13th Meeting - 62nd Session of Human Rights Council

Excellencies, distinguished participants.
I hereby declare open the 13th meeting of the 62nd session of the Human Rights Council.
We will now begin the panel discussion on the intensification of efforts to empower women and girls in and through sport held pursuant to council resolution 59 slash 17.
It is my honor to welcome to the podium, miss Awadbo, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, who will deliver an opening statement.
It is also my honor to welcome our distinguished panelists, miss Vera Lucia Isaac Paquet Pedigo, Director of the Labor Governance and Sectoral Policies Department, the International Labor Organization, miss Maria Bin Abdullah Al Aa, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar, miss Celine Van Till, Paralympian and world champion in Pracycling.
Miss Mary Harvey, CEO of the Center for Sports and Human Rights.
Excellency' distinguished participants.
The list of speakers will now close in 15 minutes.
I encourage all speakers to intervene in an interactive way, present comments and ask questions that reflect the panelists intervention and the discussion.
The speaking time limit is 1 minute and 30 seconds for all and the maximum of 40 speakers will be accommodated.
Delegates inscribed on the list of speakers who cannot take the floor because of time constraints can upload their statements to the online system to be posted on the extranet.
I now have the honor to invite the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights to deliver the opening statement.
Madam, you have the floor.
Distinguished Vice President of the Human Rights Council, members of the panel, Excellencies, colleagues, good morning.
Sport embodies many of the principles at the heart of human rights.
Fairness and equality with rules that apply to everyone, inclusion, which makes true greatness possible, altruism and cooperation, which turn individual talent into a skillful and effective team.
The drive for excellence through healthy competition with oneself and with others.
Beyond the vital contribution to health and well being, sports help people acquire life skills that are profoundly useful, discipline, resilience, respect for others, and the confidence to strive for excellence.
This is also a critical path for leadership and for empowerment.
Yet girls and women who seek to participate in grassroots, amateur and professional sports and the governance of sports continue to face a multitude of intersecting barriers.
The regional Consultation on ports and racism convened by our office last year evidence systematic gender based barriers to opportunities, pay, and visibility for women in sports.
In many places, women and girls access to adequate facilities and coaching is limited, reflecting a generalized attitude that their participation in sports is less valuable than men's.
The case of Afghanistan's women's sports teams, which have been forced into exile is especially egregious.
Girls and women with disabilities, as well as those from specific ethnic and racial groups, particularly black or indigenous girls and women, and those with migrant backgrounds, face additional, multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
For example, in some countries, Muslim women and girls are excluded from participation in sports by bans on religious attire, and in others, by requirement that they wear cumbersome clothing that restricts movement.
Gender stereotypes still shape from childhood, who is encouraged to compete and lead? When girls are told directly or indirectly that sports is not for them, that strength and ambition are unfeminine, and that their bodies should be controlled rather than celebrated.
The choices are narrowed long before they reach a playing field.
These attitudes undermine confidence, limit access to training and support and help explain why many girls drop out of sports, especially in adolescence.
Many girls and women continue to face violence, including sexual violence and sexual harassment in the context of sports.
When girls and women master the determination to progress in high level sport, they remain underpaid and are less likely to secure sponsorships or leadership positions.
In this way, stereotypes do not merely reflect inequality in sport, they reproduce it.
Yes, professional sport is expanding rapidly as an economic sector, generating income through salaries, sponsorships, broadcasting, merchandising and leadership roles.
Women's elite sports was worth at least $2.35 billion in 2025.
However, access to these financial gains is still very uneven and the economic empowerment of women and girls through sport is markedly less powerful than for men.
There can be no justification for this.
Last year, the council's resolution 59 slash 17 urged states to take action, action to change mindsets, to develop new laws and policies, to reduce pay gaps, to create facilities and pathways for girls and women's sports, to increase the representation of women in leadership positions, and overall to promote the participation and empowerment of women and girls.
Because all women and all girls have the right to participate freely in sports as part of everyone's right to participate in cultural life.
Our office works extensively to promote the equality of women and girls from strengthening national legal frameworks to promote non discrimination, to working with businesses and trade unions to ensure equal pay for equal work.
We also help to advance gender equality in sports through advocacy and advice to governments and sporting institutions on how they can align their laws and policies with human rights standards.
As our 2020 report on the intersection of race and gender discrimination in sports emphasized, effective empowerment of women in sports requires states to enforce anti discrimination laws, protections, collect deseggregated data, and ensure safe, inclusive environments so that all women and girls can participate in sports equally.
Many girls and women also continue to face violence, including sexual violence, exploitation, and harassment in the context of sports.
Effective empowerment of women in sports requires enforcing anti discrimination protections, collecting disaggregated data, and ensuring safe, inclusive environments so that all women and girls can participate in sports with dignity, equality, without any form of discrimination and without violence.
To this end, it is vital to establish and enforce adequate safeguarding frameworks, including independent confidential reporting channels, impartial investigative mechanisms, and remedy.
The recent reintroduction by some sports governance bodies of long abandoned mandatory genetic sex tests on all women and girls in professional sports raises serious concerns about bodily integrity, informed consent, and privacy.
Our office calls for a return to a more balanced approach to eligibility in women's sports that is based on human rights standards and peer reviewed evidence, avoiding unnecessary blanket exclusions, particularly of trans women and intersex women.
We also urge states and supporting bodies to work with athletes on public education campaigns to countergender stereotypes and racist attitudes, and to address negative portrayals of women and athletes in the media.
We urge sports governing bodies to allow these athletes access to justice and to strengthen protection for athletes under the age of 18.
Human rights law and principles require states and sports federations to uphold everyone's personal autonomy, including both the freedom to choose to wear with religiously significant attire and the freedom to choose not to wear such clothing.
Women and girls are active and powerful agents of change, and the full realization of their rights benefits everyone.
Part of the value and beauty of sports is their capacity to amplify our human rights message of inclusion, of equality, and of dignity.
These are some of the very few human activities that can unify people across the globe.
Let this be true for all people, including all women and all girls.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I will now give the floor to the distinguished panelists for their initial presentations.
I give the floor to miss Vera Lucia Isaac Pat Pedigo.
Thank you.
It's a pleasure and an honor to be here today among elite athletes and other key actors of the world of sports.
Do has been in long relationship with the world of sport and some of our first international standards includes provisions to ensure workers' sport for leisure and recreation.
Dilu is also proud to be a partner together with the Office of Dai Commission for Human Rights of the Center of Sports and Human Rights.
We know that sports can provide a powerful means for women and girls to achieve gender equality and become successful in working and life.
Women and girls who play sports either higher levels of confidence and self esteem and have opportunity to learn about teamwork and to pursue excellence in performance.
Critical skills that are necessary for success at the workplace.
But we know also that discrimination can be one of the things that women can be exposed when being taken in the world of sport.
The violence and harassment and denial of basic labor rights.
I commission just highlighted some of those.
In March this year, Do convened a meeting of experts which adopted guidelines for the promotion of fundamental principle rights at work and the prevention and elimination of violence and harassment for professional athletes.
And these guidelines, which will be submitted for our governing body in November for endorsement are important steps to introduce the principles of international labor law in the sphere of the world of sports, all the while recognizing the wide diversity of the work in sports as well as the autonomy of sports bodies to regulate matters related to sports properly.
These guidelines are an important tool to promote empower women and girls through sports.
So let me give you a glance of what is these guidelines.
These guidelines recognize that freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining are the cornston for athletes labor rights.
This principle has been especially important for women athletes to negotiate better working conditions in sports as we have seen in such a sports as women football.
It was also a guidelines that protect children.
In this regard, the guidelines call for ensuring the provision of education for young athletes, the regulation on sport academy, and setting out minimum age and safety requirements for athletes, including for sports that may pose danger to children.
Looking into the gender equality, it is significant to challenge that this is a challenge for women.
The guidelines encourage governments to promote equal terms and conditions of work for female athletes, as well as equal remuneration for professional athletic work of equal value.
Specifically, they call for consideration of factors such as poor performance, market value, growth potential, and contribution to social development in determining the value for work.
But these guidelines also look at the protection.
The guidelines also look at appropriate and adequate maternity protection and parental leave, including the right to return to port after maternity leave.
Finally, the guidelines call for gender appropriate occupational health care and support services.
This is calling also to mental health, the mental health of athletes that can face related to competition pressure, public scrutiny, risk of abroad career ends and violence and harassment.
In relation to violence harassment, including gender based violence harassment, which has plagued the sport sector, the guidelines call for developing and implementing trauma informed safeguarding policies and procedures, including reporting mechanisms and promoting zero tolerance of violence and harassment against athletes in sport.
To conclude, Mr.
Chair, I would like just to remind that this June two weeks ago, the IO International Conference, which has the IOS constituents, one and its 87 member states had a general discussion on gender issues and when reaffirmed that equality as a human rights and core of the ILO mandate.
Fighting for equal rights of women and girls in the world of sport will be an important part of this strategy.
And I hope the guidelines we outlined today will serve as useful tool for all to promote safe sport for women and girls, and I look forward to collaborating later on this.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I now give the floor to miss Maria Bint Abdullah Al Aa.
You have the floor, Madam.
Thank you.
Saba Good morning, everyone.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, peace be upon you.
Thank you for convening this important panel discussion on women and girls and through sport.
As sport is recognized as human rights, we will also reaffirm the importance of the Human Rights Council resolution 15 1959, rather, on 17 intensifying efforts to empower women and girls and through sport.
It represents an important step to advance gender equality, expand the participation of women and girls, and harness sport as an effective tool for the empowerment and achievement of SDGs, particularly Five, goal five, despite the progress achieved globally in this field, women and girls continue to face challenges that hinder therefore an equal participation.
One of the most significant of these challenges remains the failure to accord women's sport the recognition it deserves, reflected in gaps in pay and opportunities, limited investment and sponsorship, the under representation of women in leadership and decision making positions, as well as the persistence of social and cultural stereotypes that restrict the full enjoyment of their sporting rights.
At the same time, women athletes around the world have demonstrated women's ability to excel and lead in sport in this context.
Greater attention must be given to certain groups of women and girls who face additional challenges in sport.
Women with disabilities continue to encounter barriers related to social stigma and limited access to sports facilities and programs.
Similarly, women in certain social and cultural contexts face challenges affecting their participation in sport due to wearing the hijab, despite the fact that many hijab wearing athletes have demonstrated that it is not a barrier to sporting success.
We therefore call for the promotion of more inclusive sporting environments that respect cultural and religious diversity and ensure equal opportunities for all.
Challeges are particularly evident for women and girls living in poverty, marginalized situations or armed conflict settings where limited resources and inadequate infrastructure may restrict access to sport and its positive benefits.
The destruction of sports facilities and infrastructure resulting from armed conflict further exacerbates the challenges faced by women and girls and limits their opportunities to participate in sporting activities.
We therefore stress importance of adopting policies and programs that guarantee equal opportunities and expand access to sport as a human right and a tool for empowerment, while developing innovative solutions that ensure the continuity of sporting activities under different circumstances.
We also encourage greater representation of women in sports leadership and governance, ensuring their participation both on the field and in decision making positions at the same time.
There remains a need to provide a safe and inclusive sporting environments by combating discrimination, violence, and harassment and by strengthening protection, accountability and support mechanisms to ensure safe and equal participation for women and girls.
National human rights institutions play a pivotal role in this regard through monitoring the challenges faced by women and girls in sports, reviewing relevant legislation and policies, providing recommendations, raising awareness of rights, and working with governments, sports bodies, and local communities to promote equality and empower women and girls in and through sport.
In the state of Qatar, women's participation in sport has witnessed remarkable progress over recent decades.
The establishment of the Qatar Women's Sports Committee in 2000 contributed to expanding women's participation and creating opportunities for women and girls to engage in a wide range of sporting activities and competitions.
Today, Qatari women represent the state of Qatar in the various national teams and sporting competitions reflecting the progress achieved in enhancing participation and ensuring equal opportunities.
The National Human Rights Committee also follows issues related to equality, non discrimination, and accessibility, and supports national efforts aimed at enhancing the participation of women and girls across different areas of sport in line with the human rights principles and equal opportunities.
Further, Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 represented a significant milestone that reinforced this position as a global sporting hub and contributed to promoting the values of respect diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities, including women and girls through the sporting legacy created by this global event.
The National Human Rights Committee further affirms that the principles in resolution 59/17 are receiving growing attention through legislative and regulatory frameworks that support participation, prohibit discrimination, and promote safer and more inclusive sporting environments.
We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and all relevant stakeholders to support the implementation of resolution 59 17 on the promotion of more inclusive, equitable, safe, and empowering sporting environments for women and girls around the world.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Thank you so much.
I now give the floor to miss Celine Van Til.
You have the floor, Madam.
Thank you.
Perfect.
Thank you.
Excellent, colleagues and friends, thank you, Mr.
Vice President for having me here with you.
I am pleased to be part of this discussion.
I will share my experience as an athlete and my journey to becoming a four times world champion and a double Paralympic champion in Paris 2024.
As a little girl, I was very shy.
I was often put aside as other boys claimed to be much stronger and smarter than me.
No one except my family believed in me and I had to fight to make my own place in sports and life.
