating trafficking in human beings, as well as the various provisions in its criminal code.
These instruments are complemented by specific measures to protect children and manage and support victims.
Cameroon is also a member of the United Nations Convention Against cross border Organized Crime and it's protocol aimed at preventing and punishing trafficking in human beings, particularly women and children.
Vice President, given the transnational nature of this phenomenon, we remain convinced that prevention of trafficking requires strengthened international cooperation in particular in terms of child protection around children and situational mobility as well as information sharing and combating criminal networks beyond borders.
Thank you.
Mercy, next, I gave the floor to Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Thank you, Vice Chair, Vice President, the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission.
Thanks the Special Rapporteur for her important report and reaffirms that trafficking in persons constitutes a grave violation of human rights and human dignity.
Islam unequivocally prohibits slavery, forced exploitation, sexual abuse, and all forms of harmful practices.
The protection of human dignity, family and vulnerable persons, particularly women and children, constitutes a fundamental objective of Islamic law and international human rights standards alike.
The Commission expresses concern over the growing transnational nature of trafficking networks, particularly those targeting women, children, migrants, and persons affected by armed conflict, poverty, and displacement.
Online exploitation and misuse of digital technologies are emerging threats requiring urgent global attention.
The Commission underlines the importance of addressing root causes such as poverty, discrimination, irregular migration, lack of education, and armed conflict through enhanced international cooperation and sustainable development policies.
The commission calls upon states to strengthen legal frameworks, cross border cooperation, and preventive mechanisms in conformity with international law and cultural sensitivities while preserving the dignity and best interests of the victims.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Italy.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Italy aligns with the EU statement and is committed to fighting against trafficking in persons with serious human rights violation.
Italy has implemented a comprehensive victim centered approach to trafficking, encompassing prevention and law enforcement measures, protection, access to justice, and prosecution of perpetrators.
Our broader strategy is based on three pillars, addressing the root causes of migration, combating human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and criminal organizations, promoting safe and regular migration pathways.
Italy also supports projects by IOM and UNHCR in collaboration with countries of origin and transit, aimed at preventing trafficking and exploitation, protecting migrants and refugees at risk, and promoting sustainable solutions with special attention to the most vulnerable.
Italy is also committed to safeguarding children who are victims or at risk of trafficking, especially those with disabilities, according to the principle of the best interests of the child.
Madam Special Rapporteur, we recommend to ensure the rights of children with disabilities in anti trafficking responses.
Could you please elaborate by mentioning specific examples.
I thank you.
Hi.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Ethiopia.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Ethiopia aligns with African Group statement and thank special Reporter for her timely and insightful report.
Ethiopia remains deeply concerned by the devastating impact of trafficking in persons, especially women and children on the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and human dignity.
Children affected by conflict, displacement, poverty, climate related challenges, and limited access to basic services often face increased risks of exploitation and abuse.
As a country of origin transit, destination, and host, Ethiopia attaches great importance to strengthening child protection systems and combating trafficking in persons through legislative policy and institutional measures.
Efforts have been undertaken to enhance child protection services, expand access to education and social services, strengthen birth registration systems, and support vulnerable children and families.
Ethiopia also continues to work closely with regional and international partners to address trafficking networks and protect victims.
In conclusion, Ethiopia underscores the importance of addressing the root causes of vulnerability, including poverty, unemployment, conflict, and climate induced displacement.
Equally important is expanding safe, orderly and regular migration pathways, strengthening international cooperation, and ensuring adequate support for countries hosting large numbers of refugees and displaced persons.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Sudan.
Sabes.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
We wish to subscribe to the statements by the African and Arab groups.
We have taken due note on the report on the trafficking in persons in the context of statelessness, migration and enforced displacement.
The report highlights the challenges faced by children in the context of asylum and migration.
We highly value the recommendations that have to do with providing protection to the refugees and migrants, particularly children according to international law.
Especially the Convention on refugees and the Convention on the Child.
Children are the most vulnerable category, especially during conflict.
My country has been suffering from this phenomenon, particularly with the attacks by the rebels, according to International and other reports, children have been recruited forcibly.
Some of them were killed, some were injured and girls were enslaved and exploited sexually.
Violence has been rampant in fasci and other areas.
In this context, we'd like to reiterate that national legislation prohibits the exploitation of children.
Protections are provided according to the legislations and non recruitment of them in combat.
Thank you.
The F to Philippines.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
The Philippines thanks the Special Rapporteur for shedding light on the human risks associated with the growing trend on externalization of migration and asylum governance.
The Philippines recognizes the sovereign right of states to control the entry and stay of foreign nationals into their respective territories.
At the same time, we stress that migration and asylum governance systems must be people centered and pirmly grounded in international human rights law and refugee law.
Principle of non diploma must be upheld without fail.
The rights, dignity, and safety of migrants and asylum seekers, especially children and other groups in vulnerable situations must be protected at all times.
Migration cooperation arrangements should reinforce, not dilute accountability for human rights abuses and violations, and there must be guardrails in the use of digital technologies in border control management to prevent data and privacy breaches.
As one of the world's leading countries of origin of migrants, the Philippines has built a robust and comprehensive normative and institutional framework.
The protection of Filipino nationals throughout the migration cycle, from pre departure to overseas deployment and return and reintegration.
Migration could and should be beneficial to countries of region and destination alike, as well as to the migrants and their families themselves.
Achieving this requires all the stakeholders to bear their respective responsibilities and strengthen cooperation at all levels to promote safe, orderly and regular migration.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Lesoto.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Lo welcomes the opportunity to reflect on the report of the Special Rapporteur.
As indicated in the report, stateless migrants and displaced children are prime targets to human trafficking due to lack of legal protection, pervasive poverty, and loss of family support networks.
Their inability to Legally work, access public services, or seek help from authorities make them easily exploitable.
The intersection of these vulnerabilities present compounding challenges, which include, among others, that it is impossible for stateless children to register for schools or health care as they do not have the required documents.
This marginalization is often exploited by traffickers who offer false promises of stability, education, or employment.
Also, due to undocumented status, many trafficked children and their families avoid reporting to authorities for fear of detention or deportation.
In conclusion, L Soto aligns herself with the international call, emphasizing that protection of these children requires a holistic, child centered approach that prioritizes birth registration to prevent statelessness, safe integration, international child protection systems, and adherence to non punishment principles.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Uruguay.
Thank you very much, Vice President.
Uruguay is grateful to the Special Rapporteur for the presented report, and we believe that any response in the face of trafficking in children should be dealt with from a comprehensive human rights perspective, placing at its heart the best interests of the child, non discrimination, the right to identity, access to documentation, and effective international protection as well as family reunification.
Nationally, Uruguay has progressed with strengthening its normative and institutional framework.
To prevent and combat trafficking and exploitation in human beings and protect and assist victims as well as ensuring their rights in the sphere of migration, refugeeship, and statelessness.
Nonetheless, we still see challenges connected to early warning interstitutional coordination and capacity building for teams on the ground, as well as strengthening in specialized responses in the face of situations of particular vulnerability.
We'd like to ask the Special Rapporteur which elements she believes to be essential to ensure that national protection mechanisms are best prepared to identify and support migrant children who have been displaced or are stateless and are at risk of trafficking.
Finally, Uruguay would like to take this opportunity to recognize the valuable work carried out by the Special Rapporteur during the six years of mandate achieved and wish her the very best in the future.
Thank you.
Hi.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Burkina Faso.
Thank you, Vice President.
My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the African group.
My delegation shares the special Rapporteur's opinion that children who are migrants or displaced forcibly or stateless are at an increased risk of trafficking.
Indeed in Bukina Faso, the security crisis connected to terrorist attacks has contributed to jeopardizing the security of children who have been victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Recruitment by terrorists and other criminal networks.
In order to best deal with the issue of child protection, Burkina Faso has adopted a number of measures, including the conclusion of agreements with Côte D'ivoire in 2013, as well as Togo and Benin in 2019 and Nigeria in 2021.
Furthermore, the implementation of the National action plan in trafficking 2023 to 2025 has allowed us to support more than 1,000 child victims.
In addition, between up to 2025, 13 local brigades have been set up to protect children across the country.
To conclude my delegation invites states to protect all child victims of trafficking in order to ensure that they are protected as much as possible from this scourge, especially when they are in a vulnerable situation.
Thank you.
Mercy, next, I give the floor to Bangladesh.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Madam Vice President Bghdesh takes note of the report of the Special Reporter.
Forcibly displaced persons, migrants, and stateless children, particularly girls and unaccopanied minors are at the heightened risks of trafficking, exploitation and abuse.
As Bangladesh is hosting around 1.3 million forcibly displaced Rohingys from Myanmar, we have witnessed firsthand how protected displacement, armed conflict, and shrinking humanitarian assistance can increase the risks of trafficking in persons and other forms of exploitation.
We therefore share the concern expressed in the report regarding the adverse consequences of reductions in humanitarian support and the increased exposure of vulnerable populations to trafficking networks.
Madam Vice President, combating trafficking in persons requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach that addresses its root causes, including poverty, inequality, conflict, and the lack of safety, orderly, and regular migration pathways.
We underscore the importance of ensuring effective protection for persons in vulnerable situations while fully respecting national laws and international obligations.
Also emphasized the need for greater international responsibility sharing and sustained support for host countries and affected communities facing protected humanitarian situations.
Finally, Bangladesh reaffirms its commitment to preventing trafficking in persons, protecting victims and survivors, and strengthening international cooperation to safeguard the rights, dignity, and well being of all children.
I thank you Madam Vapsn.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Dominican Republic.
Thank you very much, Vice President.
The Dominican Republic reaffirms its unequivocal commitment to prevention, punishment, and elimination of trafficking in human beings, particularly when it impacts children.
We particularly appreciate the focus given by the Special apateur on the vulnerability of children in context of human mobility, displacement, and lack of documentation.
Nonetheless, we believe it's essential that managing this phenomenon Is something that is strictly evidence based, avoiding building correlations which could lead to alarmist responses which might undermine those we attempt to protect.
Combating trafficking requires rigor.
The existence of conditions of social, migratory and documentary vulnerability doesn't necessarily automatically trigger conclusions concerning the existence of trafficking and it can't substitute a contextual and structural analysis to identify the true causes and dynamics.
The Dominican Republic is confronting an exceptional migratory reality, characterized by a profound multidimensional crisis impacting Haiti, whose impacts have direct repercussions for our institutional and social capacities.
The Dominican Republic has strengthened since 21 its response to trafficking.
It has strengthened its combat against cross border criminal networks, the support of unaccompanied minors and regional cooperation to prevent exploitation and trafficking.
We reiterate that the national response should be to strengthen state capacity as well as foster international cooperation.
Thank you.
Back to Greece.
Vice Chair, Grace aligned with your statement and thank the Special Rapporteur for her report.
Child trafficking is both widespread and systematically under addressed as confirmed also in the report, with one in three victims globally being a child.
The report rightly emphasizes that these risks are not inevitable, but rather the result of policy gaps, discrimination in the absence of safe and regular pathways, as well as limited access to international protection.
Greece fully endorses the primacy of the best interests of the child in all circumstances, as well as the principle of non discrimination, which must be applied consistently and without exception.
We share the view that no child should fall outside the effective protection of human rights frameworks, regardless of migration status or nationality.
In this context, Greece has taken steps to strengthen child protection systems for minors with particular attention to unaccompanied children.
This includes improved reception and accommodation standards and stronger coordination among relevant authorities to ensure timely identification of needs and access to essciial services such as education, healthcare, and psychosocial support.
At the same time, GRI supports broader international efforts to prevent trafficking through safe and regular pathways, strengthen child protection systems, and effective implementation of international obligations related to the rights of the child.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to South Sudan.
Madam Vice President South Sudan, launch with the African Group statement and thanks to the Special Rapporteur for the report and her continued effort to advance the global fight against trafficking in person.
We remain deeply concerned by the persistent threats of human trafficking.
Which undermine human dignity, fuels exploitation and disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, particularly women, children, displaced persons, and migrants.
The challenges posed by conflict, poverty, climate related displacement, and limited economic opportunities continue to heighten the risk of trafficking in many developing countries.
South Sudan reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen national measures aimed at preventing trafficking, protecting victims, and persecuting perpetrators through the established gender based violence and Juvenile court, in addition to mobile courts used in various states of the country to try cases of trafficking in person, especially women and children.
In conclusion, my delegation would I appreciate the especial Reporter's view on how the international community can better support post conflict countries in building resilient system to prevent trafficking and ensure effective protection and rehabilitation of victims, particularly women and children.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Council of Europe.
Madam Vice President, we welcome the report of the Special Rapporteur and its focus on child trafficking amid statelessness, migration, and forced displacement, and we thank her for spotlighting urgent issues and framing trafficking as a human rights violation consistent with the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human beings.
