Finland leads UN Human Rights Council intervention in discrimination and violence against intersex persons

The UN Human Rights Council adopted the resolution Combating Discrimination, Violence, and Harmful Practices against Intersex Persons on 4 April. The resolution was presented by Finland together with Australia, Chile and South Africa. Several states across the world also supported the resolution.

“None of us can influence the bodily characteristics we are born with. I am pleased that the UN Human Rights Council defended today the human rights of intersex persons and their right to live without discrimination and violence,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen. 

Intersex persons are people with innate variations in sex characteristics, including sexual anatomy, reproductive organs and genetic, hormonal or chromosome patterns. These natural variations in sex characteristics do not clearly fit typical definitions for male or female bodies. Intersexuality manifests itself in many different ways. The characteristics of intersexuality are innate, and they can be identified at any age.

Knowledge of intersexuality is still limited. Intersex persons across the world face discrimination, violence and harmful practices. For example, deferrable medical interventions, such as surgery and treatment to alter sex characteristics, are performed without the informed consent of the person or, in the case of a newborn child, without the informed consent of the parent. In the most serious cases, newborn intersex children are killed or abandoned.

Worldwide, there are also good practices and experience on safeguarding the human rights of intersex persons. These practices and experience need to be shared. 

The resolution presented by Finland, Australia, Chile and South Africa aims to increase awareness of human rights abuses and violations against intersex persons and of good practices for protecting their human rights. Under the Resolution, the Human Rights Council requests a report on the matter from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and will hold a panel discussion on the matter at its 60th session in autumn 2025.