Tag Archives: United Nations

Press Release: Investing in Family Planning is Key for World at 7 Billion

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***Le Français suit***

Launch of UNFPA State of the World Population Report 2011: People and Possibilities in a World of 7 Billion

In five days, the world’s population is projected to reach 7 billion. How we respond now will determine whether we have a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future or one that is marked by inequalities, environmental decline and economic setbacks, according to The State of World Population 2011 report, published today by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

Launching the report at a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa today, UNFPA representative Alanna Armitage told reporters that this population milestone of 7 billion is a “call to action”. Over 215 million women and girls worldwide want to use modern methods of contraceptives in order to space or limit their families but have no access to these services for reasons of gender inequality, cost, geography, age and/or insufficient health infrastructure and resources. “And yet development assistance for family planning has declined and is lower than it was in the mid 1990s. There are millions of adolescent girls and boys in the developing world who have insufficient access to sexuality education and to information about how to prevent pregnancies or protect themselves from HIV. Enabling individuals to have the power to make their own reproductive decisions remain the best guide for the future” said Ms. Armitage.

Sandeep Prasad, Executive Director of Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD) congratulated the Canadian Government for its ongoing support of UNFPA’s work and for its recent decision to fund the International Planned Parenthood Federation to provide contraceptive services and sexuality education in developing countries but noted that Canada needs to do much more. Mr. Prasad said “Canada has committed significant funds to accelerating progress on women’s health through the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH); however, only about 1.7% of the funds that have been announced so far are directed towards family planning services and supplies.

The evidence from UNFPA’s report tells us that Canada needs to be investing much more in contraceptive services, information and supplies if we are to fulfill our promises to reduce poverty and hunger in a world of 7 billion”. In her concluding remarks, Ms. Armitage reiterated that a large world population has challenges but also opportunities. “Charting a path now to sustainable economic and social development that promotes equality, rather than exacerbates or reinforces inequalities, is more important than ever.”

ENDS

CONTACT: Meghan Doherty meghan@acpd.ca +1 613 301 3716

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

Copies of the report and high-resolution print-ready graphics from the report and high-resolution B-rolls of accompanying short videos are available through; http://www.unfpa.org/public/op/preview/home/sitemap/swp2011 The user name is: unfpa password: swp2011

Journalists are also welcome to attend the public launch of the report at 6pm on Wednesday October 26, 131 Queen Street – registration is required for journalists not accredited to Parliament.

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA) is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

ACTION CANADA FOR POPULATION & DEVELOPMENT (ACPD) is a non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to enhance the quality of life of women, men and children by promoting progressive policies in the field of human rights and international development with a primary focus on reproductive and sexual rights and health.

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Dans cinq jours, il est projeté que la population mondiale atteindra 7 milliards. Notre réponse actuelle est déterminante pour un avenir qui soit sain, durable et prospère, ou marqué par les inégalités, la détérioration environnementale et les difficultés économiques, selon le rapport « État de la population mondiale 2011 » publié aujourd’hui par le Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (UNFPA).

Lors de la présentation du rapport, en conférence de presse sur la Colline parlementaire à Ottawa, aujourd’hui, la représentante de l’UNFPA, Alanna Armitage, a déclaré aux journalistes que le jalon des 7 milliards de population est une « incitation à l’action ». Plus de 215 millions de femmes et de filles, dans le monde, veulent utiliser des méthodes contraceptives modernes pour espacer leurs grossesses ou limiter la taille de leurs familles, mais elles n’ont pas accès à ces services pour des raisons d’inégalité des sexes, de coût, de géographie, d’âge et/ou de manque d’infrastructures et de ressources de santé. « Or l’aide au développement pour la planification familiale a reculé à un niveau inférieur à celui du milieu des années 1990. Des millions de filles et de garçons adolescents, dans le monde en développement, n’ont pas un accès suffisant à des services d’éducation sexuelle et à l’information sur la prévention de la grossesse et du VIH. Habiliter les individus à prendre leurs propres décisions génésiques est la meilleure voie d’avenir », a affirmé Mme Armitage.

Sandeep Prasad, directeur général d’Action Canada pour la population et le développement (ACPD), a félicité le Gouvernement du Canada pour son appui continu au travail de l’UNFPA et pour sa récente décision de financer l’International Planned Parenthood Federation et ses services de contraception et d’éducation sexuelle dans le monde en développement. Il a toutefois noté que le Canada doit faire beaucoup plus : « Le Canada s’est engagé à d’importants investissements dans l’accélération des progrès pour la santé des femmes, dans le cadre de l’Initiative de Muskoka sur la santé des mères, des nouveau-nés et des enfants; mais seulement 1,7 % des octrois annoncés jusqu’ici sont destinés à des services et fournitures de planification familiale. Les données du rapport de l’UNFPA démontrent que le Canada doit hausser considérablement ses investissements dans les services, l’information et les fournitures de contraception, s’il veut réaliser sa promesse de réduire la pauvreté et la faim dans un monde où vivent 7 milliards d’humains.