Our group of experts on Action Against Trafficking in human beings Greta has focused its monitoring on children's vulnerability to trafficking and protection of child victims, particularly in migration context.
Lack of interinstitutional coordination and child protection gaps increase trafficking risks.
Greta's latest reports highlight rising trafficking of children for criminal exploitation.
Victims often go unidentified and are prosecuted as offenders while the real perpetrators escape justice.
As multiple crises deepen children's vulnerability, we reaffirm our commitment to children's rights through standard setting monitoring and implementation.
Our priority is preventing migrants and asylum seeking children from falling victim to violence, exploitation and trafficking, including through rapid appointment of legal guardians and safe accommodation with adequately trained staff.
Committee ministers recommendations from guardianship and age assessment and our strategy of the rights of the child guide our member states in ensuring migro children are treated first and foremost as children.
We shall continue to provide their contribution to the efforts and actions at a global level.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Bulgaria.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
Bulgaria aligns itself with the EU statement.
Bulgaria thanks the Special Rapporteur for her timely and important report on child trafficking in the context of statelessness, migration, and forced displacement.
We share the special Rapporteur's concern that migrant forcibly displaced and stateless children face higher risks of trafficking, exploitation and abuse.
The report rightly underscores that these risks are not inevitable.
They are often the result of weakness.
Weaknesses in the child protection systems.
Bulgaria reaffirms that the best interests of the child must remain the primary factor to be considered when taking actions affected children.
We underline that fundamental importance of non discrimination and access to justice.
Bulgaria has a comprehensive system of specialized services for victims of trafficking financed through the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in human beings.
The system provides integrated assistance, safe accommodation, medical, psychological, and legal support, and reintegration services.
Bulgaria calls for stronger international cooperation to protect all children from trafficking and exploitation and to uphold their rights and dignity.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Ukraine.
Ukraine is absent.
So next I give the floor to India.
India is also absent, so next I give the floor to Dibbouti.
Thank you very much, Vice President.
My delegation is grateful to the Special Rapporteur for the presentation given and greets this report dedicated to trafficking in children in the context of mixed migration, as well as the situation concerning refugee asylum seeker, stateless child migrants.
Dibity expresses its concern in the face of the persistent diversification of forms of trafficking in the context of migration and wants to highlight the best interests of the child must guide all policies in their regard.
We recognize the particular vulnerability of unaccompanied minors and separated children, as well as stateless children who can be increasingly vulnerable to key threats.
We emphasize the need to ensure effective identification mechanisms, as well as guidance and management and support of children who are victims or exposed to the risk of trafficking, including access to illegal guardian, safe shelter education, health services, and psychosocial support.
We encourage the promotion of alternatives to detention of children in the migratory context and effective access to appeals.
Madam Rapporteur, Could you please share with us good practices that you have observed concerning strengthening cross border cooperation and early identification of child victims of trafficking in the context of mixed migration flows, allowing the ensuring of the protection of their fundamental rights.
Thank you.
Mercy, next, I give the floor to Fiji.
Yes.
Thank you, Vice President.
Fiji thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report and its recommendations, and we acknowledge her consistent efforts in the six years of her mandate.
Aligning with Fiji's anti trafficking National Action Plan, we have undertaken significant efforts, including initiating more trafficking investigations, identifying more trafficking victims, and referring victims to services, including development of victim identification SOPs and decentralized trafficking management case management system.
Fiji emphasizes the importance of the national, regional and global support system and infrastructure for humanitarian programs in reinforcing prevention and protection systems for child trafficking in the context of forced displacement.
On climate related displacement, the regional Pacific framework for climate mobility is helping specific governments and communities to manage displacement, ensuring rights based and people centered movement in the context of climate change.
Special Rapporteur, how can the global humanitarian system support such such regional frameworks to effectively integrate a child rights and trafficking specific analysis into responses to climate related displacement.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Poland.
Madam Vice President, Poland aligns itself with the EU statement.
Without any doubt, child trafficking remains one of the gravest violations of human rights and a serious crime requiring constant support for victims, survivors, and witnesses, and an unavoidable punishment for perpetrators.
We share the special Rapporteur's concern for children in most vulnerable situations.
Children with disabilities deprived of the protection of their families or forcibly displaced by armed conflicts.
It is essential for all states to effectively prevent criminal networks and other actors from exploiting these vulnerabilities and to ensure accountability in case of crimes already committed.
Unfortunately, one of the most egregious examples of conflict related child trafficking today remains without punishment so far, despite arrest warrants for the perpetrators.
The mass abductions and forcible transfers of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation require not only a mention in the report, but also full accountability and justice for the victims.
Madam Special Reporter, what safeguards can be introduced to more effectively protect children from the risk of trafficking in the context of conflicts? Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Lebanon.
Thank you, miss Vice President.
Lebanon thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report and welcomes its focus on protecting children from trafficking in persons, particularly in context of displacement and conflict.
The report rightly highlights how instability and forced displacement increase trafficking risks.
Lebanon is facing similar challenges due to an unprecedented economic crisis while continuing to host a large displaced and refugee population relative to its size and resources.
These circumstances are heightening vulnerabilities to exploitation and placing considerable pressure on national institutions and public services.
Lebanon remains committed to strengthening its response through a victim centered and coordinated approach.
A draft law amending the existing anti trafficking framework has been submitted to Parliament to enhance victim protection, strengthen accountability, and establish a National Commission to combat trafficking in persons.
Pending its adoption, the government implements since 2024 standard operating procedures to improve coordination among relevant authorities The identification of victims while providing specialized training to law enforcement and reinforcing cooperation with civil society and international organizations.
Combating trafficking in persons requires genuine international cooperation, sustained technical assistance, and adequate financial resources.
Through shared responsibility and coordinated action, we can better prevent trafficking, protect victims, and dismantle criminal networks.
I thank you, miss Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Libya.
Thank you very much, Madam Vice President, we take note of the report by the Special Rapporteur.
In this respect, we would like to reaffirm that trafficking in human beings is a transnational crime that is managed by networks involving several countries.
These networks use the situation of vulnerability of certain countries in order to recruit victims.
In the face of these crimes, we cannot act alone, but we require international cooperation, especially to deal with the networks involved in such crimes.
Because of its geographical situation, Libya has suffered from this phenomenon for a long time, but our government institutions have taken intangible steps that led to the dismantling of an international network of traffickers.
Thus putting an end to the suffering of numerous victims.
That was a real message that shows that Libya is dealing effectively with this crime.
Madam Vice President, we continue our efforts in this respect in cooperation with our international partners because we believe that protecting victims.
Great.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
We wish to emphasize that protecting children against all forms of abuse and trafficking is a fundamental priority based on the fact that we protect and enhance the best interests of children in all our regulations and actions.
We continue our efforts to address trafficking in persons through developing our legislative and institutional frameworks, including the Federal Law 24 of 2023 on combating trafficking in persons and the law on the rights of the children.
We also have the National Commission for combating trafficking in persons that are exerting efforts in this respect.
We reaffirm that international cooperation is important as well as the exchange of expertise and knowledge to address that trafficking in persons.
And to protect the most vulnerable children, particularly in conflicts in this respect, access to education and basic services must be enhanced to limit or reduce rather the trafficking in children.
In this respect, we call for enhancing all international initiatives to protect children against abuse and combating violence against them.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Paraguay.
President.
Thank you very much, Madam Vice President.
We thank the Special Rapportur for introducing her report.
We recognize that trafficking in persons represents one of the most serious forms of human rights violations, especially when it affects children and adolescents.
In this respect, we find it essential to continue strengthening prevention, protection, and assistance to victims.
We stress that cooperation between states is crucial to prevent trafficking in persons, especially in context of human mobility, where risks go beyond borders.
In this context Pragory highlights implementation of our national plan for the prevention and combating of trafficking in persons 2020, 2024, which represents a state response with a comprehensive approach incorporating internal trafficking and strengthening interinstitutional coordinations through the work of different departments, also note that the launching of a special trafficking program, consular assistance of program victims of this crime a fraud was strengthened.
Finally, wish to retreate our commitment to continue strengthening public policies aimed at protecting children and combating trafficking in persons through a comprehensive and coordinated approach.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Nigeria.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Nanda, thanks the Special Rapporteur for the report and for drawing attention to the heightened risk of trafficking faced by children in situations of conflict, displacement, migration, and statelessness.
Nigera believes that the protection of children is not only a legal obligation, but a moral imperative.
We therefore remain deeply concerned by the continued prevalence of child trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable children, particularly in the context of insecurity, forced displacement, and humanitarian crisis.
Nigeria recognizes the heightened vulnerability of children to trafficking, exploitation, and recruitment by armed groups in situations of conflict and insecurity.
To address these challenges, Nigeria has adopted a number of legal and policy measures, including the Trafficking and Persons Prohibition Enforcement and Administration Act, the National Action Plan Against Human Trafficking, the Child Rights Act, and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act.
We also agree that universal health registration and legal identity are important child protection measures that help reduce vulnerability to trafficking.
To this end, Nigeria continues to strengthen birth registration systems, including through collaboration with UNICEF and other partners.
Nigeria further agrees that prevention must be accompanied by effective identification, referral protection, and reintegration measures for child victims.
Finally, Madam Speci Reporter, what practical measures can state strengthened to better prevent child trafficking while ensuring effective protection and durable solutions for affected children.
And thank you, Madam Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Zimbabwe.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Zimbwe welcomes the Special Rapporteur's report.
Stateless and displaced children are prime targets for human trafficking.
Without recognized legal identities and parental protections, they are easily excluded from institutional support systems.
To prevent trafficking, we must address the root causes as well as to strengthen internal institutions.
Zimbabwe has taken steps to curb, prevent, and respond to human trafficking in line with its national, regional and international obligations.
We are amending the Trafficking in Persons Act to align with the Palermo Protocol reinforcing Victim Protection and cross border Cooperation.
We have intensified investigations and prosecutions, including cases of official complicity and trained police immigration, and other officials on victim identification.
Standard operating procedures, and a national referral mechanism guide victim identification, referral repatriation and reintegration.
Public awareness campaigns, journalist training, and child sensitive justice mechanisms have strengthened prevention and protection, particularly for vulnerable groups.
Zimbabwe reaffirms its commitment to zero tolerance towards trafficking.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Kampoa.
Thank you, Madam Vice Presidents, my delegation, than the Special Reporter for her report.
Cambodia shared the concern that children, particularly those in vulnerable situations, face heightened risk of trafficking, exploitation and abuse.
In this regard, we underscore the importance of strengthening child protection system, ensuring early identification, and providing timely trauma informed assistance to child victims without discriminations.
Cambodia recognized the importance of safe, orderly and regular migration pathways, as well as access to education, healthcare, and legal protections to reduce vulnerabilities that leads to exploitations.
We further stress the need for international cooperation and responsibility sharing to address root causes including poverty, climate change, and lack of opportunities.
At the national level, Cambodia remains committed to combating trafficking in persons through strengthened legal frameworks, enhance law enforcement capacity, and cooperation with regional and international partners.
We continue to prioritize preventions, victim protections, and rehabilitations, particularly for women's and children's.
Lastly, Cambodia remains committed to implementing its international obligations and stand ready to work with our partners to strengthen protection frameworks and uphold the rights and dignity of all children.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I get the floor to Sveign Order of Malta by video statement.
The Sovereign Order of Malta thanks the Special Rapporteur for a comprehensive report.
Through its humanitarian and medical presence in 130 countries in refugee camps at border crossings and in conflict zones, the order of Malta witnesses daily what this report could document so powerfully.
That statelessness, irregular migration, and forced displacement are not merely contexts in which trafficking occurs.
These are conditions on which trafficking feed.
Wish to share three observations.
First, on the right to family life.
The upcoming report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants to be presented to the next General Assembly will focus on children's rights to family life in migration and asylum contexts.
Family unity is one of the most effective protections against child trafficking.
Second, forced criminality and survival forces.
The Foreign order of Malta regularly participates in the OSCE Alliance Against Trafficking in persons annual conference, which is year focused on forced criminality.
We heard survivors testify powerfully and third, on emerging risks through new technologies, traffickers are increasingly exploiting digital platforms and artificial intelligence to recruit, deceive and control victims.
This dimension may warrant attention to future work.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Georgia.
Thank you, Madam Vice President, Georgia, I would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for the report.
We do share the view that effective anti trafficking responses must be victim centered, gender responsive, and child sensitive.
Through coordinated action among law enforcement agencies, social services, and other stakeholders, we continue to strengthen mechanisms for early identification assistance and rehabilitation of victims including children.
Particular emphasis is placed on awareness raising, prevention, and addressing vulnerabilities that may increase the risk of exploitation.
On the other hand, we recognize the evolving nature of trafficking and the need to address emerging challenges.
