UNHRC adopts resolution submitted by Qatar on women empowerment
Geneva
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva unanimously adopted the resolution on empowering women and girls in and through sport, proposed by the State of Qatar on behalf of the core group that includes Indonesia and Morocco, as part of the Council's 59th session.
The resolution received broad support within the Human Rights Council, with 71 countries from various geographic groups joining as co-sponsors.
While presenting the resolution for adoption, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN Office in Geneva HE Dr Hend Abdulrahman Al Muftah emphasised that sports, being a universal language, holds tremendous potential for promoting human rights, fostering values of tolerance, and contributing to sustainable development.
She highlighted the many benefits of women and girls' participation in sports, whether in terms of physical and mental health or personal and professional development, versus the persistent challenges which include low participation, underrepresentation in leadership positions, pay gaps, and limited media coverage.
She said that the resolution carries a global message, which is that dignity and equality are indivisible and that progress in sports leads to progress in other aspects of life, adding that the resolution includes provisions for holding a panel discussion during the Council's 62nd session in June 2026, as well as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights preparing a report to be presented at the 65th session in June 2027, coinciding with the FIFA Women's World Cup, which will serve as a significant international opportunity to advance the empowerment of women in major sporting events.
She affirmed that during the drafting process, the core group was committed to adopting a constructive and consensual approach by making intensive efforts in both formal and informal consultations to accommodate as many views and positions as possible. She expressed gratitude to all countries and non-governmental organizations for their valuable contributions during these consultations, stressing that multilateral forums should remain spaces for mutual understanding, respect, and consensus-building.
During the resolution's adoption session, several country representatives, speaking on behalf of their geographic groups and in their national capacities, delivered statements in support of the resolution.
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