With a lot of hard work, I got selected in the Swiss Juniors horse riding team.
During my competitions, I was never paid.
For individual sport, we are almost never paid.
During my training, I was able to communicate effectively with both my personal and national coaches.
However, I found it difficult to fully trust the coaching environments as athlete well being not always appeared to be a priority with greater emphasis placed on performance outcomes, and financial gains.
I was also unpaid and I observed clear gender based disparities in compensation with women coaches not receiving pay equal to their counterparts, despite similar responsibilities and contribution.
Later, I suffered from severe brain injury due to a sports accident.
I was in coma for one month.
I was partially quadriplegic.
I could not move my hands and my legs anymore.
I recovered slowly, but I'm still living with an invisible disability.
I still have difficulties of balance, coordinations, and I am half blind.
As a top athlete in Pracycling, para athletics, and Par equestrian, I faced many challenges in order to be included.
My disability makes every moment more difficult and every movement harder than it is for anyone else.
Para sport requires huge efforts by persons with disabilities to make it to the sports world.
People do not recognize the real performance of persons with disabilities.
We get built.
We need to prove ourselves all the time, just to be treated equally with respect.
Only when I won European and world titles, I started receiving respect from others, but it is, of course, not the case for many other athletes with disabilities.
I want to show other girls despite all the challenges that this is possible.
In para sports, competing with other athletes with disabilities feels like the right place to be.
I feel protected and respected.
The space enabled me to start my journey for better inclusion for women and girls, especially those with a disability.
I started to promote equal rights through sports, but also in politics and in the Swiss Army.
As I was the first officer with a disability in the Swiss Army.
I was also elected as a member of Geneva Parliament in 2023.
I worked hard to include women and girls through politics in all spheres of life.
As vice president of Antip International Swiss, I am every day impressed by the resilience of many women and girls around the world.
We need to give women and girls more visibility and the platforms to share their stories.
To conclude, sports allow to empower everyone.
I thank you.
Thank you so much.
I now give the floor to miss Mary Harvey.
State by video.
Thank you to the Human Rights Council and to the Office of the High Commissioner for convening this critical discussion.
I thank the core group led by Qatar and including Morocco and Indonesia for bringing this issue to the Human Rights Council.
It is a welcome initiative, indeed, to place the empowerment of women and girls through sport within the Human Rights agenda.
Sport has an unparalleled power to empower.
It drives the 2030 agenda, particularly SDG five on gender equality.
Yet, as resolution 59 17 reminds us, we cannot fully leverage sport to combat discrimination when sport itself remains a site of profound inequality.
Because the reality for women and girls in sport is a paradox.
While we celebrate their incredible triumphs on the field, behind the scenes, deep seated power dynamics, harmful stereotypes, and systemic exclusion persist.
If we want sport to empower, we must first protect the human rights of those who play it.
To truly respect, protect, and fulfill these rights, we must dismantle the barriers that hold women and girls back.
First, we must close the gender pay gap.
Without equal pay and equitable access to resources, women athletes are forced to juggle multiple jobs, starving them of the time and energy needed to train.
True equality also requires basic dignified protections like universal maternity leave.
So women never have to choose between motherhood and their sporting careers.
Second, representation matters.
Women and girls must also have pathways into coaching, officiating, and administration, and particularly decision making.
When women chair only a tiny fraction of international sport federations, decisions are made without their voices.
States and sport organizations must implement equality driven initiatives, laws, and national action plans to ensure women are not just on the field, but at every table where sport is governed and decisions are being made.
Third, we must invest in infrastructure.
Empowering girls requires safe, accessible facilities and equal capacity building opportunities at the grassroots level.
Major sport events must be assessed by the opportunities they create after the final whistle.
This means that legacy should not be measured by what was built, but by who benefits from it.
Fourth, empowerment must begin early.
Safeguarding is not only about preventing harm, it is about creating conditions in which girls can enter sports safely, stay in it, and thrive.
This means age appropriate protection, trusted reporting mechanisms, and environments where young people are supported, not exposed.
Ultimately, equity is meaningless without safety.
We cannot talk about empowerment if women and girls are subjected to discrimination, harassment and abuse, both on the pitch and online.
And when we talk about inclusion, we must mean all women and girls, those with disabilities, those from migrant and refugee communities, and those facing compounded vulnerabilities at the intersection of gender, race, and circumstance.
At the Center for Sport and Human Rights, we emphasize that harm free sport is a fundamental right.
The center is built on the conviction that sport can be a more equitable version of itself, where the voices of communities are heard and heed, where risks to people are identified, prevented, and mitigated, and where there are effective resolutions when things go wrong.
We call this responsible sport, and none of this is abstract.
Last year, coinciding with the UEFA Women's Bureau 2025 in Switzerland, we hosted a high level symposium on decent work and responsible event hosting in women's sport.
We did this with the International Labor Organization.
A core part of our work is to develop practical tools to help sport bodies mitigate risks and make sports safe.
For example, we built a guidance called the roadmap to remedy after survivors and whistleblowers of sexual abuse in sport told us again and again that the channels meant to address abuse were unsafe and did not work.
So let us work together, states, sports federations, and civil society to create a sporting world that is safe, fair, and truly equal for every woman and girl.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Excellencies, dear participants, we will now proceed with the first segment of the list of speakers.
All interventions from the floor are limited to 1 minute and 30 seconds.
The list of speakers is now closed.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union.
You have the floor.
Mr.
Vice President, the EU thanks the panelists for the valuable contributions.
Sport is more than competition.
It is a powerful vehicle for resilience, leadership, and solidarity.
Yet, while the world is watching the Football World Cup, how many people can we name as the winners of the 2023 Women's World Cup? The answer illustrates a persistent reality.
Unequal visibility leads to unequal opportunities, unequal investment, and unequal pay.
According to UN Women, no woman featured amongst the fifth highest paid athletes in 2025.
This reflects deep structural inequalities within the world of sport that are compounded by multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including those based on visibility, race, sexual orientation, and religion.
Safe and inclusive sporting environments are therefore a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of human rights by all.
The Euroan Commission's high level Group on gender equality and Sport published a comprehensive action plan in 2022 covering participation, coaching, leadership, economic aspects of sport, media coverage, and gender based violence.
Furthermore, the EU Council of Europe All I plus Project supports policymaking on gender equality in sports.
In light of these considerations, my question is, how can governments foster and encourage the advancement of gender equality in sport in international sports governing bodies? I thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Luxeburg on behalf of a group of countries.
Mr.
Vice President, distinguished panelists, I delivered this statement on behalf of our longstanding Benelux Union, Belgium, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and my own country, Luxebourg.
We align with the statement of the European Union.
Sport is a powerful tool for the achievement of gender equality as it promotes health, confidence, and leadership.
It can also support the achievement of SDGs, in particular, SDG five.
Yet barriers remain.
Women and girls in all diversity still face discrimination, unequal opportunities, and are subjected to different forms of gender based violence in sports.
Their participation is often limited.
They remain underrepresented in leadership positions, and they receive less public recognition and pay.
Benex is committed to ensuring safe and inclusive sports.
We stress the need for equal access to facilities and opportunities.
We also support stronger measures to prevent and address the harassment and abuse that women and girls may face in sports and advocate for a safe environment.
Further underlined the importance of strengthening women's leadership in sports.
While this approach requires sustained and coherent investment in the training and mentoring of women and girls, its success depends equally on the removal of structural barriers.
An inclusive and intersectional approach must guide all policies in particular to support girls in vulnerable situations.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bahrain on behalf of the GCC via video.
Shad Majand Khan Arab Abdilpasir Jambar Mohamed, Ming Thank you.
We welcome the holding of this panel.
As regards intensification of efforts to empower women and girls, sport is important for human development and to consolidate the values of participation, inclusion and equal opportunities.
The GCC countries have paid increased attention to empowering women and girls in various fields, including sports through the development of national policies and the expansion of opportunities for participation.
It is crucial to have a safe, inclusive, free sports environment, which is free from all forms of discrimination, violence, and exploitation so that women and girls may enjoy their full rights and participate actively in sports and in the opportunities provided by sports in the fields of education, health and social and economic development.
We must address the challenges that limit the full participation of women girls in sports, including structural and social barriers and enhance access to sports facilities and training programs with particular attention to girls with disabilities and the most vulnerable.
In this context, we believe that it is crucial to exchange experience and best practice among countries and contribute to enhancing the participation of women and girls in society.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Qatar on behalf of a group of countries.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group, HR resolution 59 slash 17, compromise on Qatar, Indonesia, and Morocco.
In the beginning, I would like also to thank the Deputy High Commission for addressing the panel and the panelists for sharing their insights and expertise in this topic.
Sport is a powerful tool for promoting human rights tolerance, leadership, and equal opportunities.
It contributes to the empowerment of women and girls and support and the achievement of many SDGs, particularly SDG five.
However, as many stressed, significant challenges remain.
Women and ers continue to face structural barriers and accessing the sport and the sports institutions, including discriminations and equal access to resources and opportunities, under representation in leadership and decision making positions, and equal pay as well as harassment and violence in sporting environment.
This resolution calls for intensified efforts to ensure the full equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in sport.
We encourage state, sport organization, and all relevant stakeholders to strengthen policies and measures that promote equally safe sporting environment, equal opportunities and accountability.
We as a core group, reaffirm our commitment to advancing the rights and empowerment of women and girls through a sport.
We are looking forward to the outcomes of this discussion.
Finally, let me give a special thank you for the athlete fan for her courage story.
Within listening to your story, we would like to assure you that we are here to think for you and to think for finding solutions for thousands of women who are suffering in sport and be sure that count and us that we will be one day supporting you and promoting you in sport and empowering you in sport.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kenya on behalf of the African group.
Mr.
Vice President, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African group.
The African group welcomes this important discussion and thanks the panelists for their valuable contributions.
We recognize sports as a powerful catalyst for gender equality, social inclusion, and sustainable development, consistent with the Agenda 2063, the Africa we W.
In this regard, sports remains an important vehicle for advancing SDG five and the empowerment of women and girls.
However, significant barriers continue to limit the meaningful participation of women and girls in sports.
These include unequal access to resources, infrastructure, and economic opportunities, as well as under representation in leadership and decision making positions.
Investment in safe, accessible and inclusive sporting facilities remains essential to ensuring that women and girls, including those with disabilities, can fully participate and safely in sports.
We also recognize the importance of increasing women's representation in sports leadership and governance.
In this regard, initiatives such as the African Union Sports Council Women Leadership Program are contributing to efforts to equip women, including women with disabilities with skills and opportunities necessary to assume leadership roles in sports, in conclusion.
Persistent inequalities, including unequal pay, limited professional opportunities, and inadequate maternity protections remain a concern.
Equally important is the need to create sporting environments free from discrimination, harmful stereotypes, harassment and abuse through accessible victim centered reporting and accountability mechanism for violations.
I do thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of UN Women on behalf of a group of UN agencies.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
This statement is delivered on behalf of UN women, UNFPA and URtz.
You recall that sports can be a powerful pathway for women and girls to exercise agency, build leadership, and strengthen health and well being, but only when grounded in human rights, gender equality, and non discrimination for all women and girls and all their diversity.
Yet they continue to face structural barriers that limit their meaningful participation in sports, including discriminatory norms and stereotypes, harassment and abuse, unequal pay, media visibility and investment, inadequate protections for pregnancy, parenthood and care responsibilities, and exclusion from leadership and decision making.
These barriers are compounded for women and girls facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
States, sports bodies and partners must create the conditions for all women and girls to participate, lead, and thrive in sport.
This requires safe, inclusive and accessible environments, robust safeguarding, decent work and equal pay, health support, including sexual and reproductive health and representation and governance.
Policies governing participation, including eligibility regulations must be evidence based, transparent, balanced, and rights respecting.
They must safeguard dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy, and avoid invasive testing practices and blanket or discriminatory exclusions.
Fairness, inclusion, and non discrimination are mutually reinforcing and enable all women and girls to participate fully, me equally, and realize their rights through sport.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Man Rahim Sasa.
Mr.
President, I'm Rahim Sabi, a volleyball coach in Iran in the small town of Lamed.
On February 28th, 2026, I was training ten to 11-year-old girls when suddenly we had an explosion and thousands of shrapnel pieces rained down on our sports hall.
Helm, my dear student, her family's only child, screamed in her final moments, Coach, my heart.
Alham, my 11-year-old student, said in tears, Coach, help.
But both were martyred.
The football children on the grass field next to us were also martyred with their coach.
These American war crimes brought thousands of martyrs and wounded.
Not a single one of them was military.
One of the girls lost their eyesight, another lost her ability to speak.
Another one of my girls, even after four months, still has her intestines exposed.
Come to the town of Lambert to see these are living witnesses of war crimes.
The New York Times revealed that the US Army tested these missiles on the people of our town Lambert for the first time in the world.
This prohibited weapon of mass destruction contains 180,000 pieces of shrapnel.
Today, you're powering women's sports.
This is exactly what I have been doing in my town Lam, for 20 years.
But instead of medals, America has put shrapnel on the chests of our girls and left the game unfinished.
This is a terrible war crime.
Thank you for your attention.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cyprus.
Thank you, Vice President.
