UN OHCHR paper on human rights violations against intersex people

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has published a background note on human rights violations against intersex people.

The UN Human Rights Office has issued a new Background Note on Human Rights Violations against Intersex People, which has been developed as a follow-up to various initiatives by the Office, UN agencies and regional human rights mechanisms including: the Intersex Expert meeting held in 2015, public education awareness campaigns by UN free and Equal on Intersex Awareness in 2015 and the Joint Statement by UN and regional human rights mechanisms in 2016.

The background note analyses the specific human rights violations faced by Intersex people and the corresponding human rights obligations of States, identifying gaps, challenges and positive developments and charting the way forward to ensure that the human rights of intersex people are respected, protected and fulfilled.

This is essential reading on intersex human rights and health. It summarises research on human rights violations and the obligations of States. It carefully addresses intersections between intersex and other populations, and intersections between forced and coercive medical interventions on intersex people and both FGM and prenatal interventions.

Download the background paper

• The OHCHR page on the background note - this page also links to a media statement about the 2015 expert meeting, website and joint statement.
• PDF download