Bearing witness to IGM at the UN: Claudia Balsamo, Daniela Truffer, Geneva 03.07.2017
#CEDAW67 #ItalyCEDAW #CCPR120 #SwitzerlandCCPR #Torture #HarmfulPractice
CCPR120 Switzerland
During its 120th session, the UN Human Rights Committee (HRCttee) as the Treaty body monitoring implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) is investigating Intersex Genital Mutilations for the very first time!
StopIGM.org in collaboration with Swiss peer and parent’s self-help groups Intersex.ch and SI Global have been denouncing IGM practices in Switzerland as a violation of CCPR since 2014, with the Committee thereafter asking the Swiss State party questions on intersex and IGM in its List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LoIPR) under para 22. In their (non-)reply, Switzerland brought up the usual denial + pinkwashing in the State report (para 188).
During the 1st part of the State examination in Geneva on 03 July, Committee expert Christof Heyns therafter inquired about Switzerland’s position in the matter, with the Delegation (non-)replying with more of the same, repeatedly changing the topic to discrimination issues and “sex change in documents”. StopIGM.org is now hoping for follow-up questions in the 2nd Q&A session today …
UPDATE! Committee expert Yuval Shany asked a follow-up question about practical steps to raise awareness, prevent practice and guarantee rehabilitation for victims …The Delegation again insisted doctors would allegedly rrespect the right to self-determination and physical and mental integrity of intersex persons, then went on about “sexual reassignment” … Full transcript here.
>>> CCPR120 > TRANSCRIPT + VIDEO: Switzerland Questioned over IGM
>>> UN Press release english | français – both mention intersex
>>> Video Session 1 | Session 2
NGO Report to the 4th Periodic Report of Switzerland on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR)
>>> Download as PDF (809 kb)
Compiled by:
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org
Intersex.ch
SI Selbsthilfe Intersexualität
Timetable CCPR120 Review of Switzerland July 2017:
• NGO Briefing Switzerland (closed): Mon 3 July >>> Intersex Statement
• NGO Lunchtime Briefing (closed): Mon 3 July
• Review of Switzerland: Mon 3 July 15-17h + Tue 4 July 10-13h CET
>>> TRANSCRIPT | Video Session 1 | Session 2
• The Concluding Observations for Switzerland including a stern reprimand for IGM practices (CCPR/C/CHE/CO/4, paras 24-25) were published at the end of the 120th CCPR Session, marking the very first reprimand for IGM by the Human Rights Committee (HRCttee)!
CEDAW67 Italy
Italy is once more up for review of IGM practices at the 67th session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). StopIGM.org in Collaboration with Italian intersex advocate Claudia Balsamo have documented the ongoing practice in Italian clinics and the complicity of the State in a thematic NGO report and are now hoping for tough questions on IGM for Italy during the State review today …
>>> VIDEO + TRANSCRIPT: Italy Questioned over IGM
UPDATE 1: The testimony by Claudia Balsamo has been mentioned in the french + english UN press release:
«A representative of StopIGM.org provided the testimony of a person exposed to intersex genital mutilation as a child and said that all forms of intersex genital mutilation persisted in Italy, paid for by the State. Doctors openly boasted in the media about a large increase in surgeries, while the national institutions openly advocated the practice. Italy still failed to explicitly prohibit by law and adequately sanction or criminalize the practice.»
UPDATE 2: You can also hear the full statement on the now archived >>> video (starting at 9:10 min).
UPDATE 3: Literally in the very last minutes, Committe expert Patrizia Schulz asks about non-consensual surgeries on intersex children! Does the Stae party plan to ban this harmful practice? The Delegation issues a full denial, claiming only medically necessary surgeries would take place, although there is no recent data available. Patrizia Schulz quickly follows up, parents can not consent. Full transcripts to follow
>>> Video Session 2 (starting at 1:58)
NGO Report to the 7th Report of Italy on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Compiled by:
Claudia Balsamo
StopIGM.org / Zwischengeschlecht.org
Timetable CEDAW67 Review of Italy July 2017:
• NGO Briefing Italy (public): Mon 3 July 15:00-16:15h CET
– to be transmitted live on webtv.un.org!
• NGO Lunchtime Briefing (closed): Mon 3 July
• Review of Italy: Tue 4 July 10-13h + 15-17h CET
– to be transmitted live on webtv.un.org!
• The Concluding Observations for Italy, hopefully with another severe reprimand for IGM practices, are due at the end the 66th CEDAW Session (24 July 2017 or soon after).
See also:
• 31 UN Reprimands for IGM – and counting …
• “Harmful Medical Practice”: UN, COE, ACHPR, IACHR condemn IGM
• UN Committee for the Rights of the Child (CRC) 2015: IGM = Harmful Practice
• UN Committee against Torture (CAT) 2015: IGM = Inhuman Treatment or Torture
• UN Human Rights Committee (HRCttee) to examine IGM Practices
• UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) condemns IGM
• 56th Session of Committee against Torture reprimands 4 Governments for IGM
• CAT 2011: Germany must investigate IGM practices and compensate survivors!
Intersex Genital Mutilations • 17 Most Common Forms
Human Rights Violations Of Children With Variations Of Sex Anatomy
IGM – Historical Overview • What is Intersex? • How Common are IGMs?
>>> Download PDF (3.65 MB) >>> Table of Contents
Eliminating IGM practices by holding the perpetrators accountable via well-established applicable human rights frameworks, including Inhuman Treatment and Harmful Practices – Presentation @ UN expert meeting on Intersex Human Rights