60th Session of the Human Rights Council

General Debate item 3

18th September 15:00m in Room Assembly Hall

JST HUMAN RIGHTS IN CARE AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS

Mr. President, I deliver this statement on behalf of Chile, Iceland, Mexico, Spain and a cross regional group of countries.

Two years ago through resolution 54/6, the Human Rights Council recognised care and support not merely as social or economic issues, but as fundamental elements to the realization of human rights and sustainable development, dignity and equality. We welcome the growing attention given to this matter, including the recent reports by OHCHR and the Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls.

We also take note of relevant regional developments such as the advisory opinion of the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights on the right to care, the Tlatelolco Commitment adopted in the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the emphasis on the care and support economy by the South African G20 Presidency within the Empowerment of Women Working Group.These advances provide valuable guidance for building care and support systems firmly anchored in human rights. +

Advancing gender equality through care and support systems is both urgent and necessary. Existing practices often perpetuate gender-based discrimination: women and girls, particularly adolescent girls, shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid and undervalued care work. Moreover, when they themselves require care, their rights are too often overlooked. We remain concerned about structural trends that frame persons with disabilities, children, and older persons as passive “dependents” rather than as right-holders entitled to dignity, autonomy and support.

While we recognize the important efforts of many States to strengthen care and support systems, we call on all States to invest in systems that are gender-responsive, agesensitive and disability-inclusive and fully aligned with human rights, ensuring the meaningful participation of rights-holders at every stage. This also entails guaranteeing decent work, fair wages and adequate social protection for paid and unpaid carers. We encourage the promotion of regional exchanges of good practices to further enhance these efforts and maximize their contribution to sustainable development.

Transforming care and support systems is critical to achieving gender equality and the full enjoyment of human rights for all. That is why we will continue to ensure that the Human Rights Council remains fully seized on this matter.

Thank you.