National action plan against trafficking in persons remains a key priority, providing a comprehensive approach to the four pillar policy, prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership.
In addition, the government strategy for the protection of children living in or working in the streets also contributes to addressing vulnerabilities.
Regrettably the Russian Federation's illealccupation of Georgia asia and Shivali regions remains the primary obstacle preventing the government of Georgia from fully implementing its counterit trafficking measures.
Georgia reaffirms its commitment to implementing its international human rights obligations to prevent trafficking in persons, ensure effective protection and access to justice for all victims.
I thank you.
Hi.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Peru.
M.
Thank you very much, Madam Vice President Peru.
I'd like to thank Sci Rapportur for the presentation of the report.
We agree that the issues raised requires a strengthening of child protection system, especially in the context of forced displacement and migrations.
We recognize the problems raised in the report that human mobility and lack of international protections increases the vulnerability of children and adolescents in the face of situations of exploitation and violence.
As a country that has experienced one of the biggest migration movements of the recent history of Latin America.
Peru has strengthened institutional response in the face of these risks, giving special attention to the protection of children and combating exploitation networks that target the most vulnerable.
In this respect, Peru is implementing a national policy until 2030 related to trafficking that brings together the different sectors of the state to ensure prevention, early detection, and assistance to victims and prosecution of crimes and social reintegration.
Also, we are strengthening territorial coordinations and the interinstitutional response in areas with the highest levels of migrations, with a human rights and intercultural focus.
Finally, Peru reaffirms that international cooperation and strengthening of the systems for protection of children are crucial to prevent and eradicate all forms of trafficking.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Malay.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Malawi aligns with the African Group statement and thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report on child trafficking in the context of statelessness, migration, and forced displacement.
Malawi concurs with the Special Rapporteur central finding that child trafficking risks are not inevitable.
They are the direct consequence of structural and policy gaps, the absence of safe migration pathways, weak civil registration systems, and cuts to humanitarian protection services that leave stateless and displaced children beyond the reach of human rights guarantees.
Malawi enacted the Trafficking in Persons Act in 2015, which criminalizes all forms of trafficking and establishes protective frameworks for trafficking victims, including child victims.
As a host country that has provided refuge to displaced persons from the Great Lakes region and beyond, Malawi understands from experience that protecting displaced children from trafficking requires more than legal frameworks.
It requires adequate international burden sharing, sustained humanitarian funding, and strengthened child protection systems.
Malawi calls on the international community to honor its shared responsibility in this regard.
Malawi reaffirms its commitment to the protection of every child from trafficking and exploitation and calls on all member states to translate the obligations in the report into concrete action.
I thank you.
Hi, thank you.
This was the last speaker we could accommodate for this dialogue.
We shall now go to the list of speakers for our national human rights institutions and non governmental organizations.
I first give the floor to Commission National du Burundi.
Madam Vice President, Burundi has acceded to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and the two protocols.
These conventions currently represent an integral component of the current constitution of the Republic of Burundi in line with Article 19, Trafficking in human beings also is included in the Criminal Code of 2017 On the institutional level, magistrates have benefited in 2023 of the special public awareness raising programs related to relevant legal measures and provide support to victims.
Operational procedures and an action plan of five years 2023 27 were adopted, despite this progress.
The National Commission notes that there's still challenges and natural disasters and poverty.
Raise the risk of trafficking in human beings, especially women and girls.
The Commission recommends ensuring synergy of the activities of all stakeholders in order to continue to combat trafficking human beings in general and especially women and girls.
Thank you.
Mercy Boko next, I give the floor to National Human Rights Committee of Qatar.
Thank.
Vice President, the National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar reaffirms the importance of continuing international efforts to combat the crime of trafficking in persons as one of the most serious violations of human dignity, particularly affecting women, children, and other groups vulnerable to exploitation.
We acknowledge efforts deployed by Qatar in combating human trafficking through the development of a legislative and institutional framework aligned with international standards, following Qatar's accession to the relevant international conventions.
In 2011, we passed the anti human trafficking law laws, followed by a number of legislative amendments aimed at further harmonizing national legislation with international standards.
We have developed residency and labor laws, strengthened safeguards for the protection of workers, and enhanced prevention and protection and prosecution mechanisms.
We reinforced access to justice and complaint mechanisms.
We'll follow our efforts to strengthen coordination among national authorities, expanding awareness raising and capacity building programs.
We stress that we will continue our force in cooperating with various and international relevant bodies.
Thank you, Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Ukrainian Parliament Commission for Human Rights intervention by video.
Special Reporter, ladies and gentlemen, today, combating trafficking in persons is not only a matter of security.
It is a matter of protecting fundamental human rights and human dignity.
Russia's full scale aggression against Ukraine has created conditions that further increase the risks of human trafficking.
These risks especially affect IDPs, refugees, women, and children.
In 2024, 182 persons in Ukraine were officially granted the status of victims of human trafficking.
All of them were Ukrainian citizens subjected to various forms of exploitation.
In 2025, this number increased dramatically, 485 identified victims.
These figures clearly demonstrates that the threat continues to grow.
Ukraine calls on the international community to strengthen coordination in the protection of refugees and displacement persons, support national anti trafficking mechanisms, and ensure effective response to every case of human exploitation.
Only through joint and strong action, we will be able to protect the most vulnerable people.
We must also prevent the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia's aggression from becoming an environment where traffickers act without punishment.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Jurist Pfance for intervention by video.
Madam La Madam Special Reporteer miss ban Muli.
My name is Olivia Sartin, legal Director of decisions surrogacy is defined by the Casa Declaration of 2023 as a contract by which one or more sponsors agree with the woman that she will bear one or more children with a view of handing them over at birth.
For several years, you have identified many cases of trafficking in human beings related to forced surrogacy, and we thank you for their work.
We're asking you to extend this qualification to all cases of surrogacy, including those presented as ethical, regardless of legal gus used by co contractors, surrogacy always represents trafficking of the child born, which is a subject of a contract to which the child is not a party.
It is a subject of a property right since the parties agreed on its order and then its delivery once it becomes a finished product, surrogacy is also always exploitation of women that are considered as a resource to produce a child and hand it over to the sponsor.
This exploitation, the apparent consent of surrogate mother is sometimes used when it can in no way make a relationship based on structural exploitation.
Just Madam Special Rapporteur on trafficking humans, miss Mali, we count on you to qualify all situations of surrogacy at trafficking in human beings.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Defense for Children International.
Defense Trude International thanks the Sci Rapportur for her report and further commends her for continuing to push for the end of child trafficking to remain a priority of the international community.
In Sierra Leone, data from the trafficking in persons Secretariat indicate that in 2025 alone, 64 victims of trafficking were identified and rescued, of whom 52, more than 80% were children.
While investigations into trafficking networks have continued, accountability remains alarmingly limited.
Despite the significant number of victims identified each year, only three trafficking convictions have been secured over the past two years.
This persistent gap between victim identification and successful prosecution highlights the urgent need to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement and resistive authorities to investigate, prosecute, and dismantle human trafficking networks, particularly those targeting children.
DCI calls on member states to expedite the adoption and implementation of investigation and prosecution tools, including standard operating procedures and law enforcement guidelines, strengthening awareness raising efforts particularly among children and youth on trafficking risks, enhance cross border cooperation and digitalized border management systems to prevent and detect trafficking, strengthen regional investigations to dismantle trafficking networks, and expand community based prevention programs in partnership with civil society, community leaders, and other local actors.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to La man Ports.
Madam Madam Special Reporteur, thank you for presenting your report.
Contemporary forms of trafficking in human beings are evolving rapidly.
However, the fight against trafficking must adapt in order to be fully effective.
I would like to draw your attention to surrogacy.
Whatever form it takes, this practice is always based on one single principle.
The use of a woman to obtain a child from her for the benefit of third parties.
This activity is expanding rapidly at a global sector, and it is at the origin of international trafficking that is based on two pillars, the procreative capacity of mothers and the lack of possibility for children to defend themselves and to avoid being separated from their mothers.
Surcacy is contrary to international commitment and fundamental texts of the United Nations, including CEO the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and others.
Women and children from around the world need the commitment of international community and action to protect them from this form of trafficking.
We demand that you recognize reproductive exploitation, especially surrogacy in all its form as a form of trafficking and draw the necessary consequences.
Thank you in advance.
I give the floor to International Da Solidarity Network for intervention by video.
S, the International De Solidarity Network.
Hence, the Special Reporter call the report on trafficking and the rights of migrant refugee asylum seeking and stateless children.
We welcome the report's focus on prevention protection and accountability.
However, we are concerned that it does not sufficiently address the heightened vulnerability of the children from South Asia, also known as dominantly discriminated against on the basis of work and descent.
Caste based discrimination creates structural conditions that include the risk of trafficking, limited access to education, land, decent work, and sus protection, combined with the poverty and migration exposed many other children especially youth exploitation, child labor, postm sexual exploitation and other forms of trafficking.
In addition, that discrimination can create barrier to protection, justice, rehabilitation, victims and their families often face up the country.
Interpreting crime accessing support service and obtain equality privileges.
We member states to recognize cash based discrimination as a factor that includes vulnerability to trafficking, Senden prevention, protection, rehabilitation, and access to justice for trafficked children from marginalized communities.
Ensure that anti traffick policies and programs are inclusive community discriminated against on the basis of work and descent.
We also ask Mr.
Rapporteur to further examine the relationship between cash based discrimination and trafficking, particularly getting tra children.
Thank you.
Thank you, and we apologize that due to the poor sound quality, the interpretation was missing in some languages.
Next, I give the forward to the inclusivity Project for intervention by video.
Rapporter, we thank the Special Rapportur for important work.
Africa faces serious challenges in combating trafficking and slavery.
In Asia, prosecutions have decreased and services for victims remain insufficient.
In Mauritania, despite legal abolition, slavery persists, disproportionately affecting Aten women and children.
SET recently expressed grave concern about discrimination against persons of slave descent in Bukina Faso.
These challenges are compounded by discrimination based on work and descent, a form of social certification based on ancestry, occupation, and birth.
In Nigeria, they also caste system restrict access to education, health care, and economic opportunities.
In the Gambia, cast and caste based discrimination remain perversive.
This system of exclusion trap communities in cycles of poverty and marginalization.
However, positive development are not worthy.
The African Commissioner of Human and Pop's Rights adopted the resolution 619 in 2024, a landmark of recognition of the caste based discrimination across Africa.
We encourage all states to strengthen enforcement, protect victim, and implement anti traffic laws while addressing the intersecting discrimination faced by communities discriminated by working descent.
I thank you.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Absar Attfa Charity Institute intervention by Video.
Mr.
President, while trafficking in women and girls remains a serious concern, efforts to address this phenomenon should not be limited to its immediate manifestation.
Greater attention should also be paid to broader patterns of conduct that place women and girls at risk and undermine their fundamental rights.
Recent invasion by the US and Israel against Iran carried out in violation of the charter of the UN has resulted in civilian deaths, psychological trauma, destruction of civilian infrastructure, and severe disruption of daily life for countless women and girls.
Even where such situations do not lead to trafficking, they nevertheless inflict profound harm upon populations whose rights the international human rights system seeks to protect.
Against this background, could the special reporter elaborate on how her mandate may contribute to addressing the human rights consequences of unlawful uses of force against women and girls? Furthermore, does she consider that states whose military actions violate international law and cause widespread harm to women and girls should bear greater accountability within the framework of international human rights Protection? Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to International Service for Human Rights Intervention by Video.
I'm speaking on behalf of a number of association defending human rights in the Dominican Republic.
The increase in trafficking on the Dominican border is not an isolated phenomenon.
It's been increased due to a new stance taken by states to introduce more reticive less human immigr policies, national sovereignty security policies, racial profiling arbitrary detention, deportations without safeguards or due process.
In the case of Haiti, there are also a legacy of the colonial slave trade and impoverishment.
These factors push Haitians to migrate out of their country and increases their vulnerability in the face of traffickers.
This particularly impacts women and girls.
As a result, we request that states effectively punish perpetrators and protect victims as well as reduce structural causes, which are domestic social inclusion and discrimination, lack of documentation, and lack of opportunities, set up more flexible and clear channels for migration to destination countries.
In the case of the Dominican Republic, we ask for the establishment of a witness law.
And we ask the Special Rapporteur to support community organizations working on the front line to combat trafficking and defend rights.
It's vital that we strengthen cooperation between states without externalizing borders.
States must work together to protect people on the move, not criminalize them.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Network against torture in Mauritania.
Thank.
They are absent.
Next, I give the floor to Development Assistance International for intervention by video.
Next, Monsieur us.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairperson.
We share the Special Rapporteur's concern related to the close connection between the armed conflict in the east of the DRC impacting human rights and the exploitation of natural resources.
Armed groups have used forced labor to maintain their control over mineral mining areas to strengthen their activities.
