A/HRC/RES/55/14
treaty bodies, inter alia, the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights and the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the human rights of
persons with innate variations in sex characteristics,
Recognizing that persons with innate variations in sex characteristics, that is persons
who are born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions for male or female
bodies, including sexual anatomy, reproductive organs and hormonal or chromosome
patterns (also known as intersex persons) exist in all societies,
Recognizing also that, throughout their lives, persons with innate variations in sex
characteristics may face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination in all areas of life,
such as access to education, health, employment, sports and social security, as well as
restrictions on the exercise of legal capacity and in access to remedies and justice,
Expressing grave concern about the violence and harmful practices that persons with
innate variations in sex characteristics, including children, face in all regions of the world,
including medically unnecessary or deferrable interventions, which may be irreversible, with
respect to sex characteristics, performed without the full, free and informed consent of the
person, and in the case of children without complying with the provisions of the Convention
on the Rights of the Child,
1.
Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights to prepare a report, to be made available in accessible formats and to be presented to
the Human Rights Council at its sixtieth session, drawing upon the expertise of the Human
Rights Council Advisory Committee, examining in detail discriminatory laws and policies,
acts of violence and harmful practices against persons with innate variations in sex
characteristics, in all regions of the world, and their root causes, and also examining best
practices, including legal protection and remedies, especially when addressing the realization
of the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health,
and based on information from States, treaty bodies, the special procedures of the Human
Rights Council, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, regional mechanisms,
academia, health professionals, national human rights institutions, civil society, including
organizations representing intersex persons, and other relevant stakeholders;
2.
Decides to convene a panel discussion at its sixtieth session, accessible to
persons with disabilities and open to the participation of States, the Advisory Committee,
relevant treaty bodies and the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, United
Nations agencies, funds and programmes, regional mechanisms, academia, health
professionals, national human rights institutions, civil society, including organizations
representing intersex persons, and other relevant stakeholders, on discriminatory laws and
policies, acts of violence and harmful practices against persons with innate variations in sex
characteristics in all regions of the world, and their root causes, including misconceptions
and inaccurate information, and also examining best practices, especially when addressing
the realization of their right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical
and mental health, and requests the Office of the High Commissioner to organize the panel
discussion;
3.
Encourages States, in collaboration with relevant international and regional
organizations, to enhance efforts to combat discrimination, violence and harmful practices
against persons with innate variations in sex characteristics and to address their root causes,
such as stereotypes, the spread of misconceptions and inaccurate information, stigma and
taboo, and to work to realize the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and
mental health for persons with innate variations in sex characteristics;
4.
Decides to remain seized of this issue.
54th meeting
4 April 2024
[Adopted by a recorded vote of 24 to 0, with 23 abstentions. The voting was as follows:
In favour:
Albania, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba,
Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, India,
2