I thank the panelists for their presentations.
We agree on the need to leverage the transformative power of sports.
When we protect and promote a girl or a woman's right to participate in sports, we invest in her development both on and off the field.
By denying or restricting access, we encourage the systematic restriction of their fundamental freedoms, thus reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes that historically dictated which spaces girls and women are permitted to occupy.
With this in mind, Cyprus adopted the 24 26 National action plan focused on the following pillars, democratizing governance and institutional power within the sporting domain, promoting change in educational systems by embedding gender sensitive approaches directly into our education curriculum, eradicating harassment and guaranteeing safety in accordance with the Istanbul Convention, whilst reinforcing a strict accountability mechanism to guarantee that every athletic facility is a sanctuary of dignity, safety, and mutual respect.
In addition, a female athlete has been appointed as the first ambassador for gender equality in sports, reinforcing our commitment to fostering inclusivity and equal opportunities within the sporting sector.
Sports is a microcosms of society.
By permitting systemic inequality, discrimination, and violence to persist unchallenged on the playing field, we undermine our collective efforts to protect human rights off the field.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Armenia via video.
I am a woman International chess grandmaster Maria Geir from Armenia.
I'm here today not just as a grandmaster, but as a living testament to what happens when you give a young girl a chess board.
I'm proud that in December 2019, upon the initiative of Armenia, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that designated 20 July as World Chess Day as recognizing the virtue of this unique intellectual sport and contributing to the atmosphere of tolerance and advancing the culture of peace.
In my homeland, chess can certainly be regarded as a deeply rooted element of national culture, building on rich chess traditions and the legacy of prominent Armenian chess players, including Tigram Petrosa and the ninth world chess champion, Armenia has ness and boasts equally renowned national teams for both men and women.
Not surprisingly, Armenia became the first country in the world to introduce chess as a mandatory subject in primary.
Apart from my training, it enables thousands of talented boys and girls, including those with disabilities to discover the exciting world of sport, promotes self realization and why not inspire to choose a future profession.
On the 64 squares of the board, your gender cannot dictate your next move.
This became my passion, my profession, and my mission for life.
It taught me how to step out of the shadows, manifest my strength, and claim my space.
Therefore, my message to every girl, sport can be your gateway to empowerment.
You are the grandmasters of your own destiny.
Build your strategy, protect your queens, and make your move for sustainable future.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Monaco.
Thank you.
For Monaco, sport is much more than just a physical activity.
It is a lever for equality, inclusion, social cohesion, and sustainable development.
In line with this vision, The principality co chairs in New York, the group of Friends of Sport for Sustainable Development.
One of his priorities is to promote safe and equal access to support for women and girls.
This diplomatic commitment to sport has earned Monaco the designation of capital of port in 2025.
At the national level, the prince's government paid particular attention to access for women and girls to sport from an early age, both in schools and in clubs.
Thus, sports facilities and schools ensure equal access time for girls and boys and the national education system ensures that girls play all sports in order to normalize their presence in all disciplines from childhood.
In addition, the Sports Association of Monaco includes women's sections in almost all disciplines.
However, we are aware that women and girls around the world continue to face significant barriers in sport, including access, addressing stereotypes and representation in sports bodies.
In this context, my delegation would like to hear the panelists' views regarding the priority actions to be implemented in order to ensure more equal, inclusive and sustainable access to sport for women and girls.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of South Africa.
Thank you, Vice President.
My delegation would like to thank the panelists for the insightful presentation on this important topic.
South African women and girls account for more than 51% of the country's population and have made significant contributions to a transformed and democratic South Africa.
The full participation of women and girls in all aspects of life form a cornerstone of development and prosperity.
SDG five, which focuses on achieving gender equality and empowerment of all women, cuts across all 17 SDGs, particularly where sports is used as a vehicle for development.
Gender inclusion that fosters gender equality and fair resource distribution will make inroads into closing the gender gap.
For this very reason that in 2019, South Africa presented a consensus resolution on the elimination of discrimination against women in sports.
This resolution urged sports bodies to ensure policies align with human rights and to appeal rules forcing women athletes into unnecessary medical procedures to compete.
Mr.
Vice President, South Africa is intensifying efforts to empower women and girls in and through sports via the women in Sports Policy framework, backed by a 250 million rands government investment in integrating women's sports in schools, communities, and this is in partnership with corporate This framework is addressing the multiple intersecting gender disparities, unequal pay, safeguarding women and girls from all forms of abuse and discrimination in sports settings.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Finland.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
I am the United Nations Youth Delegate of Finland.
I would like us to pause for a moment and think about a young girl whose biggest dream is to become a professional athlete.
Why should she have fewer opportunities than a boy with the same dream? Everyone who has ever had a true passion knows how painful it is when obstacle stands between a person and their dream.
Unfortunately, even today, many girls have fewer opportunities in sport simply because they're girls.
Sport is about much more than physical activity.
It builds confidence, resilience, leadership, and teamwork.
When girls do not have the same opportunities as boys, we limit not only their dreams, but also their opportunity to reach their full potential.
My question to the panelists is, what is the single most important action we can take to ensure that girls in all their diversity can dream as freely and as boldly as boys? Because every athlete, every leader, and every achievement begins with a dream.
When a girl's opportunities are limited simply because she's a girl, we risk losing talent, leaders, and achievements that the world may never see.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belarus.
We welcome the distinguished speakers on the discussion of the important topic of women's girls and sport.
Public health, the development of physical culture and sports are one of the priority areas of social policy in Belarus.
Women and girls are actively involved in development of sports in the country and demonstrate good results in international competitions, including the Olympic Games.
42 of the 47 national teams at the international level include women, including in such sports as Judo, karate, Sambo, weightlifting, shooting Bthlen Pentathlon.
This is confirmed by the accessibility of all sports to women in Belarus.
Favorable conditions for the involvement of women girls and sports and those with disabilities are ensured through the construction and maintenance of health and sports centers like athletics, organizational sports clubs for children and The holding of mass sports festivals and events throughout the country, including in small towns.
We welcome the decision taken by the IOC Executive Board and made this year to lift all restrictions on Belarusian athletes at international competitions.
We urge the organizers of the competition not to create artificial barriers in the form of visa restrictions.
Sports should serve peace, development, and friendship and not be instrumentalized for political purposes.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Council of Europe.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
The Council of Europe is a pioneer in promoting human rights and gender mainstreaming in sport.
This is set forth in the European Sports Charter and highlighted in the work of the enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport EPS.
Monitoring of gender data is an ongoing concern, and we have six thematic indicators allowing for comparability of data, ranging from leadership to policies and programs addressing gender equality.
These indicators are regularly used by other organizations and under the joint EUCOE Project All in plus, data was collected using these indicators across 21 jurisdictions.
This will be repeated every five years, enabling the Council of Europe to assist member states when setting priorities and implementing measures.
Currently, the Joint European Union Council of Europe Project Active and Equal is being implemented, focusing on the specificity of women and girls health in sport, helping thereby to combat high dropout rates.
A training module we developed to capacity building.
EPS continually draws attention to the subject, especially through its annual breakfast Roundtable and through the work of its gender equality rapporteurs who actively promote gender mainstreaming in its committees.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
I will now turn to the list of speakers for national Human Rights institutions and non governmental organizations.
I give the floor to the representative of the National Council of Human Rights of Morocco.
Okay.
President.
Mr.
President, we welcome the organization of this debate which highlights potential dimension, the empowerment of women girls in the context of sports.
For us, sport is a privileged means of strengthening the protection of women's rights.
For example, as part of the preparation of the 2013 World Cup, we developed an analytical study on human rights studies issues with a specific chapter on the rights of women and girls.
We also entered into a partnership with the 2013 Morocco Foundation to integrate human rights into sports governance in the planning phase and have contributed to the development of Morocco's human rights strategy presented to FIFA which provides inter alea for the strengthened mechanisms for reporting violence against women and girls.
On the other hand, we wish to recall through this debate that the empowerment of women can only be designed through the adoption of a legislative framework and public policies that guarantee an effective representation of women's sports decision making bodies, ensuring fair and non discriminatory remuneration, the adaptation of sports infrastructure to meet the specific needs of women and girls and fighting gender stereotypes, valuing women's careers, and successes as vectors of inspiration for young girls and removing obstacles, limiting women's access.
To certain sports disciplines.
Finally, we recommend that states and organizations working in the field of sport consulting involve national human rights institutions and development, implementation, and monitoring of their policies and programs in order to ensure a human rights based approach while paying particular attention to women and girls with disabilities, as well as migrant women.
Thank you.
Speakers are kindly reminded about speed.
Thank you.
I'd like to kindly remind speakers to slow down and speak in a moderate speed so that our interpreters will be able to do their job.
I'd like now to give the floor to the representative of China NGO Network for international exchanges.
You have the floor.
Mr.
President, China NGO Network for International Exchanges attaches great importance to empowering women and girls through sports.
I would like to share the story of miss Yang Yang, Vice President of our organization.
Miss Yang Yang is China's first winter Olympic gold medalist, as well as the first woman ever to serve on the International Skating Union's Council.
After retirement, she took on the role of UNHCR goodwill ambassador.
She has also championed athletic excise for girls living with disabilities, rolling out training programs.
She founded the Center for Research on women in sports in China's women's University, which hosts academic dialogues exploring how athletics can dismantle gender constraints and empower women.
Her journey illustrates that sports does far more than strengthen women's bodies.
It can also culcate grit and ambition.
Promoting development through sports and advancing human rights via development stands as a core objective of our organization's work.
As a consortium of Chinese civil society entities dedicated to international exchanges and cooperation, we firmly believe and stand ready to work with all sectors of society to empower women and girls, thus contributing actively to the delivery of the UN SDG.
Thank you, President.
Thank you so much.
I now give the floor to the Representative of Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism intervention by video.
Mr.
President, we reaffirm all the provisions of the Human Rights Council resolution 17 59, which underscores the empowerment of women and girls in through sport, calls for an end to violence and discrimination and demands the creation of a safe and enabling environment for their full participation.
Yet shortly before the adoption of this resolution on 8th of July 2025 until today, a number of female athletes have been killed and injured as a direct result of two separate military aggressions carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran.
During this aggressions, 211 sports facilities across various provinces have sustained damages.
The total number of athletes victims in these two worlds has reached 203 of whom 16 are women.
Among them are todd hygiene mid and 80-year-old gymnasts di shops, mounts and cyclists, New South Guideline pla instructor and ma and 39-year-old taekwondo athlete.
Most devastating tragedy, however, occurred on 28th of February 2026 when American resources struck the exports hold in the city of La during the practice sesion of the girls volleyball team and homicide and homicide along with 21 others were killed.
In accordance with the widespread of this resolution, the victims of these atrocities demand protection, condemnation and full accountability for the perpetrators of these crimes against humanity.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of Action, Canada for Population and Development.
Thank you, President.
Action Canada delivered this statement on behalf of the SRI.
Sport plays an important role in the lives of women and girls in all the diversity.
It can foster confidence, leadership, health, participation, and belonging.
However, to truly empower women and girls through sports, we must ensure that sporting spaces are accessible, inclusive, and safe for everyone.
These include transgender and gender diverse people.
Empowerment cannot be achieved through exclusion.
Across regions, restrictions on transgender women's and girls participation in sports are undermining the rights to privacy and dignity.
Recent developments in Canada illustrate this challenge.
Alberta's Furness and Safety and Sports Act prohibits transgender women and girls from participating in women's sports and requires schools and sport organizations to collect sensitive personal information.
Such measures risk outing transgender and gender diversity and creates environments of surveillance.
Rather than protecting women and girls, these practices subject them to increased scrutiny based on their bodies and identities.
We are also concerned about the lack of accountability of powerful sport federations and corporate actors who often use major sporting events to project narratives of progress while obscuring ongoing human rights violations.
Sporting institutions must be held accountable for the broader social and human rights impacts of their actions.
The empowerment of women and girls in all the diversity cannot be limited to their participation in sport.
It must extend to all aspects of their lives.
Without inclusion equality and human rights, empowerment through sports remains incomplete.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of in Sogi NPC for a joint statement intervention by video.
Vice President, my name is Nikola Wald.
I'm from Panama and today I'm speaking on behalf of the Week for the Defense of Human Rights of trans people.
We appreciate holding this panel, and we reaffirm that sport can transform lives, strengthen communities, and contribute to empowerment women and girls.
From the Latin American perspective, it is important to recognize that women and girls, mainly rural and indigenous communities, especially continue to face barriers and access to sports and safe spaces which are needed for their development.
These obstacles affect trans women, intersex people, and gender diverse people even more severely, who often experience multiple discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sporting practice.
We're concerned by the increase in restrictive practices and measures and practices to limit the participation of trans women intersex women in sports.
If we want to build a truly safe and inclusive sports environment, then we must ensure that all people can have access to sport regardless of their gender identity, sexual characteristics, and others.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of World Jewish Congress.
You have the floor.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
The World Jews Congress welcomes this timely panel discussion.
While we celebrate the progress made towards achieving equality for female athletes, we must directly confront the deep seated structural barriers, funding disparities, and toxic stereotypes that continue to hold women and girls back from full, equal and meaningful participation in sports, leadership, and athletic governance.
