The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education and the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls published this Compendium on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) with the purpose to recall the main international standards on CSE and to make a specific call to States to ensure the right to CSE without discrimination.
The following is a statement from the authors:
“The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a time to reaffirm the universality and indivisibility of human rights. We believe that focus must continue to be placed particularly on those who remain marginalised because of their age, disability, sexual orientation, and sex and gender identity, among others. With this Compendium, we reaffirm our collective commitment to ensuring we truly leave no one behind.
Based on the human rights framework, this tool assembles up-to-date standards and strongly reiterates that comprehensive sexuality education should be provided to all and be inclusive. We welcome important developments in terms of legislation and policies adopted by some States, in these moments of general regression related to sexual and reproductive health rights in some regions, including abortion and LGBTIQ+ rights. We reiterate the need to continue protecting these rights. We take our mandates seriously and approach our responsibilities with humility, striving to avoid harm and uphold the rights of all those involved to continue protecting these rights, striving to avoid harm and uphold the rights of those involved.
Culture, faith and religion are important resources for humanity. The Vienna Declaration on Human rights, which 30th anniversary we also celebrate this year, clearly recognized the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds. It also forcefully recalled, however, the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Through the working methods available to us, and in this important year of the 75th anniversary, we underscore our spirit of collaboration and solidarity with all stakeholders and importantly rights holders.
We must urge all stakeholders to embody the principles of equality, empowerment, and non-discrimination participation in the area of sexuality education.”