The investigations we've looked into demonstrate that smuggled goods continues in tandem with this through monitored areas perpetrated by the 23rd of March movement, Vawanda towards the international markets.
This demonstrates the risk of forced labor and the particular serious forms of child labor as well and the connection with contemporary forms of slavery.
Special Rapporteur, we call on the HRC to look at the possibility of establishing a database to monitor and map the chains of exploitation connected to mining errors in DRC and take measures that are decisive to interrupt the supply chains connected to the movement of the 23rd of March in order to tackle forced labor and trafficking.
Thank you very much, Chair, and thank you to all members of the council.
Percy, next to give the floor to Ting Global Human Rights Defense for intervention by Video.
Chardi expresses grave concern over the discrimination faced by women and girls in Bangladesh.
In 2025, at least 2808 women and girls suffered violence.
Of these, 786 were rate, a 52% increase in a single year and nearly seven in ten of the victims were girls.
Child marriage also remains the highest in Asia, with more than half of women marrying before 18 and almost a quarter giving birth before then.
Their exclusions from power is just as alarming.
Of the 1,981 candidates in the February 2026 elections, only 78 were women and only seven won seats.
Last year, Islamist group protested the Women's Affairs Reform Commission's proposals to recognize equal inheritance, criminalize marital rape, and expand women's political participation.
This pattern breaches Bangladesh's obligation under CETA, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the ICCPR.
HRD urges the UN to press Bangladesh to implement the Women's Affairs Reform Commission's recommendations, honor its July charter pledge on women representation and fully comply with CEDA and the UN Security Council's Women Peace and Security Agenda.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I understand that next couple of speakers on my list are absent from the room, so I give the floor to Mediterranean President, we're grateful to the Special Rapporteur for the reports on the subject of trafficking in human beings, particularly women and girls.
Our center reaffirms that efforts aimed at combating trafficking.
Must not ignore the colonial heritage that women and girls were subject to.
In this connection, the matter of what are called comfort women.
Only demonstrates a long standing exploitation that has lasted for centuries, which particularly victimized women and girls.
The lessons we can draw from this tragedy remind us that it's vital to combat all forms of trafficking and exploitation.
It's vital to conserve the rights of victims in the sphere of memory and also ensure compensation.
We also recall that such violations are often accompanied by a denial of memory.
And this must be corrected at all costs.
We therefore encourage the international community, UNESCO and other international organizations to continue their efforts in order to recognize and update all archives relating to comfort women in order to bring alive a human memory and conserve the chair interrupts.
Back to miss Malle for her concluding remarks, you have 4 minutes.
Thank you, Madam Vice President and thank you to all of the participants and speakers, member states and civil society, and to those who were unable to present, but whose statements are available.
Throughout my mandate, I have emphasized the importance of putting in place safe, orderly and regular migration pathways, ensuring effective access to international protection, and eradicating statelessness.
Failure to do so increases risks of child trafficking.
We have consistent availability of credible evidence establishing such links and that engages the responsibilities and the positive obligations of states and such responsibility can no longer be denied or evaded.
Several of you have asked questions and raised concerns around trafficking occurring in the context of forced displacement and conflict and post conflict settings.
I draw your attention to the ongoing work which my mandate has supported with the global Protection cluster, establishment of anti trafficking task teams and the strengthening of capacity to identify risks of trafficking in particular faced by children in the context of child protection clusters and responses, strengthening the capacity of humanitarian actors and peacekeeping operations to recognize and identify the prevalence of child trafficking and to strengthen prevention.
Also highlight my joint work with the SRSG on children in armed conflict and the concrete recommendations for practice and policy that we put in place.
I welcome the reference to transitional justice and post conflict settings where we see the importance of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration to ensure that armed groups do not become criminal networks engaged in child trafficking, continuing what was happening pre and during conflict settings and also to ensure effective access to compensation and to reparations and to memorialization, but also critically guarantees of non recurrence.
Several asked questions around the need for enhanced cooperation in criminal justice and effective investigations.
I point also to the importance of strengthening victims' rights and international cooperation to prevent trafficking through identifying missing children and ensuring more effective access to protection processes, including through processes that I have participated in such as the RBT process.
But I highlight also the importance of enhancing capacity.
In low income countries, in countries with limited access to digital technologies at border crossings, and in police and criminal justice responses, again to ensure prevention and accountability.
I welcome the references to shared responsibility and the need for greater support to host communities, and again, highlighting that resettlement and rights based family reunification and humanitarian visas can prevent trafficking in persons.
Again, several asked about assistance and protection measures.
I welcome the reference to disability rights.
I have a dedicated policy brief jointly with the Special Rapporteur on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which emphasizes the importance of accessible services and protection facilities and accommodation, as well as ensuring effective access to legal capacity and to justice in line with the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Again, with regard to climate displacement, I have a dedicated report with practical recommendations highlighting the importance of ensuring child rights in planned relocation and in mitigation and adaptation measures.
I'd point you to the work of the committee on the Rights of the Child on climate justice and child rights.
Finally, just to note the reference to survivor centered and long term measures that are led by survivors that requires long term residents secure migration status, effective remedies, and protection against forced removals and refoulement.
We have a dedicated side event tomorrow focused particularly on survivor centered and survivor leadership.
Thank you again to all member states, national human rights institutions, civil society, human rights defenders and survivors and victims, I hope, and wish you well in your continued work.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
This brings us to the end of this interactive dialogue.
Miss Shan Mali, as your mandate, the special rapporteur comes to an end, I wish to take this opportunity and express on behalf of this council our deep gratitude for your valuable contributions to the work of this council and to wish you every success in your future endeavors.
Thank you.
We will now take a short break before holding the interactive dialogue with the special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, and its causes and consequences.
Excellencies, participants.
We shall now begin the interactive dialogue with the special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences.
And let me welcome the mandate holder, miss Rim Alsalm.
The list of speakers will close in 15 minutes and without further ado, I will give the floor to miss Al Salem to present the reports.
Thank you.
Madam Vice President, distinguished members of the Human Rights Council, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.
It is often recalled that what unites us, irrespective of race, religion, and sex, is the fact that we are all human.
What is almost never mentioned, however, is another element that is common to our human lived experience, namely that we were all brought to this world by a mother.
A mother to whom we owe our lives and much of our survival, particularly in the early periods of our fragile existence on this earth.
Granted, some of us may never have known our mother, though in that case, some of us may still have been fortunate enough to have been surrounded by the love and commitment of an adoptive mother.
Despite the fundamental role and contributions of mothers, no UN organization or mechanism, at least none that I'm aware of, has produced a global standalone report on mothers as a distinct category of persons whose lives and experiences, including experiences of violence, are profoundly shaped by this intersection of being both female and mothers.
The first main conclusion of the report is that motherhood and mothers have been devalued in society.
The sacred mother child bond, one that profoundly changes both human beings forever, is pushed into the background and with it, our understanding of how that bond shapes the needs, vulnerabilities, and contributions of mothers.
This reality is made worse by the onslaught against mother specific language in law and in practice, mirroring the erasure of female specific language we see in law and in practice today.
Hence, it should not come as a surprise that the protections mothers enjoy in times of peace and war, by virtue of being human, by virtue of being female, and by virtue of being mothers has suffered a serious blow.
This reality is particularly evident in times of conflict where mothers are no longer the unintended casualty of wars, but have become deliberately targeted, attacked, killed, and subjected to violence, including reproductive violence because they hold the promise of the future of an entire community or nation.
The disregard for international humanitarian law, coupled with the sharp reductions in humanitarian and development funding has had a disastrous impact on mothers and children's access to health care in crisis settings, leading to increased maternal and infant mortality rates.
We must continue to prevent the atrocities specifically committed against mothers, document them, and ensure that they are properly investigated and that perpetrators are held accountable.
The second conclusion is that mothers not only experience multiple overlapping and intersecting forms of violence, but also that there is a direct, mutually reinforcing and proportional relationship between harm inflicted on the mother and harm inflicted on the child.
In fact, the most painful form of violence, including psychological violence experienced by mothers is when harm is inflicted on their children.
Nowhere is this more evident than in child custody cases and post separation situations where the mother child relationship can be weaponized by the abuser as an extension of domestic abuse to deflect from the abuse committed against mother and child and to punish the mother for reporting it.
This brings me to my third point, one that I could not unfortunately elaborate on in detail in my report given the sharp reduction in the word limit for our reports, which is the policies that some countries have adopted specifically to support mothers.
Many states have shared the best practices with me and I wish to thank them for that.
These include in broad terms, the explicit recognition of the protection of motherhoods in their constitutions, the mandating of special assistance for mothers, the payment of full salary compensation during maternity leave, the provision of enhanced support systems, and in some cases, the acknowledgment of historical crimes committed by forcibly removing newborn children from their mothers and placing them for adoption.
While positive, many of these policies remain standalone actions rather than part of deliberate comprehensive policies that place birth mothers, adoptive mothers, and expectant mothers at the heart of the process.
Policies that do not shy away from providing a supportive, enabling environment for them.
And here, what I find particularly missing is work on addressing the perception of motherhood in societies.
Women wishing to become mothers must not feel embarrassed, undervalued, or alone for wanting to become mothers.
Effective policies start with defining mothers in law, recognizing them as a distinct category of rights holders with specific needs.
We must preserve female specific and mother specific language and provide legal, social and economic protections for mothers, particularly those with abusive or violent partners or former partners and during child custody proceedings.
In other words, make mothers matter again.
The prevention of reproductive and obstetric violence must also be prioritized.
Such bold, comprehensive approaches are needed now more than ever.
I say this in particular because I fear that with many countries being alarmed about declining fertility rates, many may look for quick fixes by normalizing other harmful practices such as, for example, surrogacy, which further dehumanizes, exploits, and abuses mothers and commodifies their bodies and the children they give birth to.
I wish to also recall a proverb by an Egyptian poet, Hafiz Ibrahim, who famously said, a mother is a school when society invests in it and supports mothers, it builds a nation of noble character.
Now, I wish to present before the esteemed council the report on my official visit to the state of Kuwait and which I had conducted in September 2025.
I take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to the government of the state of Kuwait and its institutions for its solid cooperation and for the constructive exchanges we had during the visit.
During my visit to Kuwait, I observed important efforts by the state to address violence against women and girls, including the adoption of the domestic violence prevention law, the establishment of shelters, and the expansion of support services for survivors.
At the same time, my report concluded that violence against women and girls remained serious and often under reported, driven by stigma, fear, and gaps in protection and accountability.
While important foundations have been laid, challenges remain in the implementation of existing laws in access to justice and protection for women facing heightened risk of violence, including migrant women, stateless women, and women affected by withdrawal of nationality.
I therefore call on the state of Kuwait to strengthen the implementation of its domestic violence framework and improve protection and support services, ensure effective investigations and prosecution of cases, enhance data collection and guarantee that all women and girls, particularly those in vulnerable situations, can access protection, justice, and assistance.
Finally, as I stated last week, I remain deeply concerned by the large scale arbitrary withdrawal of nationality from thousands of women and their dependents in Kuwait.
Before, during, and after my visit, I heard from hundreds of affected women whose lives and those of their children's had been profoundly disrupted by these measures.
I urge the Kuwaiti authorities to suspend further withdrawals and revocations of nationality, put in place comprehensive, independent and effective review process for all affected cases and restore nationality to those that have been arbitrarily and retroactively deprived of it.
I also urge the authorities to ensure that all future nationality related decisions are subjected to effective judicial oversight.
Here I wish to reiterate my continued readiness to support the state of Kuwait in addressing these recommendations.
Thank you.
Thank you.
According to our practice, we shall start by hearing the delegation of the country concerned and I will give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kuwait.
You have 5 minutes.
Madam Vice President, at the outset, we have taken due note of the report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls on her official visit to the state of Kuwait in September 2025.
In response to an invitation by Kuwait within its approach of opening up and cooperating constructively with the United Nations Human Rights Council and its mechanisms.
During the special visit, we have made available all arrangements to share with the Special Rapporteur With to share the efforts undertaken by my country with the Special Rapporteur, we have held extensive meetings with the civil society organizations and the government departments as well as non profit organizations.
She was also made aware of the national efforts in the area of protecting the rights of women and children.
She has also reviewed the national programs and the social, legal, and medical services provided to women and children.
In this respect, we would like to reaffirm our willingness to continue constructive dialogue and cooperation with the United Nations mechanisms in order to better exchange expertise and practices.
Madam Vice President, we accord high attention to the promotion and protection of women's rights, the National Committee for the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 13 25 on women peace and security was created in 2023, which promoted a host of legislative and institutional reforms, most notably article the repeal of Article 153 of the Penal Code on honor Crimes, Article 182 on impunity for rape, while increasing the marriage age to 18 years of age.