True equality in sport cannot be achieved without an inclusive approach that actively combats discrimination knowledge forms.
Female Jewish athletes, this reality is often compounded by complex intersectional forms of discrimination.
On the field and online, they face the pervasive glass ceiling of gender bias intersecting with targeted vitralic anti Semitism and religious exclusion.
This hostile environment threatens not only their human rights, but also their physical safety and mental well being.
To confront this directly, the World Jews Congress launched the Together Through Sport Initiative.
This long term program mobilizes sports governing bodies, clubs, and civil society to leverage the universal power of sport to combat hatred, racism, and anti Semitism.
Sports should be the ultimate equalizer, a space defined entirely by merit, dignity, and mutual respect, free from any form of harassment.
My question to the panelists is, with anti Semitism at post Holocaust high levels, how can International Sports Federation and human rights mechanisms better collaborate to implement explicit intersectional reporting mechanisms that protect women athletes who face multilayer discrimination based both on their gender and their religious or ethnic identity.
I thank you.
Thank you.
We have exhausted the first segment of the list of speakers.
We will now proceed with the second segment of the list of speakers, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Indonesia.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
As a member of the core group behind this resolution, Indonesia thanks the distinguished panelists for their insightful interventions.
We believe that human rights gain the legitimacy when universal principles are upheld through diverse legal systems and national institutional traditions and sport can act as a powerful equalizer, bredaching the universal aspiration of equality with distinct national realities, reinforcing shared efforts to empower women and girls while respecting national contexts.
In a fragmented international environment, these unifying bridges are more important than ever.
Domestically, Indonesia has also made efforts to implement gender mainstreaming across national policies, including sports to ensure that women and girls have equal opportunities to participate, compete, and lead.
Mr.
Vice President, to conclude, we would suggest two paths that we should take as a way forward.
First, we must foster national ownership, Frameworks and guidelines must serve as a flexible tools that align with severe laws and local contexts.
For this, we echo the panel's emphasis on utilizing national human rights institutions to review domestic policies.
Second, we should also address practical gaps, focusing on tangible outcomes that respond to local needs such as expanding physical infrastructure, booting grassroots capacity, and ensuring safe, supportive environments for women and girls.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.
Thank you, President.
We welcome the discussion today.
Sports is a universal tool for developing social connections, respectful dialogue, interest of both genders and non discrimination.
Russia creates all necessary conditions for active leisure and for maintaining women's health, including in the physical culture and sport development strategy to 2030, with a set of measures to attract women of different age groups and professions and women with limited abilities to regular sport.
In recent years, the pressure on Russian sportsmen has, however, reached increasing levels with the exclusion from international sporting movements, which is ethnic discrimination.
Russian athletes are not able to participate under their own flag abroad.
There have been some positive moves, however, In addition, we are pleased that the traditional understanding of competitions for women and men is now returning, which is the only honest norm in sport.
We note the spirit of the Olympics and the openness to all athletes regardless of nationality, race or ethnic origin, and other factors.
This must be maintained.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sudan.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
Sports remains a health and cultural necessity.
It is also an important prelude to empower women and girls, given the economic and developmental dimensions of it.
It can also promote culture and tourism.
Sports as such is no more a luxury activity.
We thank the pen holders of resolution 59/17, which has been an important and exceptional initiative to highlight sports as a right to empower women.
Women and girls must be engaged in sports and cultural stereotyping must be addressed.
Awareness raising must be also made at the institutional and societal level to address discrimination spending on sports infrastructure and activities is no more prioritized in government spending due to different considerations.
The direct outcome of this panel discussion will definitely foster sports as a prelude to empower women.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia.
Sabre is Tabak.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
We welcome holding this panel.
Empire women and girls in sport is an investment in human beings in public health, and in sustainable development.
It is an important tool to promote participation and the enjoyment of human rights.
Since the Kingdom's vision 2030, the Kingdom has witnessed a shift in women's participation in sports.
It has increased by more than 150%, and today more than 330,000 girls and women are signed up in sport activities.
This empowerment is also seen through positions of leadership and sports decision making as the sports system now has over 500 women's sports centers and 104 female members of the Sports board of Directors.
We participate in regional and international competitions, and women today compete globally and have high rankings, which allows the empowerment of women.
Sports have changed in Saudi Arabia and the number of participants has increased from 3,500 to more than 15,000 female participants.
In Saudi Arabia, there have also been changes regarding going from participation to actually building an integrated sports system that includes education, leadership, and international representation.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Costa Rica.
Thank you, Vice President.
Costa Rica is pleased to take part in this panel.
The role of sport within society is fundamental as it fosters social cohesion, it promotes healthy lifestyles and rinks and strengthens community resilience.
It is a catalyst of social transformation.
Costa Rica recognizes that in spite of progress made so far, there are still structural challenges that limit the full empowerment of women and girls in sports.
My country is of the view that states have an obligation to take active measures in order to ensure that sports are safe, inclusive, and empowering space for women and girls without discrimination.
Removing all barriers and stigmas that limit women and girls participation in sport is essential to promote their human rights, ensure gender equality, and sustainable development.
When women and girls play sports, they strengthen their autonomy, they develop leadership skills, they improve their physical and mental well being, and they contribute to the social fabric of their communities.
When a girl sees a woman succeed in sport, it broadens her understanding of what is possible for her.
In Costa Rica, the Commission for Sport Women and Recreation, known as Cou Harris was created, and it's committed to identifying gender inequalities and developing actions aimed at narrowing opportunity gaps, eliminating harassment in sport, and guaranteeing the right of athletes and officials.
The council seeks one simple goal.
Sports should be an area where every girl and woman can belong, compete, and lead.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Dominica.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
Dominica welcomes this important panel discussion and thanks to distinguished panelists for their valuable insights.
Dominica recognizes sports as a powerful driver of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
In this regard, the government has taken steps to expand opportunities for women and girls in sports, including through investments in sporting infrastructure, support for women's national teams, and recognition of women and girl athletes, including the appointments of our first Olympic gold medalist as an international sports ambassador.
Nevertheless acknowledge that women and girls in sports across the globe continue to face significant challenges, including unequal access to opportunities, under representation in leadership and decision making rules, and exposure to discrimination and abuse.
We further recognize that addressing these challenges requires not only efforts to increase participation, but also sustained measures to remove structural barriers, foster safe sporting environments, and ensure the full equal and meaningful participation of women and girls at all sporting levels.
Mr.
Vice President, we look forward to the High Commissioner's report and to forging partnerships that complement and reinforce ongoing efforts.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Syrian Arab Republic.
We would like to thank the OHCHR for organizing this panel discussion, I panel discussion.
We also thank the women panelists for their enriching remarks.
We highly value the efforts that led to the adoption of resolution 59/17 of the Human Rights Council and the ensuing initiatives to empower women and girls.
Sports is an important tool to enhance human rights and gender equality.
It also fosters DF and meaningful participation of women and girls in life.
It also helps to realize the SDGs, particularly SDG 15, expanding the opportunities for the participation of women and girls in all sports and increasing their participation in leadership while creating safe spaces is important and that is through sports.
In conclusion, we call upon all the international organizations, sports institutions, and other holders to enhance the role of sports as a tool for empowerment.
The initiatives that empower women through sports are also important in order to realize the full enjoyment of human rights for all.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Romania.
Mr.
President, Excellencies, distinguished members of the council, I am very honored to address you on behalf of Romania in a panel dedicated to a fundamental cause, the empowerment of women and girls through and in sport.
This year, Romania celebrates the year of Nadia Kumech a tribute not only to the first perfect ten in the history of gymnastics, but also to a universal symbol of courage, discipline, perseverance, and equality.
Half a century ago, a young girl from Romania vanished showed the world that limits are meant to be surpassed.
Her story inspired generations of girls to believe in their own potential and to understand that determination, excellence, and success, know no gender.
On the field of play, girls learn to lead, gain confidence, and independence, build resilience, and overcome the barriers and gender stereotypes that still persist in many societies.
Today, more than ever, we share the responsibility of turning global commitments and policies into concrete action.
Let us provide girls and women around the world with access to opportunities, resources, education, platforms for advancement, and the respect they deserve.
Together, we can build a world in which every girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential and become a leader of tomorrow.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Samoa.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
We also thank the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and panelists for their insightful remarks.
Gender equality is a cross cutting principle of the pathway for the development of Samoa integrated across all sector plans and programs.
The draft sports and recreation sector plan focuses on strengthening women's elite sports pathways, recognizing their sports achievements and leadership in sports administration, including male dominated sports codes.
Sama's only Olympic medal to date was won in women's weightlifting in 2008 by miss Eli Opelo.
Gender based violence remains a significant issue in Samoa.
The So Polyuy National Prevention Framework intended to end GBV in So, aims to build safe environments by enhancing community safeguards and amplifying anti violence within families.
This includes the development of child protection policies for all sports bodies, the encouragement of mixed teams and ensuring access to sports without barriers.
Saoa laws follow ILO conventions that we are a party to on issues of sexual harassment and discriminatory practices.
Women in sports in Samoa have been active, including in public programs in preventing GBV.
Through rugby, the National port of Samoa, the GBV one oh one Initiative highlighted the importance of core Samoan values of Awalu respect, Vtapua sacred relationships and Ppunga protection, and the complementarity of Samoa's culture and human rights and empowering women and girls in and through sports.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of University for Peace.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President, and thank you to the panelists for sharing their expertise and experience.
Sport is a valuable tool for generating unity and connection, something essential for sustaining peace and human harmony.
Though more work needs to be done, progress has been made in empowering women through sport.
However, this progress is not felt equally by all women.
Last year, the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that LGBTIQ plus women, women wearing headscarves, women from marginalized racial or ethnic groups, and women with disabilities face ongoing discrimination in sport, often with little place to turn for redress.
Regrettably, this remains true today.
Recent years have even seen a rise in racism and transphobia in women's sports.
Therefore, the University for Peace would like to underscore the importance of inclusion in this conversation.
Human rights are interdependent, interrelated, and indivisible.
The right to peace rests upon the rights of women in all their diversity and vice versa.
If women are discriminated against in sport because of their ethnicity, national origin, religion, LGBTIQ plus status, or disability, are they truly empowered? Peace, justice, and empowerment can only be achieved when everyone has a place on the team to create the society that they want to live in.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Guatemala.
Thank you, Vice President.
Guatemala appreciates this opportunity to participate in this important panel.
Especially we appreciate the deliberations that will contribute to the next report of the High Commissioner for the 65th session of the council.
For our country, sport represents a powerful tool for social transformation, inclusion, and especially the promotion of human rights.
There are, however, still some structural gaps that prevent women and girls that prevent them from fully, equally and safely participating in sports.
Which is why Guatemala recognizes how important it is to promote sports as a space free from discrimination, violence, and especially stereotypes, as well as the importance of moving towards public policies that favor equal opportunities in this area.
Mr.
Vice President, we cannot turn their eyes away from the obstacles that many women and girls face in sports, especially the pay gap, unequal media coverage, lack of adequate infrastructure, violence, and harassment, as well as their limited representation and decision making positions in federations, clubs, and sports organizations.
In the face of these challenges, Guatemala believes that it's important to continue to move forward collectively in strengthening regulatory frameworks, investing in safe and inclusive infrastructure, and in promoting leadership and limiting gender stereotypes for women from an early age.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Thank you, Vice President.
We would like to express gratitude to the panelists for their interesting presentations during this roundtable.
Venezuela reaffirms that sport is a useful tool in women's empowerment and promoting human rights.
Recently, at the fourth South American youth Games in Panama in 2026, Venezuela was crowned as a runner up to the overall medal table.
That is out of the 33 total gold medals, 25 were won by young women.
That's more than 75% of the total.
Venezuelan athletes such as Miya Garces who secured three gold medals and one in silver and artistic gymnastics, or our Olympic champion in the Triple jump.
Ulimar Rojas.
This all embodies the talent and the discipline of our athletes.
Venezuela believes that sports combats stereotypes, strengthens self esteem and promotes leadership, which is why we promote policies such as the great Venezuelan women mission, which among other actions promotes the active participation of girls and women's in sports.
We invite states and sports organizations to strengthen technical cooperation, to share best practices, and to guarantee safe and violence free spaces for all girls and women in sports.
For Venezuela, sport is a school of life and a driver of equality.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Italy.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
Sport has an enormous potential to promote gender equality and women's and girls' empowerment.
It is a universal language for respect, equality and fairness against discrimination and violence.
Regrettably, women have fewer opportunities to participate in sports.
They receive lower remuneration and less media attention and are under represented in sports leadership positions.
Affirmative action are required to address these gender gaps and promote the full and meaningful participation of women in sports.
Italy has been investing in women's sport with tangible results.
To ensure equal opportunities and to reconcile an athletic career with motherhood, the Department for Sports provide financial support, promoting maternity among non professional athletes.
For example, also women's soccer has become a driving force for social and cultural progress.
Clubs are now included in the professional league as professional athletes.
Women are now entitled to fair wages, Social Security, health, and maternity benefits.
Distinguished panelists.
In your opinion, which policies should be prioritized to eliminate the structural barriers impeding women to professionally engage in sports? I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ukraine.
