Policy Brief 144, 18 June 2025
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Context of International Human Rights
By Carlos Correa and Daniel Uribe
This policy brief examines the growing recognition of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) within the framework of international human rights law. It traces the evolution of this consensus through key United Nations (UN) General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions, foundational documents like the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and the Beijing Platform for Action, and the interpretative work of human rights treaty bodies. These instruments increasingly affirm that SRHR are an integral component of the right to health and are essential for gender equality. However, this brief also highlights the challenges these common efforts face in line with other views, which prioritise national sovereignty in determining policies on reproductive health. The analysis highlights the tension between the evolving international human rights framework and state-centric approaches, concluding with the imperative for ongoing dialogue to solidify and implement SRHR as universal, inalienable human rights.