Women were also integrated in the military service and the firefighters squad.
And she also took the office of the secretary in the judiciary, which was exclusive to women, the National Committee for the Protection of Family from family violence.
Formed from L ministries department and government departments as well as CSOs helped adopt the law on the Protection against family violence, which included a clear definition of this crime in line with the CETA.
In this respect, we wish to reaffirm that the principle of non interference and state sovereignty must be respected in line with its national jurisdiction pursuant to the legal legislations in this respect.
Any revisions, any reviews in this respect must be subject to legal guarantees in line with the rule of law and the public interests in this respect.
We reaffirm that the reports by special procedures must reflect objectively and in a balanced manner the national efforts of each country while taking note of the specificities of countries.
We will continue promoting and enhancing our national human rights system to implement and fulfill a completely our international obligations.
We will also use with attention the remarks and recommendations in the report.
We'll continue to examine them in line of our national legislation and specificities pursuant to our international obligations, given the fact that we are aiming at improving the legislative and institutional human rights frameworks.
We will continue our constructive dialogue with the United Nations on human rights given the fact that this cooperation is highly important to support our international efforts.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The list of speakers is now closed, and I invite interested delegations to ask questions to the special rapporteur and make comments on her reports.
The speaking time is 1 minute and 30 seconds for all.
I would like to recall that the duration of interactive dialogues is 1 hour and 30 minutes.
And first, I have the honor to give the floor to Her Excellency, miss Eugenia Brocea, Minister for Family Natality and Equal Opportunities of Italy.
Madam, you have the floor.
Thank you, Chair.
Italy, thanks to the Special Rapporteur for her valuable work and for bringing attention to issues that too often remain outside the spotlight.
This was certainly the case with her report on surrogacy.
Today's report on violence against mothers is equally important.
It reminds us of a simple truth.
Motherhood is not only a private experience, it is also a social good.
As misses Al Salem has rightly reminded us, all human beings share a common bond.
Each and every one of us entered the world through a mother.
A society cannot worry about declining birth rates while overlooking mothers.
It cannot celebrate the future while failing to support those who bring that future into the world.
Italy believes that supporting motherhood is essential to women's freedom and dignity.
Only then can every woman be truly free to decide whether and when to have children.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Next, I give the floor to Norway on behalf of a group of countries.
The Nordic Baltic states take note of the Special rapporteurs latest reports.
Mothers in all their diversity often face multiple intersecting forms of discrimination, as well as physical, psychological and economic violence, including SGBV.
Moreover, violence against women may in fact escalate around the time of pregnancy and childbirth.
Structural neglect, intersecting inequalities, and institutional violence put parents at risk worldwide.
The right to decide if, with whom, and when to have a child, and to do so safely is crucial for women's and girls' enjoyment of their rights and ability to participate in society.
All women and girls, including those that are pregnant and mothers with newborn babies, must have access to adequate health services also in humanitarian settings.
Girls must be protected against child early and forced marriages and the risk of becoming pregnant.
Women's equal opportunities to participate in the labor market must be secured.
Parenthood must never be a reason for discrimination or harassment.
Earmarked maternity, paternity, and parental leave, quality and affordable childcare and equal sharing of unpaid care work are prerequisites for equal access to the labor market.
Special Rapporteur, how can we better prevent, detect, and combat all forms of violence against women and ensure that they are able to fully enjoy their human rights? I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Ireland on behalf of a group of countries.
Thank you.
I have the honor to speak on behalf of 26 countries that are member states of the European Union.
We reaffirm our commitment to gender equality and women's and girls full and equal enjoyment of all human rights.
We underscore that international human rights law does not define motherhood.
Narrowing who qualifies as a mother risks erasing diverse realities and reinforces gender stereotypes that contribute to discrimination and violence.
We underscore that pregnancy and parenthood must never be grounds for discrimination.
Respect for bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health and rights are essential to ensure that women can make decisions about their own lives.
Report could be strengthened by recognizing that reproductive autonomy is integral for women to make free decisions over their lives and future paths.
Reproductive coercion occurs whenever women are denied meaningful choice.
We are concerned by challenges raised in the report, including for women in conflict and humanitarian settings, who face heightened risks of sexual and gender based violence, severe malnutrition, and maternal mortality.
Moreover, we are concerned by economic insecurity around childbirth.
Eradicating discrimination and sexual and gender based violence requires transformative approaches to address the root causes of gender inequality, discriminatory social norms, gender stereotypes, unpaid care work, the disproportionate responsibility of caregiving, and harmful practices that sustain cycles of abuse.
Reaffirm our commitment to this work in pursuit of societies where all women and girls live free from fear, discrimination, and violence.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Sudan on behalf of group of Arab states.
Sun.
Thank you very much, Madam Vice President.
I'd like to take the floor on behalf of the Armed Group.
We would like to thank the Special Operator for her statement and for the report related to violence against mothers.
This is a very important subject.
I That directly relates to the question of protection of women, violence and discrimination the group believes that mothers due to their very important role in society as well as in families, mothers should enjoy policies that protect them against all forms of violence.
We believe that the status of mothers should be the foundation for the empowerment of women and not vice versa.
Our group is seriously concerned in the face of the situation of mothers, especially in situations of conflict, for example, in Palestine, Sudan, or Lebanon, where mothers are facing high levels of insecurity, lack of access to basic goods and foodstuffs.
We affirm that the protection of international law, the protection of civilians should be the prerequisites to protect women.
To Colombia, on behalf of a group of countries.
Thank you very much, Madam Vice President.
I make this statement on behalf of an inter regional group of countries.
Madam Reportur, we recognize the importance of looking at situations of violence such discrimination against women and children.
We note that norms of international human rights laws ensure that states should protect mothers, but without actually defining the term motherhood.
They recommend that such a definition be included in national legislation.
Otherwise, gender stereotypes will be reinforced.
That especially that the definition of mothers is usually defined through the notions of care and productions.
The manifestations of discrimination, gender based violences are related to structural inequalities and elements that were built that requires an intersectional approach, an approach based on equality, non discrimination, and corporal autonomy will strengthen the approach to combat violence that affects women and girls throughout the world.
We encourage the Special Rapporteur and other rapporteurs to base their work on norms that have been established to combat discriminations and ensure that their focus covers the whole range of problems faced by women and girls.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Kenya on behalf of a group of African states.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African group.
The group thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report and takes note of its findings and recommendations.
We welcome the attention given to violence and discrimination experienced by women and girls in connection with motherhood.
Mothers continue to face poverty, discrimination in employment, inadequate social protection, barriers to maternal health care, and heightened exposure to violence, particularly in conflict and humanitarian settings.
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.
These require stronger maternal and newborn health care, prevention of maternal mortality, protection from discrimination during pregnancy and maternity, and improved access to maternity leave, social protection, and childcare.
At the same time, African states have taken measurable progress.
According to WHO estimates published in 2025, maternal mortality in the African region declined by 40% 2020-2023.
National efforts have also expanded skilled birth attendance, midwife services, and emergency obstetric care.
Sustaining these gains requires stronger international cooperation, predictable financing, and technical support, particularly for those countries facing conflict, displacement, poverty, and fragile health systems.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Bahrain on behalf of corporation counsel for the Arab States of the Gulf.
Thank you, President.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report, and we express our appreciation for her efforts to shine a light on the challenges facing mothers globally, as well as their active role in building future generations and consolidating family value.
Our country has attached great importance to motherhood and family by expanding health care services to children and mothers and providing health care, developing policies in favor of the family.
We have invested in education and early childhood care Our countries also enable women economically and socially in order to ensure a balance between women participation in development and their role in the family.
With regards to the report on Kuwait visit, we welcome Kuwait's cooperation with the Special Rapporteur during her visit.
We highly value the efforts deployed by Kuwait lately in order to protect the right of women and family and to develop relevant institutional and legislative frameworks.
We underscore that special procedures report indicate efforts by concerned countries in a balanced manner that protect sovereignty and ensure cooperation while taking into account national specificities and priorities.
Thank you, Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Egypt on behalf of C countries.
Madam Vice President, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of a group of 72 countries.
The full text is available on extranet.
We affirmed that family as the natural and fundamental group unit of society remains the primary source of care, protection, and intergenerational support and is entitled to protection by society and the state.
The family plays a central role in supporting mothers and promoting more supportive environments for motherhood.
Motherhood often embodies significant emotional, social, economic, and caregiving responsibilities.
Strong family support system can play an essential role in helping mothers navigate these challenges.
We further stress the importance of shared family responsibilities and the active role of fathers in supporting mothers.
Promoting more equitable distribution of caring responsibilities within the family can help alleviate the pressures associated with motherhood and strengthen the well being of mothers.
Further recognize the importance of the socioeconomic empowerment of mothers as a key element in strengthening the resilience and stability of the family.
At a time of growing social and economic pressures, supporting motherhood cannot be separated from supporting the family itself.
Strengthening the family remains essential for building more cohesive, resilient societies.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to UN FPA on behalf of a group of agencies.
For UNFPA and UN women, this dialogue is a critical reminder that the rights of all women to decide whether and how to have children and to raise them safely are foundational to women's human rights and gender equality.
Global progress on reprodtive rights and justice rests on the dedication of feminist movements, which face increasing pushback in tackling intimate partner violence, economic abuse, and structural inequalities.
Patriarchal systems, often under the guise of demographic anxieties, seek to limit women's autonomy, defining them primarily through their reprodutive capacity instead of their full human potential.
The ICPD remains a beacon affirming that motherhood must be a matter of free and informed choice, not external pressure or coercion, while CDO is the roadmap for women's human rights and gender equality.
States have an obligation to eliminate gender based discrimination and violence, including harmful norms that dictate reproductive labor.
Such responses must be inclusive, non discriminatory, and attentive to women, girls, and families in all their diversity.
Governments must adopt progressive measures for safe, sustainable parenting, such as universal education, health care, housing, and equal pay for equal work and equal share of unpaid care work.
States must also ensure that those choosing not to be mothers enjoy full access to respectful evidence based care.
Our agencies will continue to partner with the states and feminist movements to ensure that women and girls in order diversity can pursue their aspirations free from violence and discrimination.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Japan.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Japan, thanks Special porter for the presentation of Halep.
Japan recognized that murder may face distinct form of violence against violence and discrimination, including economic hardship, barrier in employment, domestic violence and challenges in accessing health and social services.
We share the view that protecting women and girls throughout pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood is essential to full enjoyment of their human lives and to well being of the children and family.
Japan remain committed to advancing gender equality and supporting parents through policies and promote maternal health, access to healthcare, childcare service paternal leave and protection from violence.
We also recognize the importance of addressing the particular vulnerability faced by women adults, including young mothers and pregnant women and got in humanitarian setting and other situation heightened risk.
In the context, Japanese partnership with UN women has been working to protect women goals and eliminate gender based violence through the prevention, protection and the empowerment Istive.
Madam Social Reporter, your report highlighted the particular vulnerability fac by women and girls in a conflict and humanitarian setting with a view to implementing the RPS agenda, could you elaborate on good practice for ensuring that specific needs of women and girls are effectively integrated in the humanitarian setting and promote framework in the conflict affecting setting.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to United Arab Emit.
Aid Naba.
Vice President, at the outset, we are concerned about the report's conclusions about women's subjction to violence and discrimination and the effect of that on society and the family.
We underscore that society cannot be prosperous and safe without providing support to mothers as partners in nurturing family and children and social solidarity.
Our country consolidated its institutions and a structure to protect women.
We passed a law in 2024 to protect family from violence.
It reinforces protection and family assistance through cooperation among stakeholders.
We provide also integrated health services and social services for women, including health care, soci psychological support.
In closing, we call for continuing efforts to protect further a woman in order to ensure their dignity and their rights and to consolidate their family and set the foundations of sustainable development for current and future generations.
Thank you, Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Cob.
Madam Lavi Madam Vice President, Court devoir, I'd like to thank the Special Rapporteur for the introduction of her report that highlights the many forms of violence that women are facing, as well as the continued inadequacies in the protection of their rights.
In many countries, especially in Africa, mothers, especially those who are raising children alone and who do not have sufficient resources remain vulnerable to economic, psychological, physical, and reproductive violence.
This situation also has a significant impact on the well being and development of children for whom they are often the sole caregivers.
Motherhood plays a crucial role in our societies by giving life and ensuring the continuity of generations.
Mothers make a fundamental contribution to human and social development.
As such, they deserve special protection.
In this respect, core de Voir calls on states to strengthen social protection mechanisms for mothers to combat all forms of violence against women and guarantee universal access to quality maternal health services.
Madam Special Opporteur, what good practices would you recommend to states to effectively prevent violence against mothers, especially those in vulnerable situations while strengthening their access to social protection and economic empowerment.
Thank you.
Mercy.
Next, I give the floor to Cyprus.
Thank you, Vice President.