I understand the delegation is absent.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ethiopia.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
We express our appreciation to the distinguished panelists for their valuable insights and contributions.
Ethiopia recognizes sport as a powerful instrument for empowerment, inclusion, gender equality, and sustainable development.
Beyond physical achievement, sport fosters confidence, leadership, resilience, and social equation, enabling women and girls to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Ethiopia is proud of its remarkable women athletes whose achievements have inspired generations and elevated the profile of women in sport globally.
Icons such as Gerd Tulu, Tnej Daba, Masardfar and Gonzeb Daba exemplifies the transformative impact of opportunity, determination, and investment in women and girls.
At a national level, Ethiopia continues to promote girlles participation in sport through youth development initiatives, school based programs, and efforts aimed at expanding opportunities for women in sports leadership and decision making.
We also underscore the importance of ensuring safe, inclusive and accessible sporting environment free from discrimination, violence, and harmful stereotypes, including for girlles in rural communities and persons with disabilities.
Enclosing Ethiopia affirms, its commitment to advancing gender equality in and through sport and calls for strength international cooperation and capacity building to expand opportunities for women and girls everywhere.
I thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
Thank you.
I will now turn to the list of speakers for national human rights institutions and non governmental organizations.
I give the floor to the representative of Civicus intervention by video.
Mr.
President, Civicus commenced this panel discussion to highlight the need to intensify efforts to ensure women and girls rights in and through sports.
Promoting women in and through sports is a key area given its ability to unify people, foster solidarity, and amplify the visibility of human rights.
Iranian athletes are currently at risk of execution simply for exercising their legitimate right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
At least six female athletes were executed since the beginning of the year and with the current wave of summary executions at an estimated pace of one to two per day, dozens of human rights defenders, including athletes, are at imminent risk.
The international community and the human rights and sport communities must promote accountability for these heinous executions.
The UN must act swiftly.
We urge the OHCHR and relevant mandates to issue a public statement on the matter.
The global Solidarity Cup campaign run by Sidis alongside the FIFA World Cup underscores that in many of the 48 competing states, from Iran to Egypt to Mexico, conditions are the deadliest for human rights defenders and journalists and women are jailed for demanding rights.
We urge relevant human bodies to work with states and civil society to expose serious human rights violations taking place in the margins of mega sporting events as well as in hosts or participating countries.
We thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of Partners for Transparency Intervention by video.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
While this distinguished council meets to discuss ways to empower women and girls in a true sport, global reality presents us with a harsh reality.
Sport, which is supposed to be a tool for breaking restrictions and promoting equality remains a space where discrimination and structural challenges are reproduced.
Denying millions of women and girls their equally human rights, Mr.
President.
Worldwide attention to increasing women's participation in sport continues to decline and discrimination remains clearly evident.
On a global level, sports media coverage dedicated to women accounts for only 4%, which limits the visibility of women athletes achievements and undermines their opportunities to access support and funding.
In Europe, women athletes continue to pay discrimination.
The average salary of female players in European football competitions is approximately 40,000 euros, compared to around 1.5 million euros per year for male players.
In Africa, women athletes face significant challenges in participating sport due to lack of equipment.
In Rwanda, for example, 68% of girls do not have appropriate sports equipment.
They also face difficulties related to domestic work, which prevents many of them from participating in sport.
In conclusion, Mr.
President, Partners calls for enhanced investment in women's sports, ensuring equal opportunities to access sports facilities, and resources, and combating gender stereotypes and discrimination.
This is essential to guante the empowerment of women and girls in sport and through sport.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of International Planned Parenthood Federation for a joint statement.
Glances, my name is Luan and I'm a proud trans woman from Georgia.
I delivered the statement on behalf of T Advocacy W.
All women and girls deserve the right to participate in sport free from abuse, violence, and discrimination, while ensuring respect for their health, safety, and dignity.
Yet many women and girls continue to face barriers to equal participation.
Sexual abuse, discrimination, and exclusion in sport are not isolated incidents but reflect systemic failures that undermine safety and inclusion.
Sport has increasingly become a battle ground for ethics on bodily autonomy, particularly getting transgender diverse and intersex people.
The recent decision by the IOC to introduce mandatory and invasive sex testing for women athletes raises serious human rights concerns.
These measures violate bodily autonomy.
Athletes who have been disproportionately energetic to undergo sex testing and consequently forbidden to compete often come from the global south and are women of color.
The decision also results in an outright ban on all transgender athletes, which is a violation of human rights and must be called out in this hall here today.
We call for inclusive and human rights based approaches that foreground the positive role that sports play in society and ensure that all women and girls, including transgender diverse and intersex people can participate safely, fairly and with dignity.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to Frontline AIDS Limited for a joint statement.
Thank you.
This statement is delivered on behalf of Frontline ADs, AWI and the Global Action for Trans equality.
We welcome this panel's focus on empowering women and girls in and through sport.
This discussion on power dynamics, gender stereotypes, racism, and inclusion is urgently needed.
The panel, however, must confront a fundamental question.
Are we prepared to uphold this commitment to all women and girls, including those who are trans and gender diverse? This year, the International Olympic Committee adopted a ban on trans andgender diverse women and intersex athletes from competing in female events at the 2028 Olympics and beyond, a policy that over 100 human rights organizations have condemned as discriminatory and contrary to scientific evidence.
The World Cup is hosted in countries that seek to criminalize and ban trans women from sport while countries that compete in the world stage continue to persecute trans andgender diverse person in law and practice.
The attack on trans rights instrumentalize women's rights in the name of protection.
In reality, they police and discipline those who do not conform to narrow colonial and patriarchal constructions of womanhood that is white, able bodied, cisgender.
As in the case of Immen Khalif, black and brown athletes bear the brunt of racist and transphobic policies through medically invasive and humiliating interventions.
Member states and the international sports governing body should respect, protect, fulfill the rights of all women and girls, reverse blanket bans on transgender diverse and intersex athletes and recognize that the empowerment of all women and girls in sport must include transgender diverse individuals without exception.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of Plan International Incorporated.
Thank you, Vice President.
I speak on behalf of Pationals global youth ambassadors and many girls and young women around the world.
I want to introduce this important crucial issue.
Sports promotes physical health, confidence, leadership, teamwork and social inclusion.
We recognize the efforts of coaches, teachers, community leaders, sports organizations, and others.
For many girls, participating in sports is more difficult than it should be.
Gender stereotypes are a problem.
As youth activists, we work to empower young people through education, advocacy and access to sexual and reproductive health information and services.
We recommend safe, equitable spaces.
When It's crucial to increase investment in gender sensitive sports programs, promote women's leadership in sports through mentorship and coaching programs, involving girls and adolescents in the design of sports policies and programs to ensure their voices are heard and that they participate on equal footing to achieve inclusive societies, we must ensure that all women and girls have equal access to sport and exercise their rights without discrimination.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the Reative of China Society for Human Rights Studies.
I understand they're absent.
I now give the floor to the representative of AIESEC International.
I understand they are absent.
I give the floor to the representative of China Ethnic Minorities Association for External Exchanges, intervention by video.
Distinguished Chair, my name is Madam Globan.
I'm a Wigger from Kaag Xinjiang and a staff member at the China Ethnic Minorities Association for External Exchanges.
China has incorporated the basic national policy of gender equality into the governing program of the Communist Party of China and formulated a series of laws and regulations, including the law of the People's Republic of China on the protection of rights and interests of women.
China respects the states of women and has broadened channels for their participation in public affairs, including through the exercise of States powered by the people's Congresses, among the delegates to the Chinese National Congress of Communist Party of China.
619 women accounting for 27% of the total.
I was one of the ethnic minorities delegates.
In October 2023, I also attended the 13th National Women's Congress of China as a delegate.
As an ethnic minority woman in China, I am proud to witness women of all ethnic groups living with self respect, self confidence, self realize, and self improvement.
They have become an important force and advancing social development and ethnic unity.
Thank you.
We have exhausted the second segment of the list of speakers.
Excellency, distinguished participants.
This was the last speaker we could accommodate.
I wish to remind you that delegates inscribed on the list of speakers who could not take the floor due to time constraints can upload their statements to be posted on the extranet.
I will now give the floor back to the panelists for their concluding remarks.
Miss Vera, Thank you, Chair and thank you for the different contributions and questions.
Let me address two or three points.
First of all, as I indicated, our IO guidelines on the athletes provide some provisions that can help to respond to the questions related to how member states can promote the women's and girls in sport.
First of all, the guidelines recognize the rights of women athletes to organize collective bargaining that promoting the equal representation of women and leadership in decision making role in sport organizations and as one of my colleagues, panelists cited, is the importance of having human and girls representation in decision making.
Addressing the gender stereotypes and cultural barriers to the centers of women's professional sports, increase the transparency and allocation on financial resources.
Here it is important that this transparency is seeing how much governments are allocating for women and girls sports versus to the men's sports.
Promoting the competition and career opportunities through access to lifelong learning.
That means also the capacity to develop skills that empowers girls and women to those roles of decision making and promoting the protection of extension and contracts related to pregnancy and taking maternity leave or family leave.
My second point is combating discrimination and the guidelines provide zero tolerance culture to sexism, and other forms of discrimination that has been cited here.
Disciplinary action should be put forward to anyone had racism or sexist approach and including athletes, clubs, or association.
And the establishment of appropriate robust judicial and non judicial measures, which also calls for access to justice and access to justice for the athletes, girls and women and with having in mind that we need to have a people centered approach.
My last point related to the disabled athletes is promoting the professional sports for persons with disability.
This includes through broadcasting of related sport events, recognizing the special needs and adaptation and the protection that those athletes require when taking on the ice sports.
Thank you, Chair and thank you again for the questions.
Thank you, miss Maria Bins Abdullah Alatia.
Distinguished guests, as we close this meeting, I wish to express my appreciation for your contributions.
Our discussions show that sport is key for human rights, equality, and empowerment.
However, talking about progress will not be enough without shining a light on those who are facing staggering challenges.
Disabled women, poor women, marginalized women and women in conflicts face barriers limiting their participation, full participation in sports and tapping in its positive advantages.
These challenges show that empowering women and girls in sports is not just about development, but it is about human rights commitments in line with international standards, including CEDO and Person with Disability Convention, which emphasizes unequal participation for all without discrimination.
Regarding a question by Monaco, we see that more participation for women on equal basis with men in sports needs to focus on three points, providing safe sport environment, equal opportunity of access to sport and resources, reinforcing participation of women in decision making circles and leadership positions.
We need to translate these commitments now in policies and practical measures to ensure equal and safe participation of women and girls in sports and on all levels.
We underscore the importance of cooperation between human rights organizations and sport organizations, member states and the UN in order to have an inclusive, safe, fair environment of sports for the benefit of all.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Miss Sn Vanil.
Thank you.
Thank you all for the very interesting and important contributions.
As I said before, sports allow to empower everyone.
Sport is a perfect platform to initiate dialogue and before all change.
Everyone should be given the equal opportunity to poize sport and to compete without any forms of discrimination, racism, and violence.
There is still a lot of progress to make and we should all work together for a world of sport where women and girls, especially those with disabilities, could shine and inspire.
Ano en France, two things.
Finally, in French, everything is possible one way or another.
Let us work together hand in hand to make things move in the right direction.
I thank you.
Thank you.
This brings us to the end of this panel discussion.
I wish to thank the Deputy High Commissioner, our distinguished panelists, and all participants who have contributed to our discussion.
We'll take a short break, technical break before continuing and concluding the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences.
Thank you.
Kindly take your seats.
Excellencies, dear participants.
We shall now continue the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences.
We shall now return to our list of speakers.
I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Morocco.
You have the floor.
President.
My delegation thanks the Special Reporter for her comprehensive report and thanks note of her findings and recommendations.
Morocco is deeply committed to eradicating all forms of violence against mothers, recognizing that specific category of women faces compounded vulnerabilities that require targeted legal institutional social responses.
On the legislative front, the ongoing reform of the Family Code introduces landmark protections for mothers, including shared parental authority, preservation of custody rights upon remarriage, and strengthen safeguards against domestic violence.
These reforms complement a law which criminalizes domestic violence and harassment and which disproportionately affects women in their role as mothers and primary caregivers.
At the institutional level, Morocco has recently launched the Central C for care of women survivors of violence in partnership with the UN PA Morocco.
Morocco further recognizes the particular vulnerability of single mothers continue to face structural barriers.
In light of S Reporter's findings, my delegation wishes to ask, how can member states better integrate the protection of mothers into broader violence prevention frameworks, including single mothers and particularly vulnerable category.
I thank you, Mr.
President.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mali.
Mali, are you there? I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia.
I Thank you, Vice President.
We took note of the report by the Special Rapporteur and we concur with the need for taking preventive measures in order to ensure the safety of women and girls and limit their subjection to violence, taking into account their needs and the needs of their children.
In this light, we stress the importance of having national frameworks to protect against all kinds of violence while enforcing access to justice and redress and ensuring care in a way that protects dignity and takes into account needs.
These principles are in line with our efforts.
We have adopted a legislative and institutional system to protect against harm, and we have awareness raising programs and social programs that reinforce protection against violence and promulgate a culture of protection and empowerment.
The National Center spreads awareness about violence against women and protects its psychological rights.