» En conclusion, Mme Armitage a réitéré qu’une forte population mondiale soulève des défis, mais aussi des possibilités. « Il est plus important que jamais de préparer le terrain à un développement économique et social durable, qui favorise l’égalité plutôt que d’exacerber les inégalités. »

FIN

CONTACT : Meghan Doherty (meghan@acpd.ca, +1 613 301 3716)

NOTES À LA RÉDACTION :

Des exemplaires du rapport, des graphiques à haute définition prêts pour l’impression et des rouleaux B de courtes vidéos d’accompagnement sont accessibles à http://www.unfpa.org/public/op/preview/home/sitemap/swp2011 (Nom d’utilisateur : unfpa Mot de passe : swp2011

Les journalistes sont invités à assister au lancement public du rapport, le mercredi 26 octobre à 18 h 00, au 131, rue Queen – inscription requise pour les journalistes non accrédités au Parlement.

Le FONDS DES NATIONS UNIES POUR LA POPULATION (UNFPA) est une organisation internationale au service du développement qui promeut le droit de chaque femme, homme et enfant à vivre en bonne santé et à jouir de chances égales. L’UNFPA vient en aide aux pays qui utilisent les données relatives à la population afin de concevoir des politiques et des programmes visant à réduire la pauvreté et à faire en sorte que chaque grossesse soit désirée, chaque accouchement sans risques, que chaque jeune ne contracte pas le VIH/sida et que chaque fille et femme soit traitée avec dignité et respect.

ACTION CANADA POUR LA POPULATION ET LE DÉVELOPPEMENT (ACPD) est un organisme de plaidoyer sans but lucratif qui vise à améliorer la qualité de vie des femmes, des hommes et des enfants en promouvant des politiques progressistes en matière de droits humains et de développement international, avec un point de mire sur la santé et les droits sexuels et génésiques.

Joint Statement – UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health Report to the General Assembly

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STATEMENT BY HUMAN RIGHTS, WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND HEALTH GROUPS ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE REPORT BY ANAND GROVER, UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHT TO HEALTH, TO THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

We, the undersigned human rights, women’s rights and health organizations, welcome the report (A/66/254) of the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Anand Grover, to the UN General Assembly presented on 24 October 2011 as a milestone in the struggle for the full realization of the right to health for all.

The report exposes the many detrimental effects on individuals’ health, equality, bodily integrity, dignity, and decision-making capacity resulting from criminal laws and other misguided legal restrictions that governments frequently impose in violation of sexual and reproductive rights: restrictions on abortion, restrictions on contraception, the criminalization of women’s conduct on the basis that they are pregnant (such as criminal sanctions for drug use or alcohol consumption during pregnancy) and restrictions on access to full, complete, and accurate information on sexual and reproductive health.

The majority of states which spoke during the General Assembly’s interactive dialogue on the report expressed the view that it makes a useful contribution to existing guidance on implementing the right to health. In a joint statement with the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS, UNFPA stated that the report supports states’ efforts to respect, protect and fulfil human rights.  Our organisations welcome such responses in support of the report and its importance within the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.

We believe this report is of fundamental importance in securing the right to health, in particular because:

  1. The report consolidates years of health and human rights legal analysis by many UN experts, who are mandated by UN Member States to promote the full and equal enjoyment of human rights by all persons. These studies jointly support the conclusion that criminal law is often an inappropriate tool for regulating sexual and reproductive health matters.
  1. The report uses empirical evidence compiled by UN technical agencies to support the conclusion that the misuse of criminal laws and punitive policies in the area of sexual and reproductive health cause disproportionate suffering for women; people engaging in same sex sexual conduct; people identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons; those living with HIV or AIDS; and other groups who already suffer discrimination.
  1. The report contains clear and detailed recommendations for States, including a call to immediately decriminalize abortion, ensure access to a full range of modern contraceptive methods, and facilitate access to full, complete, and accurate information on sexual and reproductive health.

Our own research and experience supports the conclusions of this report as well as the validity of its recommendations.  We look forward to working with States to further the implementation of these recommendations in the fulfilment of their international human rights obligations.