A woman's status as a mother should never be a source of vulnerability, economic penalization, or institutional abuse.
However, mothers across the globe continue to face distinct forms of systemic violations, lack of institutional support, unequal legal rights, and all forms of violence.
These acts are driven by rigid gender stereotypes, power imbalances, and archaic patriarchal expectations that seek to regulate women's autonomy, bodies, and choices.
The manifestations of violence worsen exponentially when the status of motherhood intersects with economic, social, and other grounds of discrimination.
Cyrus has adopted a comprehensive approach to prevent and combating gender based violence fully aligned with its international obligations.
Prevention constitutes a core pillar of national action.
We have made significant steps towards strengthening legal protection against workplace discrimination for pregnant women and mothers, as well as improving access to justice for women victims of domestic violence.
At the same time, we are also reforming our support structures to ensure that maternal health is treated as a fundamental human right accessible to all women regardless of their socioeconomic or legal status.
Special Rapporteur, what can be done to ensure greater protection is afforded to mothers and vulnerable situations.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Ukraine.
Vice President, we see the special rapporteur for her report and its focus on violence against mothers.
Ukraine stresses that the Russian war against Ukraine continues to disproportionately affect women and children.
According to IM data, almost 3.7 million Ukrainians remain internally displaced with women and girls rising around 60%.
OCHR reports that since 2022, 775 children have been killed and 2,588 children have been injured as a result of Russian attacks.
1,700 schools and educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed.
Repeated strikes on energy infrastructure have left millions without heating, electricity and water during winter, increasing risk for infants and young children.
Mothers continue to give birth under shelling in shelters and underground facilities, often without adequate medical care.
Nearly 200 medical facilities were damaged or destroyed in 2025 alone.
Moreover, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documents severe psychological trauma among women rights and children under constant treat.
These patterns continue serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
We call for stronger accountability and immediate sustained protection for mothers and children affected by Russian war against Ukraine.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Holy C.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
The Holy delegation takes note of the report of the Special Rapporteur and is focused on the violence and discrimination that women and girls may endure because of motherhood, which too often remains largely undervalued and mischaracterized as a private choice rather than a public good, requiring recognition and support from society and institutions.
Mothers are entitled to special care assistance and protection before and after childbirth, including paid leave and adequate Social Security.
Furthermore, particular attention should be given to what the report mentions as the so called motherhood penalty.
Labor policies, policies, and workplace structures should support family life and create conditions that encourage an equal sharing of responsibilities between mothers and fathers.
Woman should be required to choose between pursuing professional aspirations and safeguarding the well being of the family.
Report also observed that poverty and vulnerability may lead mothers to have an abortion.
My delegation wishes to emphasize that the woman in distress is not saved but abandoned a second time when the termination of her child's life is offered in place of genuine support.
As Pope Lou X has said, it is deplorable that public resources are allocated to suppress life rather than being invested to support mothers and fathers.
Responding to a mother's poverty by ending her child's life is a failure of law, justice, society, and ultimately humanity itself.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Sudan.
Thank you, Vice President.
We took note of the report on women and we concur with the majority of the conclusions of the report, particularly with regards to challenges on motherhood, including legal and health grounds as well as issues of culture and labor, together with economic exclusion.
These grounds become more outrageous in the context of the conflicts where women are targeted as part of a metaric policy to shame them, to lead to genocide and ethnic cleansing.
In a manner that was perpetrated by the RSF terrorist militia in Sudan.
We agree with the report's call for legal recognition of women as beings who have their own special biological and legal needs, particularly mothers.
Who deserve health and psychological support as well as economic and legal support and recognition of their status and their social role.
Sudan supports the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and express our appreciation for her role.
I mean Madam Rimlum and we highlight her visit to us last year, a visit that allowed her to see firsthand the women and girls victims of violence.
She provided observations and recommendations to us.
Thank you, Vice President.
Next, I give the floor to Slovenia.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for the presentation of her report.
Slovenia aligns with the EU statement and firmly believes that all forms of violence against women, including violence against mothers, constitute serious human rights violations.
We are deeply alarmed by the continuum of violence against women and girls in offline and online spaces, recognizing that technology facilitated violence is increasingly used to control, intimidate, and silence women.
We are particularly concerned about intimate partner violence, one of the most pervasive forms of violence against women globally, as well as violence during pregnancy and postpartum period, which can endanger health and lives of both women and their children.
We support efforts to address such violence by tackling the root causes of gender inequality and promoting policies that empower women and girls.
We believe that the violence and discrimination are most effectively addressed through the principles of equality, non discrimination, bodily autonomy, and understanding of structural inequalities which influence gender based violence.
Ensuring the full enjoyment of sexual and reproductive health and rights is integral to the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and is essential for realization of equal opportunities in our societies.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Benin.
Beni is absent.
Next, I give the floor to Uruguay.
Thank you very much, Vice President.
You're grateful to the Special Rapporteur for the report presented.
From our point of view, forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls that can be manifested during pregnancy, childbirth, postnatal periods, and exercising care responsibilities.
Can be reflected in structural inequality, GBV discrimination, unequal parrelations, and other intersectional inequalities.
We believe that we must understand the different forms in which maternity is lived and constructed, avoiding different restrictive perspectives which can reinforce gender stereotypes.
This means preventing and responding to obstetric violence, ensuring health care which is respectful, access to quality health care during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the postnatal period, and ensuring dignity and confidentiality.
It's also important to ensure that economic violence and exclusion against women are confronted with appropriate support services and policies which promote co responsibility and shared empowerment between partners.
Finally, we would like to ask the Special Rapporteur how states can design public policies which respond to specific forms of violence and discrimination connected to maternity, ensuring that these are inclusive, they don't strengthen gender stereotypes, and they reflect the diversity of women's experiences.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Malta.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Malta aligns itself with the statement delivered by Ireland.
Malta shares a special Rapporteur's concern regarding the heightened vulnerabilities faced by mothers in conflict and humanitarian and social settings.
Violence against women and girls does not exclusively occur in conflict situations, but also in social situations, including within the household.
The report highlights several forms of violence against mothers.
We consider the report's references to early and forced marriage as important, shedding light specifically on violence against girls regrettably often neglected.
We stress that responses to violence against mothers must be inclusive and responsive to the experiences of those facing intersecting forms of discrimination, including lesbian mothers and other mothers in vulnerable situations.
We express our concern that the report pursues a circumscribed definition of motherhood and seeks to construct a peculiar definition.
We encourage the Special Rapporteur to adopt an inclusive approach and to refrain from including language in reporting that implies exclusion.
At the national level, Malta remains committed to advancing policies that promote gender equality and strengthen protections against all forms of violence against mothers.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Montenegro.
Gender based violence remains one of the most pervasive and systemic human rights violations worldwide.
The press on femicide, intimate partner violence, harmful practices, sexual reproductive coercion, and economic violence underscores the urgent need for comprehensive, gender responsive and human rights based responses.
We welcome the report's recognition that mothers facing distinct and often intersecting forms of discrimination and violence, compounded by factors such as displacement disability, poverty, and other situations of vulnerability.
Particularly concerning are the findings on the economic insecurity surrounding childbirth, which continues to affect hundreds of millions of women globally and reinforces cycles of dependency and inequality.
We also welcome the report's reference to child marriage, which undermines the rights of girls and increases their exposure to violence, adverse maternal health outcomes, and disruptive educational opportunities.
At the same time, restrictive definitions of motherhood risk reinforcing harmful stereotypes that underpin discrimination, exclusion, and violence against women.
In that regard, we emphasize that sexual and reproductive health rights as well as bodily autonomy are essential for enabling women to make free and independent decisions regarding their lives and reproductive choices, free from coercion and with full respect for their dignity, autonomy and agency.
Montenegro remains firmly committed to supporting international efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls and to advancing substantive gender equality.
To that aim, and that is one of the examples, this Wednesday Montenegro will host a conference on combating gender based violence in the CE region.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Mozambique.
Madam Vice President Mozambique Aged itself with statement delivered by the African group and thanks to the Special Reporter for the presentation of our reports.
My delegation is concerned that men and women continue to face discrimination, stigmatization, and violation of their rights based on motherhood.
We are equally concerned about the challenge associated with motherhood, including BA to assessing the labor market, unequal pay, and other forms of gender based discrimination.
Therefore, Mozambique has implemented policies and programs aimed at preventing and combating gender based violence and film sites, supported by legal reforms and certain institutional mechanisms, awareness raising campaigns, and regularly conducted in school, community, and through the media.
Furthermore, efforts have been made to promote women's economic empowerment through vocational training, improved access to and ownership to land, and enhanced participation in political and public life.
In conclusion, Mozambique reaffirmed its commitment to promote gender equality and building a society free from all forms of violence against women and girls.
I thank you.
I thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Kenya.
Madam Vice President, Kenya aligns itself with a statement delivered by the African group and thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report.
Kenya remains firmly committed to the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.
We note that the report focuses on violence and discrimination experienced by mothers, including in relation to maternal health, economic security, caregiving responsibilities, displacement, and access to support services.
Guided by our Constitution and international obligations, Kenya has undertaken a range of policy and legal interventions to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, including the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act 2015, the Sexual Offense Act of 2006, and the prohibition of female genital mutilation 2011.
Kenya underscores the importance of strengthening access to healthcare, social protection, economic empowerment opportunities, legal aid, psychological support, and survivor centered services, particularly for women and girls in vulnerable situations, including mothers affected by poverty, displacement, and humanitarian crises.
Further emphasize the importance of evidence based policy making and continue to prioritize the collection and analysis of sex disreed data to inform targeted interventions and strengthen response to violence against women and girls.
Kenya reaffirms its commitment to working with all stakeholders to advance the rights, dignity, and well being of women and girls to ensure that no woman or girl is left behind.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Awa.
Madam Vice President, Unwa thanks the Special Rapporteur for bringing attention to violence against mothers across all Unwa fields of operations, Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Palestine refugee women's motherhood is increasingly shaped by conflict, displacement, poverty, insecurity, and barriers to healthcare.
In the OPT and particularly in Gaza, pregnant women and new mothers have faced devastating conditions since October 2023.
Repeated displacement, destruction of health infrastructure, lack of food and clean water, severe shortages of medicines and fuel, and the collapse of referral systems have placed maternal health at extreme risk.
Women have given birth in shelters, overcrowded classrooms, and damaged medical facilities, often without adequate prenatal or postnatal care.
Despite these conditions, Una health teams have continued to provide antennatal and postnatal care, support for high risk pregnancies, emergency referrals, vaccinations, nutrition, and psychosocial services, and mobile outreach to displaced communities.
Since October 2023, URA has delivered more than 1.1 million maternal health services in Gaza, though needs continue to far exceed available capacity.
Across Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, Unwa's clinic also continues to support Palestine refugee mothers facing protracted displacement, economic crisis, and fragile health systems.
Thank you.
Hi.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Canada.
Madam Vice President, Canada thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report highlighting violence and discrimination experienced by women and girls in connection with motherhood.
We agree that motherhood can intersect with structural gender inequalities, including barriers to accessing health services and information, employment, education, and social protection.
Adré these inequalities is essential to preventing and responding effectively to gender based violence.
In this context, Canada is concerned about the proposed definitions of motherhood and approaches that rely on exclusively sex based legal framing.
Laws and policies must be consistent with international human rights standards, including equality, non discrimination, and inclusivity.
Canada also underscores the importance of ensuring access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights, including bodily autonomy as an essential component and preventing and responding to violence against women and girls.
This includes ensuring that all women and girls can make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures free from coercion, discrimination, and violence.
Efforts to address violence in connection with motherhood must tackle the root causes including gender inequality, gender based discrimination, and discriminatory gender norms.
Efforts must also reflect the diversity of experiences and safeguard rights without narrowing protections or reinforcing stereotypes.
Canada remains committed to advancing inclusive, intersectional and human rights based approaches.
Women and girls in all divers.
Next, I give you the floor to North Macedonia.
Madam Vice President, at the outset, we reiterate our full support for the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her valuable report, which highlights that while motherhood remains essential to our societies, it continues to expose many women to discrimination and unequal treatment.
North Macedonia remains committed to ensuring that all women can live free from violence and enjoy their human rights fully and equally.
Following the ratification of Istanbul Convention, we adopt the law on prevention and protection from violence against women and domestic violence in 2022, thereby strengthening our framework for prevention, protection, and victim support.
Particular attention is given to women in vulnerable situation, including pregnant women, single mothers, women with disabilities, women from rural areas, migrant and refugee women.
Victims of violence have access to social protection services, financial compensation, and measures that support their economic empowerment.
Together with the UNPA under UNSDCCF 2022, 2025, we have achieved tangible results in expanding access to right based sexual and reproductive health services, particularly for vulnerable groups.