Vice Presidents, with regards to the special Rapporteur on the visit to Kuwait, we welcome Kuwait's cooperation with the Special Rapporteur during her visit.
We highly value the efforts deployed by Kuwait in the last years in order to enforce the protection of women and the family while developing the relevant legislative and institutional frameworks.
In closing, we will continue supporting efforts to prevent violence against women and girls while reinforcing response and protection in order to have safer and more inclusive society for the benefit of all.
Thank you, Vice President.
Thank you.
This was the last speaker we could accommodate for this dialogue.
We'll now turn to the list of speakers for National Human Rights institutions and non governmental organizations.
I give the floor to the National Independent Commission of Human Rights of Burundi.
You have the floor.
President.
Thank you.
Burunddi's National Commission recognizes the efforts made to combat discrimination against women and girls.
In particular, I should point to the law on prevention and protection of victims and prevention of gender based violence.
The International Convention on discrimination against women is covered by that law.
Strategically, the government has adopted a framework to prevent discrimination against women and girls, and gender based violence.
Covering all sectors of development and the national strategy for effective participation by women.
Institutionally, we have a mechanism on the rights of women and girls.
However, there are still challenges and there is a cultural element with a patriarchal attitude and discrimination against women.
We recommend that the government of Burruundi ratify the protocol to the African Charter on the on the rights of women in Africa and make every effort to prevent discrimination, thank you.
Thank you.
I give the floor to the representative of Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights intervention by video.
The Swedish Special Reporter, ladies and gentlemen, Russia's full scale war against Ukraine has dramatically increased the risk of violence against women and girls.
Women who survived occupation, forced displacement, captivity, or the loss of their homes are facing risks of domestic and gender based violence.
They also experience difficulties in accessing safety, justice, health care, and psychological support.
One of the most painful results of this war remains conflict related sexual violence.
It is not only about physical and psychological trauma.
It is about silence, isolation, fear, and the constant risk of being re traumatized.
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, as of May 2026, they have documented 396 cases of conflict related sexual violence committed since the beginning of Russia's full scale invasion.
These crimes include rape, threats of sexual violence, forced nudity, and other forms of abuse against women, men, and children.
We firmly believe that support for Ukraine must include long term investments in systems protecting women and girls.
Recovery and reconstruction policies must be based on equality, accessibility, and non discrimination.
Thank you.
I give the floor to the representative of Association for Women's Rights and Development for a joint statement.
Thank you.
I make this statement on behalf of AWT, the International Community of women living with HIV, WHRIN, the Global Action for Trans equality, and the Global Network of Sex Work Projects.
We are concerned that the Special Reporter's report presents an essentialist view by defining women primarily through their sexual and reproductive roles.
This departs from feminist and scientific understandings of sex as being socially constructed.
By recommending screening before abortion and focusing on poverty and trafficking as conditions forcing women into abortion, the report undermines fundamental rights to bodily autonomy.
This is especially concerning for women who use drugs, women living with HIV, sex workers, and mothers already subjected to mandatory reporting and surveillance, criminalization, force and co sterilization, and deprivation of child custody.
The report reinforces the harmful and protectionist position that sex workers are inherently exploited and unfit mothers instead of calling for decriminalization, the right to housing, childcare, and healthcare.
Once again, the report has selectively sidelined the demands of sex workers, trans people, and feminists who have clearly articulated the concrete harms of these protectionist approaches.
It will reinforce exclusionary laws and practices and enable states to undermine the rights of marginalized people in the name of protection.
The rights we have under international human rights law is a result of decades of diverse feminist and queer movement struggles.
We insist they are upheld as indivisible and centered on bodily autonomy, agency, the right to self determination of every person and peoples.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of Women's International Zionist Organization Intervention by Video.
I'm here on behalf of Vito to present the Civil Commission's report, Silence No More.
For nearly two years, Israeli victims of sexual violence were silenced.
They were raped, tortured, mutilated, and abused on October 7th and have been denied what every victim of sexual violence deserves, belief, recognition, and justice.
Today, the Civil Commission's report brings to you the most comprehensive evidentiary record to date of the events, showing that sexual atrocities of October 7th were a calculated strategy.
The evidence is overwhelming.
Finally, the question is no longer whether these crimes occurred, but what are their consequences? It is time to stand unequivocally with these victims.
Many cast a doubt instead of lending their voice to them.
Today, this must change.
The significance of this report goes far beyond October 7th.
In many ways, Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups created a blueprint to sexual terror that puts women at risk globally.
Now that the evidence is before us, the question is what concrete steps will the world take to ensure accountability and to prevent this violence in the future.
Read the report and act on it.
This is the responsibility of our generation.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of Engineer Dumont.
You have the floor.
Okay.
Special rapture.
Your report speaks of violence against women.
Why is there no mention of Hamas? On October 7th, terrorists storm were ibots murdering, kidnapping, and burning.
They touched me and sexual abuse me.
I was beaten and mutilated before blacking out.
I wake up half naked with seven terrorists standing over me, not knowing what happened to me in those lost moments.
I went through days of pain and horror in captivity and even now, the feeling of being powerless and violated still lingers.
I came back with a broken hip, a broken jaw, and a scarred soul.
People see my face and think that I'm free, but freedom is not a switch.
Trauma doesn't vanish once you are released.
Now, every air raid sirens and every rocket from Iran throws me back into that hell.
On October 7th, Hanhim captivity, Jewish women were raped, abused, and humiliated and you special per, you choose silence and denial.
Miss Al Salem, you say there was no evidence of sexual violence on October 7th.
I'm standing here today, not as a report, not as a statistic.
I am a woman who survive.
I am the living proof of sexual violence by Hamas.
When I, another Israel woman, begged not to be raped.
Why were you silent? Please look at me.
Do you believe us now? Would you apologize? Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of Alhata Thank you will make this statement on behalf of the Initiative for Sexual rights.
The report of the Special Rapporteur is welcomed with particular concern.
It defines three criteria for women to be recognized as mothers and none of them recognizes the maternity of lesbian and intersexualomen who were not pregnant, but who are forming co maternal families.
Their partners may be lesbians or bisexuals who do become pregnant.
Now, this differs by being a mother by adoption.
It's a particular reality of lesbian bisexual female couples recognized by some states who base affiliation in the formal statement of procreational will.
In all cases of assisted sexual reproduction, there is no adoption in these cases and co maurnity of both mothers is legally recognized in the birth certificates with the very same rights and responsibilities, and so they also protect thereby the best interests of the child.
In our view, the report could have delved deeper into the challenges faced by most lesbians and bisexals who form families everyone in the world, including reproductive violence and by prejudice during pregnancy and birth against both mothers.
Also, it should have included co maturnity as a way of being a mother.
States must take all necessary measures in order to respect and support mothers in all their diversity.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of Christian Council International Intervention by Video.
Thank you for this opportunity.
Christian Council International welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur and thanks her for making Motherwood visible within the Human Rights framework.
Mothers play an invaluable role in the natural and fundamental group unit of society, the family.
When motherhood is rendered invisible in law, the specific needs and vulnerabilities of mothers risk being overlooked.
We particularly appreciate in this regard the report's attention to the growing trend of replacing or obscuring the term mother through supposedly inclusive language.
We also note the report's recognition that poverty, economic insecurity, and lack of support can place women in vulnerable situations and may contribute to their decisions to seek abortions.
This regard, we encourage states to address these root causes and ensure that abortion is in no case promoted as a method of family planning or as a means to fight economic hardships.
Women deserve support that enables them to thrive as mothers.
Motherhood is not just a characteristic among many, but a unique experience that deserves to be reflected in law and policy.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of the Institute for Protection of Women's Rights intervention by video.
President, the aggressive and widespread attacks carried out by the United States and the Israeli occupying power against Iranian cities over a 40 day period, which were primarily concentrated on urban and residential districts as well as civilian sites and facilities, including schools, stadiums, hospitals, and relief centers resulted in the killing and wounding of thousands of individuals, among whom 496 were women.
Beyond the loss of life, the systematic targeting of hospitals and healthcare facilities severely restricted women's access to essential healthcare, including maternal and reproductive services.
These violations of international human rights and humanitarian law endangered women's physical and mental well being and constituted a killer form of violence against women and girls.
Mr.
President, the Institute for Protection of women's rights as an NGO actively working on women's rights in Iran, while unequivocally condemning all forms of violence against women with particular emphasis on systematic violations of the rights to life and health during the aggression by the United States and the Israeli occupying power calls upon the Human Rights Council unequivocally and comprehensively condemn all human rights violations against Iranian women, including violations of their rights to life, health, and security during this unlawful campaign of aggression.
Furthermore, the Human Rights Council is urged to classify serious violations of international humanitarian law committed against Iranian women and girls during this war as war crimes and to take effective measures to ensure that perpetrators are held criminally accountable before competent international judicial bodies.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of Center for Reproductive Rights Incorporated for a joint statement.
Thank you.
Reducing women exclusively to their role as mothers strips us of our full humanity and diverse identities, reducing us to our reproductive roles and reinforcing patriarchal gender stereotypes that drive violence and discrimination against women and girls.
These stereotypes penalize women for any reproductive choice they make, having children or choosing not to, the number of children or how old women are when they have them, or how much or little they work while pregnant and parenting.
Sigmoma forms of stigma and discrimination can also affect trans men and other gender diverse people who experience pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting.
This cannot be addressed by simply valuing mothers more and leaving them with a disproportionate burden for unpaid and undervalued care work, which reinforces the harmful stereotype that this is women's work.
Instead, states should aim to address the root causes of gender stereotypes, including patriarchal masculinities, which sustain discriminatory beliefs and equitably distribute and value care work, including through affordable childcare, equitable parental leave policies, and engaging men and boys to take up their fair share.
If we truly want to support mothers, we need to support women and girls as full human beings, as well as trans men and gender diverse people who experience pregnancy and childbirth.
This requires laws and policies which respect bodily autonomy, value and equitably distribute care and support work, and actively combat discriminatory narratives about women's value being linked to their reproductive roles.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the representative of Chatter Intervention by Video.
Mr.
President, Chatra welcomes the report of the working group on discrimination against women and girls.
Women and girls remain particularly vulnerable during armed conflict and humanitarian crisis.
Their inequalities are often intensified.
The death of school girls and teachers in Mina during the first day of the recent armed conflict in Iran are a tragic reminder of the disproportionately impact of war on women and girls.
Such incidents not only affect their right to life, but also undermine Education, health, development, and human dignity.
International humanitarian law requires all parties to arm conflict, to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
Women and girls often bear the consequences of disruptions to health care, education, livelihoods, and psychosocial support.
These challenges may be further aggravated by humanitarian crisis and unilateral coercive measures, particularly for those facing socioeconomic hardship.
We emphasize the importance for the meaningful participation of women in pace building, recovery, and decision making processes.
We encourage the working group to continue examining the gender impact of armed conflict and promoting measure that strengthen the protection, dignity, and well being of women and girls in all circumstances.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I understand that the last statement was made for another interactive dialogue.
I will proceed with our statements.
I now give the floor to the representative of Mick Mother's matter.
McMather's Matter congratulates the special portur on her excellent report and thanks her for bringing attention to a topic that is too rarely discussed at the Human Rights Council, motherhood.
Motherhood is one of the many roles women fulfill in society, an essential and valuable one.
Yet it often creates significant barriers to their full economic, political, and social participation.
Motherhood also carries substantial costs in progression, financial autonomy, long term economic security, health and well being, and increased vulnerability to violence, discrimination, and abuse.
Motherhood penalty remains a major driver of gender inequality worldwide, yet it continues to be insufficiently measured, inadequately addressed, and largely invisible in public policy and human rights discussion.
By failing to even name mothers, we fail to acknowledge the specific forms of discrimination, human rights violations, and structural barriers they face.
In doing so, we also miss a crucial opportunity.
Empowering mothers is not about confining women to a single role.
It's about ensuring that the realities of motherhood are fully reflected in the laws, policies and institutions that advance substantive gender equality in the workplace, in public life, and in society as a whole.
Women should never be penalized for becoming mothers.
At MMM, we say loud and clear, it's time to place motherhood at the heart of gender equality and women's rights discussions.
This is not an option.
It's an imperative.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I give the floor to the representative of Society for Threatened peoples.
Ident.
I delivered the statement on behalf of Society for threatened peoples.
Madam Sci Reporter, we thank you for this report for bringing visibility to a category too often invisible, mothers as a distinct group of rights holders.
We welcome your findings that prolonged separation from a child and being deprived of information about their fate can amount to torture.
This is the daily reality of Uy mothers, separated from their children as a result of arbitrary detention, travel restrictions, and other barriers to family reunification.
In the diaspora community, we have documented many such cases, particularly in Turkey, where some Uy children have not seen their parents in over eight years.
We also welcome your recognition that threats to children are used to silence women who expose human rights violations.
This mirrors the lived experiences of yer women human rights defenders whose families are held as leverage to enforce silence abroad.
Such practices constitute transnational repression.
The report also situates these experiences within a broader pattern of reprisals against mothers engaged in human rights advocacy citing the Madres Plaza de Mayo and Mexico's Madres Buscdores.
We are further concerned about allegations of coercive reproductive practices against y women, including forced abortion and forced sterilization.
