This landmark resolution marks an important turning point for intersex people across the globe
BY FIONA FLETCHER REID, IMAGE BY GETTY (VIA CANVA)
The United Nations Human Rights Council has taken a landmark step towards protecting intersex people around the world. In a first-ever resolution specifically addressing intersex rights, the council voted in favour of measures to combat discrimination and harmful practices.
This victory comes after years of advocacy by civil society organisations and a growing number of UN member states. In 2016, collaboration by human rights bodies highlighted the challenges, and progress continued in 2019 with a UN resolution addressing discrimination in sports for “women with differences of sex development,” paving the way for this week’s resolution.
Championed by Finland, South Africa, Chile, and Australia, the resolution calls on all countries to specifically address discrimination, violence, and harmful practices against persons with “innate variations in sex characteristics”. There were twenty-four votes in favour and twenty-three abstentions. No states voted against the resolution.
The resolution paves the way for the first-ever official UN report on the human rights situation of intersex people. This report, due to be presented in September 2025, will document the widespread abuses faced by intersex individuals globally, from forced medical interventions to social stigma and legal hurdles.
“This resolution marks yet another milestone in how international bodies are looking at the rights of intersex persons,” the 35 organisations who have pushed for this resolution said. “Over the years, the work of civil society and states alike has built tremendous momentum, but things could take an even more decisive turn this time. Thanks to this vote, the first-ever official United Nations report to address the human rights situation of persons with innate variations in sex characteristics will raise awareness of the issue in a way that states can no longer ignore, and will have to act upon.”
Estimates suggest up to 1.7% of the global population may be intersex. Intersex children and adults are often stigmatised, discriminated against, and subject to harmful practices, particularly in medical institutions.
The resolution serves as a vital step towards ensuring intersex people can live with dignity and respect, free from harmful practices and discrimination.
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