These efforts has contributed to a significant reduction in maternal mortality and progress in family planning.
At the same time, we recognize that challenges remain.
We will continue working towards strengthening accountability to perpetrators and improving protection for victims through ongoing professional training.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Dominican Republic.
Thank you very much, Vice President.
The Dominican Republic is grateful for this report which contributes to visibilizing forms of discrimination and violence confronting many women and girls because of their condition as mothers, as well as the different challenges that they experience in fully enjoying their human rights.
We appreciate recognition of the need to strengthen the protection of mothers pursuant to comprehensive public policies with particular focus on maternal health, social protection, and access to justice as well as the prevention of all forms of violence.
We also highlight the emphasis in the report of the importance of coordinated institutional responses and the strengthening of support and care systems as well as the promotion of shared responsibility in care work.
We also recognize the importance of paying particular attention to the fact that women confront multiple and parallel forms of discrimination, including impacted by poverty, the humanitarian crisis, and other circumstances that increase the risk solving exclusion and violence, the Dominican Republic, Reaffirms its commitment to the promotion of public policies aimed at ensuring dignity, equality, and well being for women and girls.
We are convinced that the strengthening of protection of mothers contributes to sustainable development, social inclusion, and the construction of fairer, more resilient and inclusive societies.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to United Republic of Tanzania.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
The United Republic of Tanzania welcome the report of the Special Rapporteur and we thank her for the insight provided on the work through her mandate.
To ensure the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls, the United Republic of Tanzania has been implementing the second national plan of action to end violence against women and children of 2024, 2025, 2028 29.
It aims to provide a coordinated and organized approach to address the major concern and obstacles faced by women and girls as a victim survivors and witness of violence and abuse.
With this regard to migrant women and girls, 20 safe shelters have been established in five regions of Jerusalm, Beruia, Maza Cri Maanja and.
In order to support victims, including migrant women and girls before returning to their communities.
The government also provide counseling services, medical care, rehabilitation and integration program.
The government continue its effort to ensure that all women and girls rights are protected, particularly violence against women and girls through 420 established Pol gender and Children deaths.
The government of the United Republic of Tanzania will continue to cooperate with the international community and other stakeholders, including the special Rapporteur to accelerate the right to women and girls.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Guyana.
Madam Vice President, Guyana Tang is the special rapporteur for the presentation of this comprehensive and timely report and commend her for the work done on this issue.
With our people as our most treasured resource, Guyana supports the notion that motherhood is a public good.
The recognition and preservation of the rights of mothers is therefore of paramount importance.
Ghana upholds the principle of nondiscrimination and safeguards equal treatment of mothers and expectant mothers.
Ghana guarantees inter alia paid maternity leave, which has been a long standing entitlement, offers childcare and family support services, which are consistently being expanded and provides adolescent maternal support, including reintegration of adolescent mothers into the formal education system.
Women account for almost half of Guya's workforce and the majority of them are mothers.
Ghayna continues to work towards the protection of mothers and the creation of the most enabling environment for them.
In this regard, Guyana has taken note of the recommendations of the special rapporteur and is carefully considering same.
Guyana calls on all states to re evaluate policies to ensure that the rights of mothers are fully recognized and protected.
We are committed to working with all international partners to this end.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Ganda Uganda? Doesn't seem to be in the room.
Next, I give the floor to Marshall Islands.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
The Marshall Islands thanks to Special Rapporteur for her report.
We welcome the special Rapporteur's focus on violence against mothers and are concerned by the fact that the failure to recognize the distinct needs and contributions of mothers compounds their vulnerability and hinders their access to appropriate justice and protection.
The Marshall Islands is a matrilineal society where mothers play a central role in our communities and are the custodians of our traditional lands and culture.
However, Marshallese mothers are facing compounding challenges as a result of our nuclear legacy and climate change.
Marshallese women continue to suffer disproportionate rates of disease as a result of nuclear testing carried out in our islands 1946-1958.
In particular, exposed women face severe reproductive and pregnancy related challenges.
Severe birth defects, miscarriages and stillbirths were devastatingly common and we still witness the intergenerational impact to this day.
Moreover, communities are increasingly exposed to consequences of climate change with a heightened risk of experiencing sexual, psychological and physical abuse.
We therefore strongly support the special rapporteur's recommendation to provide comprehensive support to mothers in recognition of the intersecting forms of violence they experience.
We urge countries to adopt a victim centered approach in the design and implementation of policies addressing gender based violence, including violence to mothers.
Tada, and I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Egypt.
Thank you very much, Vice President.
I'm very grateful to the Special Rapporteur for focus on this extremely important subject, in particular, taking into account the matter of generational safety.
From the perspective of women's roles, mothers play an essential role in society from a point of view of education.
Particularly, Egypt has committed dedicated policies and programs to mothers.
We have also rolled out institutional efforts to strengthen the role of mothers and families.
We believe that women and mothers are an essential fountain of wisdom and knowledge and play a key role in society.
Women's characters are particularly to the fore in context of conflict.
Mothers in Palestine have been deprived of safety and health care and even of their children.
This requires international measures to protect them and ensure their international rights are put in place.
Combating violence against mothers requires that we share health care responsibility without making mothers victims thereof.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Guatemala.
Presidency and my delegation is grateful to the special rapporteur.
The report raises awareness concerning violence and discrimination confronted by many women and girls because they are mothers in Guatemala, being a mother can lead to psychological, physical and sexual violence as well as economic violence.
This is used as a mechanism of control limiting independence, violating dignity, and also impacting the children of these mothers.
These can further exacerbated when we see overlapping conditions of inequality.
This means it's essential to have a comprehensive human rights based approach based on intersectionality.
Guatemala recognizes the importance of strengthening legal protection measures, public policies that are gender focused, as well as specialized services and interinstitutional coordination to support women, girls, and teenagers in a situation of risk.
We are also aware that there are still challenges to come up with an effective response.
We believe that efforts need to be strengthened in the area of access to justice, prevention, support services, and means to ensure economic independence of mothers, as well as converting stereotypes which assign the care responsibilities exclusively to mothers.
President protecting mothers means recognizing them as full subjects of rights, ensuring their dignity and progressing towards fairer, more equal, and violence free societies.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Georgia.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Georgia thanks the S Reporter for the report and acknowledges the report's finding that motherhood remains undervalued and insufficiently recognized within public institutions.
My government continues to implement the National Human Rights Strategy 2022 2030 and its action plan, including measures on women's rights and combating violence against women.
National action plans on combating violence against women and domestic violence and on women peace and security are being implemented while preparations for the next cycle are underway.
Victim centered support has been strengthened through improved access to shelters and stay services.
In 2024, Georgia adopted national referral procedures to enhance the identification, protection, and support of victims.
Protection measures have been reinforced through updated risk assessment tools, electronic monitoring, and state compensation scheme.
Evidence based policymaking has been enhanced through improved data collection and analysis in line with previous standards.
Regrettaly Russia's occupation of Georgia, Abrasia and Grenala regions prevents the effective implementation of these measures in the occupied territories, leaving women and girls particularly vulnerable to the human rights violations.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Cuba.
Is Vice President.
As the reporter says in the report, unilateral coercive measures imposed against Cuba have a negative impact on mothers.
The economic embargo of the United States has exacerbated the existing punishing measures.
Five months ago, there was a brutal energy cut, and this is an act of violence with devastating ramifications.
Women and girls are suffering Prolonged electricity cuts day after day, difficulty with accessing food, water, and transport, as well as community services and all core basic services.
Hospitals are working in limited conditions.
The lack of energy means that incubators for newborns are compromised as well as other medical instrumentation.
The infant mortality rate has doubled, going up to above four for every 1,000 births.
The survival of children with cancer has also been impacted.
We're also seeing medical attention For the pregnancies, 34 pregnancies we have and also the chronic diseases suffered by women in Cuba.
This impacts women and girls in particular.
The damaging plan of the United States is to manufacture a humanitarian crisis.
The council cannot sit and watch this passively and cannot allow this policy to continue to deprive an entire people of their rights, including women and girls.
Thank you.
I give the floor to Lebanon.
Thank you, miss Vice President.
Lebanon thanks the Special Rapporteur for her important report and its timely focus on violence against motherhood.
We see merit in the recommendation that mothers be recognized as a distinct category requiring specific protection and we underscore the importance of collecting disaggregated data and developing targeted responses to address their particular needs and vulnerabilities.
We also take note of the observation that fear insecurity and deliberate attacks on health care services, such as those currently witnessed in Lebanon inflict profound trauma and heighten serious risks for mothers and their children.
Ongoing Israeli attacks continue to expose Lebanese mothers to intersecting forms of violence, including the destruction of healthcare facilities, displacement, family separation, and severe psychological distress.
In situations of armed conflicts, violence against mothers extends beyond immediate physical harm to include the often invisible but devastating anguish of living in constant fear for the safety and future of their children.
This psychological suffering merits greater recognition alongside meaningful accountability for violations of international law and stronger efforts to ensure the safety of civilians.
Safeguarding motherhood is therefore not only a matter of social policy, but a fundamental imperative of peace and human rights so that mothers and their children may live in safety, dignity, and hope.
I thank you, miss Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to State of Palestine.
Thank you, Madam Vice President and thank you, Madam Special Reporter, for your excellent report.
Israel's assault on Palestinian mothers dignity and rights is longstanding yet due to time constraints, I will limit myself to examples from the genocide in Gaza.
In the first 100 days of the genocide, in 2023, Israel killed an average of two mothers every hour in Gaza.
By February 2026, mothers in Gaza had lost at least 21,289 children.
During pregnancy, lack of access to clean water due to Israel's illegally imposed siege, forced pregnant women to drink salty water or contaminated water and lack of food and proper nutrition led to significant weight loss, increasing rates of miscarriages and premature births.
During childbirth, Israel's deliberate and large scale attacks on health care systems and personnel forced pregnant women to give birth in inhumane, degrading, and dangerous conditions often with no medical help.
And after childbirth, nursing mothers have struggled to produce milk to breastfeed their babies while premature and underweight babies have had little to no chance of survival.
As is have put it, becoming a mother should be a time for celebration.
In Gaza, it's another child delivered into hell.
Under international law, none of this should have happened or should ever happen, yet here we are, and violence continues to be perpetrated against Palestinian mothers on an appalling scale with complete impunity and with the complicity or silence of a large number of states that claim to have feminist foreign policies or to support and champion the women peace and security agenda.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Jordan.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
The Delegation of Jordan would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for her report, which highlights the different forms of discrimination and violence against women and children being mothers.
My delegation reaffirms the main tenet of the report that is violence against women is not exclusive to women, but rather covers children and the society at large.
This necessitates services that takes into consideration all phases of women.
In this respect, Jordan has implemented a multi sector national plan to protect children, family, and fight family violence and and violence against women and girls in 2023.
This plan aims at enhancing coordination between the stakeholders and promote services to the most vulnerable groups.
Our question to the special rapporteur, what are the most important practical steps to ensure that the systems are protection and response to violence against women and girls are more consumer to the needs of this category.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Vice President, the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission, the IPHRC appreciates the efforts of the Special Rapporteur and reiterates its firm condemnation of all forms of violence against women and girls.
The protection of women's dignity, security, and human rights is deeply rooted in Islamic principles, which recognize women as equal and entitled to protection from violence, abuse, coercion, and discrimination.
The Commission remains concerned by persistent domestic violence, harmful practices, sexual violence in conflict situations, online abuse and socioeconomic discrimination affecting women and girls globally.
The IPHRC emphasizes that violence against women cannot be justified on the basis of culture, religion, or tradition.
The commission also stresses the importance of women's access to education, health care, economic participation, and digital inclusion as essential tools for women's empowerment and prevention of violence.
The IPHRC calls for balanced and culturally sensitive approaches that strengthen families, promote social cohesion, and uphold the human rights and dignity of women and girls in accordance with universal human rights standards.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Ghana.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Ghana thank the S Rapporteur for a report which highlights the multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination and violence mothers experience, including economic, reproductive, psychological, and institutional violence.
Ghana saying that motherhood remains insufficiently valued and protected within being legal and economic systems.
Adré these challenges requires deliberate and targeted policies that recognize both rights and contributions of mothers.
In Ghana, efforts to protect mothers are in our constitution and supported by targeted legislative and policy measures.
In 2024, Ghana enacted the Affirmative Action Act, which strengthen workplace protection by increasing maternity leave to at least 14 weeks, introducing paternity leave and prohibiting overtime work for expectant women and mothers of infants.
Furthermore, Ghana has launched a dedicated maternal mental health policy and our revised National gender policy, which incorporates protections for mothers in emergencies and other vulnerable situations.
Through the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Maternal Mortality and Response Program, we are expanding access to maternal health care and reducing maternal mortality.
Our Domestic Violence Act is also under review to strengthen protection and access to remedies for survivors.