Concerns raised by the CETA Committee in its 2023 concluding observations following its review on China.
We ask, has the Special Rapporteur engaged with relevant stakeholders, including the government of China on these specific threats to Or women? Thank you.
Thank you.
This was the last speaker we could accommodate for this dialogue.
I now give the floor to miss Salem for her concluding remarks.
You have 8 minutes and 60 seconds.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President and thank you to the states and NGOs that have engaged in depth with the report's finding and recommendation and that have shared their own good practices on better supporting mothers, such as Guyana, Bulgaria, but also NGOs, as we heard from make Mothers Matters and Society for threatened people.
I want to also thank the states that continue to support the mandate and recognize its contributions like we heard from Italy and Sudan.
On the mention or lack of mention of some country situation or the absence of further details, this is a point Germany made stating that I did not include a reference to Ukraine.
This is actually inaccurate.
Please see Footnote number 119 of the report.
I would like to remind everyone that our reports were reduced by 1,000 word, which of course means that choices have to be made and priority is given to mentioning country situations on which we received submissions.
I thank the state of Kuwait for its continued interest in engaging and also I thank the GCC for welcoming the conclusions of the visit.
I wish to assure the government of Kuwait that its comments to the draft had been incorporated and any inaccuracies had been corrected.
Regarding my position on violence committed on the 7th of October against Israeli women and girls, I refer you to the public statement I have on my websites on all actions and positions I have taken and that you are aware of, but choose not to cite.
I have for close to three years asked to speak of survivors of the 7th of October and to visit Israel and Gaza.
I have been denied both requests by the government of Israel.
If Madame Kahi who spoke or any other survivor of the 7th of October is ready to finally meet with me, I'm always ready to meet.
I would like to now come to the report's definition of mothers and its alleged inconsistency with international law.
I must confess, ladies and gentlemen, this feels like a deja vu.
As I recall, we had similar conversations and reactions in the 2025 interactive dialogue.
As I was listening to country representatives who argued this point, I must tell you I could not help but think of mothers that are nationals of these countries and imagining what was going through their head as they listen to their realities and needs being minimized or dismissed.
To Ireland, whose statement was presented on behalf of some member states of the EU and I stress not the entire EU, I say that every reference to mothers in international law, including C Dow, the CRC, the International Covenant on Economic, social and cultural rights.
And to women, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights presupposes and builds upon a biological reality.
Only women and girls get pregnant and give birth, irrespective of any sexual orientation or gender identity they may have.
On international law, I recall once again the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which is very clear, we must interpret terms and concepts of a treaty in good faith in accordance with the ordinary meaning to be given to the terms of the treaty in their context and in light of its objective and purpose.
That ordinary meaning must also be always consistent with facts and realities.
Women, girls, mothers are not linguistic constructs, they are material realities.
Motherhood is linked to a female's biological sex and reproductive system.
That is why I, you, and the UN in general speak of maternal health, for example.
The CEA Convention also states that measures aimed at protecting maternity shall not be considered discriminatory.
Pretending otherwise ignores facts, ignores science, ignores common sense.
The damage of willfully ignoring this goes beyond the mother to affect the child.
For example, pretending that a male that identifies as a mother can breastfeed an infant when he is incapable to produce breast milk is harmful for the infant, period.
Acknowledging this does not reduce women to either their biology or their reproductive capacity, any more than acknowledging the historical discrimination that someone may have experienced because of their race does not reduce them to the racial characteristics, nor condemn them to the discrimination that they experience based on race.
Now, on my alleged conflation between sex and gender, I think I'm very clear about that difference and no, a sex is not a social construct gender is.
States are bound through at least seven international treaties, including the UN Charter, not to discriminate against women and girls based on their sex.
A gender sensitive approach built on sex does not negate it, and a view on substantive equality recognizes the need for differentiated measures which address needs relating to men and women's biological differences.
To Colombia and the countries that supported its statement, I say the same, stating a fact that the law never had a reason to question in no way reinforces gender stereotypes.
Trivializing and erasing the meaning of motherhood instead does.
Germany has even gone as far as stating that recognizing maternity and caregiving is a harmful gender stereotype.
This is exactly what I meant in my report when I said that motherhood has been historically and currently undervalued in new ways.
I was also concerned to hear that some states considered it more important to emphasize certain concepts like free choice and bodily autonomy without also stressing that no one can consent to their own exploitation or abuse, nor acknowledging that consent and free choice have often been used to normalize exploitation and abuse of women and girls in prostitution in surrogacy, in pornography.
And who have been coerced by their circumstances or by actors and could not make informed decisions.
Now, when the Netherlands and others say that I stigmatize sex work in my report, first of all, I would like to re invite the representatives of the Netherlands and others to reread my report on prostitution to this council of 2024 and my comments on the CEDA review of the Netherlands and emphasize again that all terminology and concepts we use must align with internationally accepted definitions.
This said, I have and always recognized the vulnerability of prostituted women and mothers.
I fail to understand how such recognition is stigmatizing.
On reproductive violence in response to the concern expressed by UNFPA and others, my report raises issues around reproductive autonomy, including an issue that I feel is less spoken about or in fact rarely, namely forced contraception.
And forced abortion, which is practiced widely.
The report states in several places that there are also mothers forced to become pregnant, including repeatedly.
While I acknowledge mothers women's autonomy, the discussion about mothers cannot be reduced to a discussion of how not to become mothers.
And there is a very specific recommendation on reproductive health and rights.
In fact, several paragraphs, paragraph 95, paragraph 97, and paragraph 98.
Now, there was a question about how to better support women and girls in humanitarian settings.
We have to reinstate funding for humanitarian support and protection from all types of violence against women.
We have to prioritize support for the mother and child.
We have to address rampant impunity.
We have to continue to document specific crimes and atrocities experienced by mothers.
We have to hold states responsible if they continue to export weapons to countries and actors that commit large scale atrocities against women and girls.
On recommendations and good practices of economic vulnerability of mothers or erasing it.
This was a question by Côte D'ivoire.
The Russian Federation provided maternity capital housing benefits such as family mortgages, Uzbekistan, Albania provide finance leaves through Social Security to reduce discrimination in hiring.
We have one stop centers in Myanmar, home visiting programs in Australia and Canada and maintenance funds for single women in Poland.
My report recommends to state that they guarantee paid maternity leave of sufficient duration, extend social protections for women informal economy, and adopt measures to improve the sharing of caregiving responsibilities.
As to how to improve protection and the prevention and protection mechanisms for women, there are several also very concrete recommendations in the report and also on parental alienation.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
Thank you so much, miss Al Salem.
This brings us to the end of this interactive dialogue.
I wish to thank miss Rim Al Salem for her participation.
We'll now take a short technical break before holding the interactive dialogue with the S Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Excellencies, the participants.
Yes, kindly take your seats, please.
We shall now begin the interactive dialogue with the special rapporteur on the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
Let me welcome the mandate holder, miss Gina Romero.
The list of speakers will close in 15 minutes.
I now give the floor to miss Romero to present the reports.
Thank you.
Respected Vice President of the Human Rights Council, distinguished delegations, civil society organizations, colleagues and friends.
I have the honor to present my report on masking the chilling effects of the digital surveillance ecosystem, the erosion of Assembly and Association rights.
The report moves beyond the traditional privacy centric understanding of digital surveillance to document its extensive interference with assembly and association rights in countries of all regions.
It directly addresses the lack of understanding and resulting dismissal of these chilling effects.
Is an urgent need for this phenomenon to be incorporated into human rights analysis, considering its component harms and the surveillance ecosystem in its entirety.
This is urgent.
The global rapid proliferation of powerful data driven technologies, surveillance tools, and AI expands states capacity for large scale rapid and unjustified surveillance.
These risks are exacerbated by a global environment rising criminalization of peaceful protests, political dissent, and collective action.
These technologies are increasingly employed to suppress and silence people exercising their freedoms.
I would like to emphasize true prevalent concerns raised in the report.
One, states use security narratives and overly broad counterterrorism, cyber crime, or cyber prevention laws to legitimize expansive digital surveillance.
Broad national security exemptions and opaque collaborations with non state actors severely undermine human rights guards.
Surveillance once an exceptional measure is now entrenched into everyday policy, including the routine use of tools with military capabilities.
Operating in a legal and accountability vacuum without transparency, these technologies create an environment of fear and intimidation.
Second, Data driven digital activities implemented under the protect of the public safety are highly prone to misuse.
Modern surveillance tools are designed to interoperate with each amplifying the intrusive potential of another.
They rely on the collection and processing of vast quantities of data which is retained and remains available for future misuse, extending state's capability for arbitrary mass surveillance.
Often operating remotely, this ecosystem are sustained by an opaque web of collaboration between state and corporate actions.
Surveillance tools do not exist in isolation.
They compose a complex interconnected digitally powered ecosystem.
It is deeply alarming to observe how digital surveillance transform legitimate civic exercise into inherently high risk activities, enabling digital authoritarianism.
Issue is highly political.
States employ digital surveillance for political gains, often enable and normalize by using stigmatizing narratives that portray civic activism as criminal or suspicious activities.
Excellenci Excellencies.
Digital surveillance ecosystems generate serious deterrent effects that erode the exercise of the rights of assembly and association.
These effects arise when people modify their behavior out of fear of current or perceived surveillance impacting families.
Communities, social movements, and civic space in general.
My report shows that the main drivers of disincentive effects are systemic surveillance and the uncertainty generated by the opacity of remote surveillance fueled by the percept perception of unregulated state powers and the lack of accountability.
While they're a consequence of mass surveillance, they often result from the deliberate use of these technologies by authorities to intimidate dissent.
By operating as a preventive deterrent mechanism, they reduce civic space and provoke a process of descialization, where people limit their communication, avoid gatherings, and isolate themselves to reduce their exposure, undermining their ability to organize, have access to resources, and achieve their objectives.
On a personal level, victims develop hyper vigilance, anxiety, depression, and trauma.
The fear of harming loved ones often forces activists to break ties or expose them to threats or harassment.
Furthermore, Digital surveillance generates intersectional damage, amplifying preexisting vulnerabilities.
Arbitrary surveillance constitutes a de facto threat that generates cumulative harm by interfering with interconnected rights.
While states must ensure national security, they must do so while respecting fundamental freedoms.
Chilling effects must be incorporated into necessity analysis, human rights due diligence, and impact assessments.
These evaluation should account for the cumulative impact of the entire surveillance ecosystem and must be conducted prior to developing or repurposing any power technologies.
A precautionary risk approach must be prioritized to prevent abuses.
Unless this holistic surveillance ecosystem and compounding harms are addressed, the necessary in a democratic society test to evaluate digital technologies would remain biased in favor or harmful surveillance tools, further endangering civic space.
Furthermore, prior to acquiring high risk technologies, states must establish legal frameworks consistent with human rights standards, refraining from broad exemptions, while ensuring independent oversight, accountability, and full transparency regarding contracts with non state actors.
Public freedoms are not an obstruction to security.
They are the guardians of democracy, social cohesion and resilience essential for the preservation of a democratic society.
Excellency.
Excellencies, I also have the pleasure of presenting the report of my official visit to Chile, the central objective of which to examine in depth.
Exercise of the right to peaceful assembly.
The priority focus was to review of access to justice and reparation for human rights violations and the social uprising of 2019 2020 with an emphasis on satisfaction and guarantees of non repetition.
There are things that gave me hope.
The bringing to justice of former high ranking Cabos is a historic precedent for Chile and Latin America, but impunity remains the rule.
Victims are still awaiting justice and some are no longer there to receive it.
After the unrest, the carrier Bens updated their protest protocols, and produced dialogue agents, improved registration of detainees, and reinforced human rights training.
Chile has a vibrant civil society that has played a vital role in protecting victims and defending human rights.
There are also things that worry me deeply.
Chile still regulates the right to process using a decree of the dictatorship, maintains an authorization regime, and suffers from a dispersion of norms that affect the law, including the N law, which prevents accountability.
Reparation has been incomplete without clarity about the range of victims without comprehensive reparations, laws and with very big limitations on reparations for eyes.
No progress has been made on guaranteeing truth and memory of the unrest.
Public discourse stigmatizes protest.
Honoring the unrest means addressing demands of necessary transformations, confronting human rights violations, actions aimed at truth, justice, and reparation and beyond the unrest, the dispersion of actors involved in the facilitation of peaceful and assembly is worrying.
The state of emergency and militarization in Araona must be reduced.
There are drones and civil disobedience if responded to with violence as affects Mapuchi communities.
The new government has a unique opportunity and the historic responsibility for the current exercise of the right to assembly to be ensured without undue restrictions, ensuring non repetition of past human rights violations, and for victims to receive active reparation and justice to be done.
I thank you.
Thank you.
According to our practice, we shall start by hearing the delegation of the country concerned.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Chile.
You have 5 minutes.
Thank you, Vice President of Chile.
Thanks to Special Rapporteur on the right to peaceful assembly and Freedom of Assembly and peaceful reunion for the visit to our report in July 2025.
There was open constructive dialogue during the visit with national authorities, autonomous regions and civil society.
We welcome the recognition of Chile's engagement with international human rights mechanisms and strengthening of democratic institutions.
