Governments debate abortion and reproductive health at the United Nations

The United Nations convened governments this week for the 44th session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD), focused on the theme of “Fertility, reproductive health and development.” This year brings unprecedented participation by civil society organizations from around the world supporting a progressive sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda at the United Nations.

The importance of the Commission’s work was underscored in an opening statement by Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund: “As our population approaches 7 billion, every person, particularly adolescents and young people, should be able to enjoy human rights and human dignity.” Dr. Osotimehin affirmed that this is a key principle underpinning the Programme of Action agreed by governments in 1994 at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Dr. Osotimehin further declared: “Just as no woman or girl should die during pregnancy and childbirth, no woman or girl should die from unsafe abortion.”

Ipas Vice President for Africa, Amb. Dr. Eunice Brookman-Amissah, took up his plea in her invited keynote presentation in a well-attended plenary session of the Commission. As she pointed out, fatalities from unsafe abortion are still disproportionately high in Africa, where laws are most restrictive. “This is a gross injustice and is simply unacceptable when we know from other regions and countries what can be accomplished with relatively modest investment.” She further pointed out that almost half of the annual deaths worldwide from unsafe abortion complications occur among young women in developing countries under the age of 25. Her presentation also outlined priorities for addressing reproductive health challenges, citing guidance issued jointly by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA, and the World Bank for a package of evidence-based interventions for family planning, safe abortion, and maternal and newborn health care.

Ipas and other partners in the international reproductive health and rights community will support actionable steps to achieve ICPD goals, among other things advocating for governments to:

Ensure protection of sexual and reproductive rights and access to a full range of integrated sexual and reproductive health services especially at the primary health care level, including contraception and safe abortion;
Provide adolescents and young people with comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services that respect their rights;
Ensure that governments make progress on achieving gender equality and on fulfilling human rights;
Increase financial commitments from governments to achieve these goals.

Further information about the Commission’s deliberations, including statements by governments, UN agencies, and NGOs, can be found at the Commission’s website, along with the Commission’s final resolutions after negotiations are completed.

Source: http://www.ipas.org