Madam Vice President, Dana is committed to the protection of mothers from all forms of violence and discrimination through strengthened legal frameworks, social protection systems, quality maternal health care, and adequately funded support services.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Bulgaria.
Miss Vice President, Bulgaria aligns itself with the EU statement.
We express our appreciation for the comprehensive report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of violence against women and girls.
The violence against women and girls in all possible forms, physical, psychological, social, economic, or other constitutes a grave violation of their right and fundamental freedoms.
Bulgaria agrees that special attention should be paid to mothers who are a distinct category of right holders with specific needs and requirements.
We share the conclusion in the report that the legal and policy frameworks should include targeted prevention and response measures with regard to the violence against women and girls being mothers.
We encourage all member states to strengthen the protection of mothers defending their rights and those of their children.
This is an obligation under the international human rights law and an integral part of the efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
Bulgaria calls for the undertaking of all necessary measures to guarantee that the mechanisms for identification and protection of the mothers at risk of violence function efficiently.
These mechanisms should be supported by timely reporting, collection, and analysis of data.
In this context, we would like to note the positive experience of Bulgaria with the introduction and operation of a nationwide automated information system on domestic violence and gender based violence.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Mexico.
Ca.
Thank you very much, Madam Vice President.
Mexico expresses trust in special procedures in order to advance the progressivity and universality of human rights.
We agree that those who decide to become mothers may face particular form of violence and multiple intersectional forms of discrimination.
Nevertheless, Mexico underscores the importance of framing this analysis in a rights based transformative approach focusing on substantive equity, avoiding reproducing generalizations about women's roles.
We emphasize first the need to avoid approaches that reduce women to motherhood as the defining axis of identity.
Second, the eradication of violence requires dismantling gender stereotypes that rigidly associate women with care roles.
Third, It is essential to preserve a comprehensive human rights based approach that includes bodily and reproductive autonomy.
Substantive equality involves recognizing the diversity of women's experiences mothers or not, ensure that no policy limits their participation.
Madam Special Aer, how does your report contribute to recognize the specific experiences of some women about motherhood without reinforcing gender stereotypes? And how does it include women of sexual diversity? Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I I am the mother of martyr Benjamin Danj and a representative of the other mothers whose children lost their lives at Saran Tab School in Minap.
On that unforgettable day, my child left home with a smile carrying dreams for the future.
He went to school to learn, to laugh and play with his friends, and to enjoy the simple joys that every child deserves.
I never imagined that it would be the last time I would see him alive.
The morning of the 28th of February 2026 became the hardest day of my life as every day I went to school to pick up my child.
I want to share my pain as a mother with you.
When I arrived near the school, I saw that a missile had struck the school building.
As I approached the schoolyard, I witnessed a second missile hit the school directly striking my child's classroom.
I could no longer walk, my legs were trembling.
My heart was burning with pain and my legs could no longer carry me.
I collapsed there.
The roof of the school had fallen before my eyes.
Today, I want to tell everyone who hears my voice and watches this video to the representatives of member states in the United Nations.
To condemn the United States and Israel as the aggressors and to stand on the side of justice and accountability for Minat children and their mothers.
Thank you very much Hasan.
Am Hasan.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Germany.
Madam Vice President, Germany thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report and remains firmly committed to the elimination of all forms of gender based violence and discrimination against women and girls and all their diversity.
Report recalls the need to address maternal mortality and insufficient social protection recognized also by this council in the preventable maternal mortality and morbidity resolution as grave human rights concerns.
Responses to gender based violence must remain anchored in equality, non discrimination, and bodily autonomy.
Pregnancy, childbirth, and caregiving require specific protection, including strengthening sexual and reproductive health and rights for all women and girls.
It is imperative to uphold that women's legal and social identity is not defined by biological and reproductive functions and that caregiving is not a natural destiny, primarily performed by women.
Violence against women and girls is a challenge during peace times and in times of conflict.
The Secretary-General latest report on this documents grave patterns of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, including conflict related sexual violence and the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children.
This has inflicted profound and continuing harm on children and their families who are denied information about the fate of their children.
We would have appreciated a reference to this country situation in your report too, Madam Special Rapporteur.
Madam Special Rapporteur, how do we ensure that harmful gender stereotypes are dismantled rather than reinforced in protective strategies? Thank you.
Hi, thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Sierra Leone.
Vice President S Agssel for the statements by the African Group and thanks to the special portur for the report.
We appreciate the concrete recommendations presented which require urgent attention from this council.
We support the recommendation to recognize mothers as a distinct category of rights holders with specific needs to incorporate mother specific language and policies and legislations designed to protect and support them.
However, we remain deeply concerned by the root causes identified in the report, including harmful social norms, discriminating practices, economic marginalization, and poverty.
The call to protect mothers and girls from discrimination and violence is both timely and essential.
Clone is strongly committed to advancing the rights of women and girls.
This commitment is evident through the passage of legislation such as the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2024, Sectional Enforcement Act 2019, the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act of 2023, and the establishment of the Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs.
The ministry supersedes national efforts to implement gender related policies and obligations under instruments such as CEO.
As a country with a majority of female population, we will continue to strengthen measures that specifically protective mothers within our laws and policies.
We encourage member states to promote the social significance of motherhood and address harmful perceptions of mothers and motherhood through education, public awareness campaigns, and community engagement.
I thank you, Vice President.
I thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Philippe Vice President, the Philippines states the special rapporteur for her report on an often overlooked dimension of violence against women and girls.
The Philippine Constitution recognizes the important maternal role of women in nation building and mandates the state to provide enabling environment that allows mothers to realize their full potential and fully enjoy their human rights.
Guided by this constitutional mandate, the Philippine government has over the years built a robust normative and institutional framework to protect the rights and well being of mothers as an integral part of a broader agenda of advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Over 105 days expanded maternity leave law provides fully paid paternity beyond the ILO minimum and extends protection to women in the informal economy.
Our expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act strengthens social protection and workplace support to solo mothers.
These policy measures are complemented by the Magna Heart of Women, the anti Violence Against Women and their Children Act, the first 1,000 days law on maternal and child nutrition, and the prohibition on child marriages.
We welcome the reports emphasize the important nexus between violence against mothers and violence against their children.
Madam Special Rapporteur, how can states better advance the recognition of the specific human rights risks and vulnerabilities associated with motherhood while ensuring that policy measures remain inclusive, grounded in science, and consistent with international human rights law.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Qatar.
Thank you, Vice President.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report, and we underscore our categorical rejection of all kinds of violence against women and girls because these are grave violations of human rights and an assault on human dignity.
The effects of violence are not limited to women alone, but extend to the family and society and undermine attempts to achieve equality and sustainable development.
Nationally, Qatar enforces its legal and institutional system to protect and empower women and to ensure that women access social psychological support.
Labor law provides guarantees for working women, including banning their employment in dangerous workers and providing women fully paid childbirth leave.
Vice President Qatar expresses concern on women's suffering due to armored conflicts, particularly in Sudan and Palestine.
We reiterate our commitment to international cooperation to put an end to all violence against women and girls and protect their rights and dignity.
Thank you, Vice President.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Lesoto.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Lo welcomes the opportunity to reflect on the report of the Special Rapporteur.
As alluded to in the report, addressing the needs and challenges of mothers require a multi layered strategy that combines systemic social changes, strong community frameworks, interpersonal support, and realistic personal practices to mention but a few.
This is more so for the mental load of motherhood.
Which demands active relief from multiple levels of society.
In this regard, governments can tackle violence by mothers, by implementing comprehensive violence against women and girls strategies.
The effective government led solutions require a whole of government approach that integrates health care, legal system, social support, and public awareness.
By way of conclusion, Madam Special Rapporteur, what strategies can states employ to penalize institutional complicity or inaction when mothers face violence in the private sphere? How can states better prevent parental alienation of counterclaims in family courts from being weaponized by domestic abusers? Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, I give the floor to Pakistan.
Pakistan seems to be absent, so we move on and next I give the floor to Paraguay.
Senor.
Thank you very much, Madam Vice President.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for the presentation of her report on violence against women and girls because of their status as mothers.
We especially value the analysis carried out related to multiple forms of discrimination violence faced by mothers, especially economic violence, deriminliization of motherhood in the workplace, the burden of care tasks, and the difficulties of access to health services and social protection.
In this respect, we would like to point out that Paraguay has been promoting public policies aimed at strengthening the protection of women and mothers.
Among them, we highlight the policy of comprehensive labor care for working women, which prioritizes the promotion, protection of women's rights, mainly during pregnancy, breastfeeding and in situations of workplace violence.
A national labor equity strategy is also being developed aimed at promoting gender greater opportunities for women.
Also, we highlight the notation of the plan of reducing maternal, fetal and neonatal mortality, 2023, 2030, as well as the efforts aimed at increasing access to maternal and child health services, especially in rural areas for indigenous communities and populations and situation of vulnerability.
We believe that maternity protection is an essential element in ensuring the well being of women, children, and families as a whole.
In this context, we reaffirm the importance of promoting public policies that accompany mothers and contribute to the elimination of all forms of violence and discrimination against women.
Ps.
Madam Vice President, the kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the EU statement.
We are concerned by the findings in the report that highlight multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination experienced by mothers.
The persistent workplace discrimination and the disproportionate burden of unpaid care women face is unacceptable.
While women's participation in the labor market has increased significantly, the share of care responsibilities by men and boys has grown only marginally.
In order to advance gender equality, men and boys must engage in more care responsibilities.
Moreover, pregnancy and parenthood must never be grounds for discrimination.
In this regard, ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights is essential, as is safeguarding the rights to bodily integrity, and autonomy.
The decision to become a mother must be a free choice made without coercion, discrimination, or societal pressure.
We are concerned by language in the report that conflates sex and gender and by approaches that stigmatize sex work in all its forms.
In our view, the report risks reinforcing gender stereotypes and undermines broader efforts to address the root causes of sexual and gender based violence and discrimination.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands reaffirms its strong commitment to achieving gender equality.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Hi.
Thank you.
This was the last speaker we could accommodate for this meeting today.
Excellencies, to participants.
I understand that there are still two delegations who have requested to exercise their right of reply.
First, I give the floor to the representative of Thailand.
You have 3 minutes.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Thailand wishes to exercise its rights of reply in response to the statement made by our Cambodian colleagues during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrant earlier today.
As host to a large number of migrant workers, Thailand recognizes their socioeconomic contributions to our society.
Thailand remains committed to protecting all migrant workers, including those from neighboring countries.
Currently, there are more than 200,000 Cambodian workers in Thailand.
These migrant workers and their families are entitled to basic services, including healthcare and education without discrimination.
They are provided with protection in accordance with our do basic laws and applicable international human rights and labor obligations.
Thailand has also consistently promoted a positive public perception of migrants and has worked with the IOM on projects to train media and academic institutions on responsible reporting on migration with a view to eliminating xenophobia and intolerance against migrants.
Just last month, our two leaders met on the margins of the Asen summit in Seib and agreed to gradually rebuild trust.
This should be a turning point, an opportunity towards restoring neighborly relations and conditions for meaningful dialogue.
Cambodia has instead chosen to continue making false allegations against Thailand in various international fora.
Such persistent inflammatory rhetoric not only breaches that commitment, but also escalates tensions and undermines efforts to advance dialogue and achieve a peaceful resolution.
I thank you.
Thank you.
There is also another delegation who has requested to exercise the right to reply, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Rwanda.
You have equally 3 minutes.
Madam Vice President, Rwanda takes the floor to address development assistance international for their remarks during the interactive dialogue with the special Aperur on trafficking.
Rwanda has a fully functioning mining sector and does not engage in or tolerate irs mineral trade.
The government of Rwanda maintains robust legal and regulatory frameworks governing minerals, including licensing, traceability, and customs control.
Aligned with international standards.
Rwanda also has comprehensive child protection and anti trafficking registration, efficient law enforcement, and merit sexual Victim Protection Services.
It is important to address the root causes of child trafficking in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was mentioned by the Special pteur this morning.
Which are driven by a crisis of poor governance, corruption, impunity, and collusion between protection services and armed groups.
The presence of more than 260 armed groups, including the DRC backed FDR, is a major driver of child trafficking.
Rwanda remains committed to regional stability, legal and responsible supply chain, and the protection of children and vulnerable persons.
Thank you, Madam Vice President.
Thank you.
This was the last speaker on my list.
Is there any other delegation requesting to exercise the right of reply in relation to the statements made today? No.
I see none.
Thank you.
Excellencies, distinguished participants, this brings us to the end of this meeting.
We will reconvene tomorrow morning at 10:00 A.M.
To hold the panel discussion on the intensification of efforts to empower women and girls in through port and then to continue the interactive dialogue with the special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, followed by the interactive dialogue with the special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Hereby close the 12th meeting of the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council.