My country reaffirms that freedom of peaceful assembly is a basic right for the functioning of a democratic society.
Which is pluralistic and inclusion and promoting and protecting this is part of Chile's historic commitment to international human rights law and to strengthening civic space.
We welcome the recognition of significant progress in recent years, including the institutional strengthening on human rights, the updating of police protocols, training of law and order staff, specialized authorities to address this and the efforts on autonomy, and we note the recommendations and will continue to make every possible progress.
We recognize the need to strengthen institutional frameworks for freedom of peaceful assembly and protection of human rights.
However, we also want to point to some elements that contribute to a balanced national context.
Firstly, the institutions responsible for public security are working within the Constitution and administrative, legal, and democratic control.
In recent years, there have been major efforts to strengthen training on human rights, to improve internal supervision, and to ensure operational protocols to prevent violations of human rights and ensure the rule of law is upheld.
Second, As regards the events of the uprising of 20 1920 2020, Chile is strongly committed to justice for all, including those who through state inaction suffered damage.
Without prejudice to this, we must recognize the progress made on investigation, the strengthening of specialized institutions, and the work done to support those affected.
We will continue to make efforts on the autonomy of the relevant institutions, which is crucial for functioning of our democratic system.
Third, we consider debates on memory and collective reflection must be carried out with an inclusive pluralistic perspective.
Democratic societies are made up of different experiences, visions, and interpretations regarding complex events.
The challenge is not necessarily, therefore, to build a single narrative, but to ensure space for dialogue to preserve memory, promote social cohesion, and strengthen the shared commitment to the protection of human rights and non recurrence of the human rights violations that occurred.
We should also emphasize that Chile is now facing significant challenges in public security, like many democracies around the world.
Our country therefore considers that protecting human rights and security of people are complementary and mutually reinforcing.
The response to these challenges must ensure full respect of the rule of law, professional responsible institutions, and full respect for international human rights obligations.
Vice President, the visit of the Special Rapporteur is a valuable opportunity to review progress ongoing challenges and to strengthen dialogue between the state and international human rights protection mechanisms.
Chile is participating constructively in these processes.
International scrutiny and cooperation are crucial tools to strengthen our democratic institutions.
Chile, we continue to promote a dialogue based approach based also on democratic participation and institution building as essential tools to protect human rights.
We reiterating our strong commitment to the promotion and protection of all human rights, to strengthening democracy, to respect for fundamental freedoms, and to full ongoing cooperation with the International Human Rights System for the United Nations.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the National Human Rights Institution of Chile.
You have 3 minutes.
I understand the NHRA of Chile is absent.
The list of speakers is now closed.
I now invite interested delegations to ask questions to the special rapporteur and make comments on her reports.
The speaking time is 1 minute, 30 seconds for all.
I like to recall that the duration of interactive dialogues is 1 hour and 30 minutes.
However, if time permits, additional delegations will be able to speak.
And accordingly, I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Cechia on behalf of a group of countries.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
I have the honor to deliver the statement on behalf of the Cross Regional Core Group of the resolution on the rights to Freedom and Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Chile, Iceland, Indonesia, Lithuania, Maldives, and my country, Czech Republic.
Madam Special Reporter, The core group expresses its full support to your important work.
We believe your mandate is of crucial importance, especially considering the current attacks on the freedom of assembly and association across the world.
Freedom of assembly is fundamental right, essential for democratic functioning and for individuals to develop their identity through collective interaction and participation.
It is an enabling right that allows people to organize, mobilize, and advocate, and its restriction undermines and weakens civic space.
We welcome the focus of your current report.
We agree that modern digital surveillance creates pervasive chilling effects, discouraging individuals and groups from exercising fundamental freedoms by fostering fear, self censorship, and loss of trust.
These impacts are systemic and cumulative weakening civil society and democratic participation.
Madam Sci Reporter, once again, allow me on behalf of the core group to support the continuation of your mandate.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Canada on behalf of a group of countries.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
We commend the Special Rapporteur for highlighting the chilling effects of digital surveillance.
Digital technologies can enable civic participation, yet they are also misused to deter peaceful protest, restrict association, and undermine media freedom and freedom of expression, thereby threatening social cohesion and human rights.
Unlawful and arbitrary digital surveillance weakens trust, privacy, and secure communication.
It can restrict individuals ability to gather organize and sustain civic movements, and exposes human right defenders, journalists, media workers, and civil society actors to intimidation, reprisals, or criminalization, including through transnational repression.
We remain concerned about crackdowns on peaceful protesters leading to arbitrary arrests and undue escalation in the use of force.
We also share the special Ree's concern about the use of spyware biometric technologies, Internet shutdowns and social media monitoring to censor individuals exercising their human rights.
These risks are heightened when transparency, safeguards, and independent oversight are lacking.
States must ensure that the use of surveillance technologies complies with international law, including international human rights law and should promote human rights due diligence when technologies are procured, developed, or transferred.
Special rapporteur, how can states better assess the cumulative chilling effects of digital surveillance, particularly where harms are indirect or opaque.
I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
The European Union welcome Special Rapporteur Romero and thanks her for the report.
Chilling effects of arbitrary and unlawful surveilians influence not only whether people engage in civic and political activities, but also how they participate and how freely they express themselves.
Arbitrary and unlawful surveillance data collection, monitoring technologies, and opaque state practices cause those chilling effects and hinder people from fully enjoying their freedom of assembly and association.
This creates an environment where individuals assume they're always being watched.
As outlined in your report, surveillance of any form must comply with necessity and proportionality.
The EU places strict limitations on surveillance technology, enforcing a ban on AR based untargeted facial recognition, biometric categorization of sensitive traits, and scraping of facial images.
The Digital Services Act regulates online platforms and mandates risk assessments on how they may facilitate legal content or threaten fundamental rights.
Finally, the European Media Freedom Act aims to introduce strict safeguards against the deployment of spyware on media service providers.
Arbitrary and unlawful surveillance of journalists, human rights defenders and civil society actors weakens collective actions and the ability to advocate for rights which contribute to eroding democracy.
Madam Speci Rapporteur, have you have identified best practices to insert these challenges? Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Lithuania on behalf of a group of countries.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
I speak on behalf of the Nordic Baltic States and thank the Special apportur for her report.
Digital technologies enables civil society to mobilize and increase their outreach.
However, they are increasingly misused to monitor, control, and suppress grassroots activism.
The use of facial recognition, other bio metrics to surveil activists and political opponents, blanket Internet shutdowns during protests contribute to the erosion of collective action and limits political engagement.
The growing use of foreign agent style legislation creates a climate of fear within societies, further deterring individuals from public action.
Digital surveillance and constant self censorship also negatively affect activists mental health.
Madam Special Rapporteur, the misuse of digital surveillance and the issue of transnational repression are closely linked.
Political dissidents, human rights defenders, and journalists are targeted through digital means abroad.
This has chilling effect on their ability to build networks in exile, mobilize resources, and engage in international advocacy.
In this context, what is the role of social media companies in preventing digital surveillance and their platforms weaponization for transnational repression? Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on behalf of a group of countries.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
I'm honored to deliver this statement on behalf of the Benelux, Belgium, Luxemburg, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
We align ourselves with the EU statement.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report regarding the chilling effects of digital surveillance on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
The use of surveillance for the sake of suppressing civic and political activism and silencing diverse voices is an undeniable attack on democracy and human rights.
While the abuse of digital surveillance is a largely invisible weapon, its consequences are nothing of the sort.
Without a robust regulatory framework, ensuring transparency, public oversight, and human rights safeguards, it can lead to high levels of repression, impacting not only those targeted, but their families and associates as well.
As the report points out, it also facilitates transnational repression.
We join the Special Rapporteurs call on states to refrain from using surveillance and digital technologies to suppress political dissent and civil society actions.
Intrusive unlawful and disproportional surveillance cannot be the new normal.
Madam Special Rapporteur, what effective strategies have been deployed by states and civil society to prevent unlawful digital surveillance and how can we support and protect those affected? Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Poland on behalf of a group of countries.
Thank you, Mr.
Vice President.
I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Lublin triangle countries, Lithuania, Ukraine, and my own country, Poland.
Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association is a cornerstone of any democratic society.
It is what allows citizens to organize peacefully express dissent and build societies based on shared values and goals.
However, in modern world, these freedoms face new challenges.
Digital tools are now central to basic human social, professional, and economic activities.
At the same time, these factors increase the vulnerability of everyone, in particular, human rights defenders to digital monitoring, stigmatization, or transnational repression.
These practices are often implemented alongside the introduction of foreign agent style legislation.
In Russia and Belarus, civil society actors are criminalized as extremists and subjected to monitoring, censorship, harassment, and persecution.
Digital surveillance tools in Georgia have been deployed to target peaceful protesters.
Madam Sci Reporter, we appreciate your recent report addressing the threats to freedom of assembly and association posed by digital surveillance.
How can we better support human rights defenders in protecting them from digital surveillance, also in the context of transnational repression? I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Switzerland on behalf of a group of countries.
Mr.
Vice President, I have the honor to deliver the statement on behalf of the 42 members of the Freedom Online Coalition.
The full version can be found on the coalition's website.
We thank the Special porteur for her timely report, which demonstrates that unlawful and arbitrary surveillance, including through the misuse of AI enabled technologies, intrusive spyware, cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, increasingly undermines the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, both online and offline.
Independent journalists and media workers, human rights defenders and lawyers are particularly affected, including through the online harassment, smear campaigns, censorship, and intimidation.
Recent developments have highlighted the fragility of spaces for international civil society engagement and cooperation.
As the report highlights, even the perception of surveillance can generate fear, self censorship, and reduced participation in public life, which in turn contributes to the erosion of democracy.
The Freedom Online Coalition reaffirms that any surveillance measures must comply with international law and be consistent with international human rights norms.
We support the report's call for stronger safeguards, meaningful human rights due diligence, transparency and accountability for both states and technology companies.
Special Reporter, in light of the increasingly transnational nature of digital surveillance, what additional international measures do you consider most urgent to better protect civic space and human rights defenders online? I thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea.
Vice President, the Republic of Korea thanks the Special Rapportur for her comprehensive report and longstanding dedication.
The right to peaceful assembly and association constitute the very foundation of democracy and human rights.
They enable all persons to advance ideas and aspirational goals in the public domain.
Our own experience with democratization has taught us that these rights are fundamental pillars of democracy.
In this regard, we share the concerns about the chilling effect resulting from unlawful and arbitrary surveillance, coupled with the misuse of digital technologies.
This could lead to reduced civic participation online and offline, thereby threatening the rights to peaceful assembly and association.
While we are mindful of these challenges, we recognize that new and emerging digital technologies can hold great potential for strengthening democratic institutions and the resilience of civil society.
These technologies enable people to connect more effectively online and organize swiftly.
This was evident when the Korean people came together in 2024 to defend our democratic values through peaceful protest.
Special Rapporteur, how can you harness these technologies to promote peaceful assembly and association while addressing potential risks? Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Armenia.
Mr.
Vice President, we thank the Special Rapporteur for her report.
Digital surveillance may pose serious risks to the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, creating chilling effects that discourage individuals and groups from organizing, mobilizing, and participating in civic life.
We are also convinced that domestic and international regulatory frameworks, firmly grounded in human rights norms and coupled with transparency, accountability, and redress mechanisms, as well as human rights due diligence by private sector may mitigate these risks.
Armenia attaches great importance to safeguarding civic space and ensuring that digital technologies are used in full compliance with the international human rights law.
Armenia continues to strengthen its democratic institutions and expand protections for fundamental freedoms despite the challenges posed by disinformation, misinformation, and foreign information manipulation and interference, including in the digital environment.
Civil society operates freely in Armenia and peaceful assemblies take place regularly across the country.
A number of amendments have been made to the law on freedom of assembly aimed at ensuring the effective implementation of this right underlining national legislation with international human rights standards.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Argentina.
We would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for the report and for highlighting the challenges of the digital ecosystem for enjoying the fundamental freedoms.
However, we would like to express our bitter surprise seeing the references included in it about our country.
The statements in there do not reflect neither our current framework nor the true reality of Argentine institutions.
It seems as referring to another country or another time in Argentine history.
Freedom of Assembly association are guaranteed by our constitution and by the international human rights treaties that have constitutional standing.
They are not abstract principles, they're essential pillars of our democracy.
Argentina fully recognizes the right of peaceful assembly under Article 21 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, but that very same instrument recalls a fundamental truth.
Rights must coexist with the rights of others.
And with maintaining democratic order.
We do not accept false choice between freedom and legality.
Democracy needs both.
Without freedom, democracy becomes weaker.
Without respect for the law, democracy crumbles, which is why we believe that it is indispensable that references to states be based on objective, verifiable and evidence in its proper context.
In spite of its biased view, in this report, Argentina will continue to defend fundamental freedoms, democratic institutions and cooperating with international human rights instruments.
Thank you.
Thank you.
This was the last speaker we could accommodate for this meeting.
Excellency's distinguished participants.
This brings us to the end of this meeting.
We'll reconvene in the afternoon at 3:00 P.M.
To continue the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and to hold the interactive dialogue with the working group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.
I hereby close the 13th meeting of the second session of the Human Rights Council.