Human Rights Council Resolution on engaging men and boys

A formal agreement between world governments about engaging men and boys to prevent violence against women and girls.

The resolution is one of the most progressive policy frameworks on men and masculinities to date. It is a key resource to hold governments to account when it comes to the engagement of men and boys for gender equality.

The full name of the Resolution is: ​‘Accelerating efforts to eliminate violence against women: engaging men and boys in preventing and responding to violence against all women and girls’. It is Resolution ³⁵⁄₁₀ of the Human Rights Council. The Human Rights Council is the principal UN body for the promotion and protection of human rights globally.

During the review of the Resolution, MenEngage Alliance and our members worked on a coordinated advocacy effort together with feminist advocates. These efforts aimed for the Resolution ³⁵⁄₁₀ to:

• Be based on intersectional feminist approaches
• Include progressive wording on transforming patriarchal masculinities
• Create a robust political framework on engaging men and boys, and the roles and responsibilities of men and boys
• Support the critical feminist agenda

Resolution ³⁵⁄₁₀ called for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to create a Review of promising practices to engage men and boys in violence prevention and response. Together, the OHCHR Review and Resolution ³⁵⁄₁₀ help form a high-level framework for engaging men and boys for gender justice.

Who will find this resource useful? 

The Resolution is relevant for anyone involved in policy advocacy efforts. This includes advocacy at at national, regional and global levels.

The Resolution offers a high-level, intergovernmental agreement on the importance of transforming patriarchal masculinities and working with men and boys.

You can cite this Resolution as a key document in calling for accountable and gender-transformative policies for engaging men and boys for gender justice and women’s rights.

Find out more 

Click here for the OHCHR report on promising practices. The OHCHR report was a direct follow-up to this Resolution.

Click here to see other advocacy resources.

About the authors 

Resolution ³⁵⁄₁₀ was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 22 June 2017. It was originally presented to the Human Rights Council by the Canadian Government in 2017.

It was (and remains) the most progressive standalone Human Rights Council resolutions that centers work with men and boys in violence prevention and response.