Measures

To mark the 75th anniversary of the Declaration on Human Rights, OHCHR launched a campaign to encourage meaningful actions by Member States, with the dedicated aim to show commitment towards improving communities, nations, everyone’s human rights. As a result, 56 States have pledged on women’s rights and gender equality, with a strong focus on the elimination of gender-based violence.

OHCHR is developing a Regional Protocol to provide practical tools for public prosecutors, forensic experts and others, to guide their investigations into violent deaths of LGBTIQ+ people in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Effective monitoring and reporting of cases of gender-based violence contributes to increased accountability and reduced impunity in order to better prevent such violence in all contexts where OHCHR operates. OHCHR has developed a blended training on monitoring/investigating and reporting on gender-based violence for human rights officers, including from field presences, peace mission, investigative bodies and HQ sections, adopting a human rights- and evidence-based approach. OHCHR also developed tools to enhance the capacity of field presences in monitoring gender-based violence, enabling colleagues and other human rights protection actors to highlight and address such acts as human rights violations. OHCHR has tailored training sessions to the needs and specificities of each context, with a focus on country offices participating in the Gender Accreditation Programme (GAP) also led by OHCHR. 

In 2024, the CEDAW Committee adopted its General recommendation No. 40 on the equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems, which highlights achieving 50:50 gender parity across all sectors as pivotal in addressing the root causes of gender-based violence. 

In 2022, the CEDAW Committee adopted its General recommendation No. 39 on indigenous women and girl, which underscores the distinct and intersecting forms of discrimination they face. It recognizes that gender-based violence against indigenous women is not only physical or sexual but also link to environmental violence (e.g., extractive industries harming indigenous lands, leading to displacement and increased GBV risks) and economic violence (e.g., exclusion from land rights and resources). 

In July 2024, OHCHR published a report on the solutions to promote digital education for young people and to ensure their protection from online threats (A/HRC/57/28) promoting a gender-responsive response in view of the gender digital divide and the gendered dimensions of online attacks. OHCHR was also mandated to produce a report on “a human rights approach to meaningful connectivity and to overcoming digital divides, including by addressing threats to individuals’ access to the Internet,” presenting an opportunity to analyse how women and girls’ access to internet is impeded by TF GBV. 

With the support of a psychologist, OHCHR prepared training material on trauma informed interviewing, with a specific focus on survivors of sexual violence, to respond to a growing demand from field colleagues. 

OHCHR offers technical assistance to strengthen national legal and policy frameworks by aligning them with international human rights standards. Support includes guidance on translating human rights mechanisms’ recommendations in concrete laws and policies, in building institutional capacities and ensuring multidisciplinary systems are in place to address the root causes and risk factors for femicide, including domestic violence. During the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in September 2024, OHCHR provided technical support in the drafting of resolution on domestic violence (A/HRC/RES/57/18). 

We have presented in-depth thematic reports on harmful practices, in particular witchcraft, female genital mutilation, and child, early and forced marriage at the Human Rights Council and used their recommendations in our advocacy with States. All reports emphasized that harmful practices are deeply rooted in gender inequality and patriarchal norms, violate women and girls’ human rights, and require stronger legal, policy, and coordinated efforts to be eradicated. OHCHR’s engagement resulted in moving from ad-hoc thematic reports to the elaboration of guidelines on child, early and forced marriage to guide laws, policies and interventions to tackle the practice, as crystallized in resolution 53/23 of the HRC.  

OHCHR contributed to the elaboration of a global support system for the monitoring and reporting arrangements on sexual violence in conflict (MARA) with UN ACTION. 

UNODC worked closely with the CECAW Committee to support the development of the General Recommendation no. 38 on Trafficking in Women and Girls in the Context of Global Migration (i.e. contributed significantly to consultations, organized the regional Expert Group Meeting for Europe, Central Asia and the Balkans, coordinated a separated joint ICAT submission).

Other activities included:

1. Support to the 30^th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (May 2021), which adopted a resolution recognizing the "importance of eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation",
2. Support towards organizing a Multi-stakeholder Hearing on implementation of the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons (GPA), on 13 July 2021, which discussed topics such as sexual exploitation of women and girls and the principle of non-punishment of victims of trafficking.
3. UNODC also coordinated the preparation of a join ICAT submission to the GPA appraisal process, underlining the importance of integrating violence prevention measures aimed to tackle the social norms that promote the commodification of women and children and normalize violence against women and girls.