UN Human Rights Council, Geneva
By Wilmer Hak
UN Rapporteurs and Experts are mandate holders who monitor the situation of a specific right or country. In total, there are 60 mandate holders with at least one representative. Every year, such a representative publishes a report with their findings. Every three years, a vote is taken on whether to renew the mandate. This session, for example, the mandate around Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity was renewed.
Freedom of education
When it comes to the content of the reports, the report by Ms F. Shaheed, the UN Rapporteur on education, was particularly worrisome. She called on Member States to ensure Comprehensive Sexuality Education in their education programmes to create safe schools.
However, mandating Comprehensive Sexuality Education as a curriculum goes squarely against the freedom of schools to choose material that suits the school's identity. This is certainly relevant when it comes to programmes that have been criticized for their ineffectiveness and sexualizing content for young children.
In addition, another report by the UN Rapporteur on her visit to the United States stated that public education is a right and that selecting educational materials based on content is discriminatory.
In international law, however, there is no right to public education, but to education in its general, diverse breadth (see, for example, Article 13.3 ICESCR). Parents therefore have the right to choose alternatives, including Christian education. These schools also have the right to reflect their beliefs in selecting and rejecting certain materials.
Where no country stood up for this freedom, CCI spoke out to protect these freedoms. In doing so, we called on member states and the Rapporteur to recognize and respect Christian education, including in the area of sexuality.
'Right' to abortion
Our input was also needed during the meeting with the UN Rapporteur on Health, Ms. T. Mofokeng. During her speech, she called for the legalization of abortion at all stages. Her report also stated that legal frameworks that allow conscientious objection by medical professionals can violate the right to health. Abortion must also be freely accessible within these frameworks.
UN Rapporteur on Health, Ms. T. Mofokeng. Source
Since the report is a direct attack on unborn life and freedom of conscience, the CCI has submitted a video message to the Rapporteur urging her to respect freedom of religion and the right to life. ‘We wish to reaffirm that international law does not establish a universal right to abortion.’
Women's rights
In addition to these reports, there was also another report that drew attention. Ms. Reem Alsalem, UN Rapporteur on violence against girls and women, mentioned in her report that a biological gender approach is important for women's rights. ‘You cannot protect what you cannot define.’ However, this approach made international organisations and governments call her: ‘regressive, racist, colonial, transphobic, fascist and Nazi’.
More than a thousand organisations refuse to cooperate with Ms. Alsalem for this stance. In addition, many countries also call on the UN Rapporteur to refrain from a biological sex approach and to emphasize gender.
CCI supports the UN Rapporteur in her position and is concerned about the increasing aggression towards her position. It points out that the space for views in line with the Bible is getting less and less. Something that also directly affects Christians worldwide.
Conclusion
The 59th Session of the Human Rights Council was thus internally contradictory. While many reports focused on the importance of inclusion, tolerance and diversity, silent mutual hostility revealed itself in practice.
This also prompts self-reflection at CCI. How do we, as an organisation, stand in this vast arena? Is love for God and our neighbours still central to our policies? Prayer and humility are permanently necessary for this.
We thank our donors who made it possible to speak and influence resolutions, and we hope it will bear fruit!