United Nations Human Rights Council

Topic: 2SLGBTQIA+ Health Care

The United Nations Human Rights Council is mandated to assist governments with the fulfillment of their human rights obligations, and to identify and develop responses to human rights violations. Since 2011, the Human Rights Council has adopted three resolutions on the topic of sexual orientation and gender identity, but globally, much discrimination against 2SLGBTQIA+ people persists. In 2021, there are still 69 countries that criminalize same-sex relationships, 9 countries with laws that target certain forms of gender expression, and even more that use discriminatory tactics to exclude 2SLGBTQIA+ people from health care. Today, the access and equal benefit of health care remains a struggle for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, who are regularly excluded or discriminated against while trying to acquire targeted care.

In this committee, the delegates will touch on equity of access and benefit of healthcare with a speciality in gender affirming healthcare and intersectionality in the mental healthcare system, especially in regards to BIPOC peoples. The final goal of this committee is to develop a resolution addressing the systemic discrimination against 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and potentially the creation of a 2SLGBTQIA+ concentrated committee.

Directors: Lauren Wilkins, Martha Capener