A/HRC/RES/40/5
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
4 April 2019
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fortieth session
25 February–22 March 2019
Agenda item 3
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 21 March 2019
40/5.
Elimination of discrimination against women and girls in sport
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recalling the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and all other
relevant international human rights instruments,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 32/4 of 30 June 2016, 33/9 of 29
September 2016, 34/19 of 24 March 2017, 35/18 of 22 June 2017, 37/18 of 23 March 2018
and 38/1 of 5 July 2018, and all relevant resolutions on the elimination of racial
discrimination and of discrimination against women and girls adopted by the Council, the
General Assembly and other United Nations agencies and bodies,
Recalling also General Assembly resolution 70/1 of 27 September 2015, entitled
“Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, and the
Sustainable Development Goals enshrined therein, including, inter alia, those pertaining to
reducing inequality based on race and gender,
Recognizing that racial discrimination does not always affect women and men
equally or in the same way, and that some forms of racial discrimination have a unique and
specific impact on women, and the need for explicit recognition and acknowledgement of
the different life experiences of women,
Recognizing also the potential value of sport as a universal language that contributes
to educating people on the values of respect, dignity, diversity, equality, tolerance and
fairness and as a means to combat all forms of discrimination and to promote social
inclusion for all,
Recognizing further the imperative need to engage women and girls in the practice
of sport and to enhance, to this end, their participation in sporting events at the national and
international levels,
Noting with concern that many women and girls face multiple and intersecting forms
of stigma and discrimination in sport, and are still subjected to discriminatory laws and
GE.19-05667(E)