Joint statement for HRC44 virtual meeting of the HRC President with NGOs 

We acknowledge the challenges confronting OHCHR, member states and CSOs as we attempt to resume critical human rights work while taking seriously health risks associated with COVID-19. We appreciate the efforts made to overcome these challenges, including by increasing remote and online participation. We would like to bring to your attention some of the barriers to participation we have experienced in this session.

AWID condemns the death threats received by Consorcio Oaxaca and the journalist Soledad Jarquín on June 15th, 2020 related to their campaign “Hasta que la justicia llegue” (Until Justice Comes) demanding justice for the femicide of María del Sol Jarquín.

Here at AWID we decided to write a People’s Declaration for Beijing+25 to raise the bar on gender equality agendas  — and we want you to write it with us.

Despite concerted opposition by some States and anti-rights organizations who tried to undermine the existing legal framework on women’s rights and on sexual and reproductive health and rights, the Human Rights Council stood strong and delivered strong resolutions that highlight critical human rights abuses facing women and girls.

AWID welcomes the report of the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women on the causes of deprivation of liberty. 

We join over 300 civil society groups urging WTO members to abandon their push for “e-commerce” negotiations proposed by Big Tech transnational corporations and focus urgently on transforming global trade rules for shared prosperity for all.

We are gravelly alarmed by the ongoing, targeted criminalization of human rights defenders in Guatemala including the recent judicial harassment of defenders Mrs. Claudia Virginia Samayoa Pineda and Mr. José Manuel Martínez Cabrera. With this letter, we urge the Guatemalan Government to end all acts of harassment against human rights defenders and to guarantee the realization of fundamental freedoms in all regions of Guatemala.

During the Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights at HRC40, Action Canada delivered a joint statement on our and SRI's behalf to show our support to the work of Karima Bennoune, Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights and demand stronger support from the UN in this field.

AWID and the Association for Progressive Communications delivered this statement during the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights, during the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council in support of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur in the fields of Cultural Rights, Karima Bennoune.

In front of a packed room at UN Headquarters in Geneva, Omaima Al Najjar, a woman human rights defender and political refugee from Saudi Arabia, delivered an urgent message to the Human Rights Council on Thursday February 28, 2019.