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Action Canada for Population and Development
AKAHATA
Amnesty International
ARC International
Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women
Association for Women’s Rights in Development
Catholics for Choice
Center for Reproductive Rights
Center for Women’s Global Leadership
CREA
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights
Federation for Women and Family Planning, Poland
GREFELS (Research Group on Women and Laws in Senegal)
Human Rights Watch
INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre, Sri Lanka
International Federation of Health and Human Rights Organisations (IFHHRO)
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
International Planned Parenthood Federation
International Women’s Health Coalition
Ipas
Irish Family Planning Association
Marie Stopes International
National Advocates for Pregnant Women
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Physicians for Human Rights
Sexual Rights Initiative
Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights
Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition
Women Living Under Muslim Laws International Solidarity Network – Africa and Middle East
Women’s Learning Partnership International Coalition for Rights, Development & Peace

The Criminalization of Abortion is an Abuse of State Power

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This blog post by ACPD’s Advocacy & Communications Officer  was originally published on www.RHRealityCheck.org as part of a series on a new report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

On Monday October 24, 2011 the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health will present a report to the UN that unequivocally tells governments they must remove laws that criminalize abortion. This is not the first time a branch of the UN has recommended reforming restrictive abortion laws to protect women’s human rights but it will be the first time that governments at the UN will be told loud and clear that these laws are an abuse of State power and there are no excuses for their continued existence.

Read the full article here
Read the Special Rapporteur’s report here

Watch the Human Rights Council Side Event on Maternal Mortality & Human Rights

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At a side-event organized during the first week of the Human Rights Council’s 18th Session, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, the Vice-President of Colombia, Angelino Garzon, the Assistant Deputy General of the World Health Organization, Flavia Bustreo, as well as Ambassadors and staff of the permanent missions of New Zealand, Burkina Faso and Colombia, expressed their continued commitment to developing the human rights-based approach to eliminating preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, and the need to now focus on its practical application.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navi Pillay

Vice-President of Colombia, H.E. Mr. Angelino Garzon

Assistant Director General, Family, Women’s and Children’s Health, World Health Organization, Dr. Flavia Bustreo

Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso to the United Nations, Clarisse Ouoba

Civil Society Representative, Luisa Cabal, Center for Reproductive Rights

Civil Society Calls for Expert Guidance on Implementing the Human Rights Based Approach to Preventing Maternal Death and Disability

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Panel at Human Rights Council Event on Human Rights & Maternal MortalityOver 100 ambassadors, UN agencies and staff, as well as civil society organizations came together in Geneva today (14.09.2011) to call for operational guidance on implementing the human rights-based approach to preventing maternal death and disability.

At a side-event co-organized by ACPD during the first week of the Human Rights Council’s 18th Session, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, the Vice-President of Colombia, Angelino Garzon, the Assistant Deputy General of the World Health Organization, Flavia Bustreo, as well as Ambassadors and staff of the permanent missions of New Zealand, Burkina Faso and Colombia, expressed their continued commitment to developing the human rights-based approach to eliminating preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, and the need to now focus on its practical application.

Speaking on behalf of civil society, Luisa Cabal of the Center for Reproductive Rights, welcomed the Human Rights Council’s role as champion of efforts to preventing maternal death and disability. She encouraged States gathered at the Council’s 18th session to adopt a progressive resolution that would set in motion an expert consultation to prepare operational guidance for States, UN Agencies and other stakeholders in using human rights to tackle maternal mortality. “Understanding of the human rights-based approach has developed significantly”, said Cabal, but “an important task still remains: systematic implementation”.

Seven principles form the bedrock of the “human rights-based approach”: accountability, participation, transparency, empowerment, sustainability, international cooperation, and non-discrimination. While recognizing that their implementation may pose challenges, Luisa Cabal expressed concern that their practical application is currently “patchy, inadequate, sometimes even accidental”. “Measures must be taken to address all the root causes of maternal mortality.”

Angelino Garzon, Vice President of Colombia, spoke of his own government’s efforts to reduce maternal mortality, and emphasised that the only way for Colombia to achieve its MDG5 commitments, was to implement a human rights-based approach.
Presenting the report of her office on “Good and Effective Practices in Eliminating Preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity”, the High Commissioner reminded those present that progress on MDG5 is insufficient, and that this may reflect “the low value placed on women`s and girls` lives as well as the limited attention that it is paid to women’s priorities in public policy.”

Over 350, 000 women and girls die every year from pregnancy-related causes and as Clarisse Ouoba of the Burkina Faso Permanent Mission reminded those present ,it is no longer a question of whether States will apply this approach, but that they must do so.
The Human Rights Council first took on the issue in 2009, when it called on States to “redouble their efforts” in eliminating preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and a third resolution is now under discussion. This side-event resulted in strong expressions of support for the Human Rights Council to move forward on its work on maternal mortality and morbidity by facilitating the development of practical guidance that could be used by States, UN agencies and all other stakeholders in their efforts to implement the human rights-based approach to preventing maternal mortality and morbidity.

ENDS

The event was co-sponsored by Permanent Mission of New Zealand; Permanent Mission of Burkina Faso; Permanent Mission of Colombia; Permanent Mission of the United States of America; Permanent Mission of Canada; Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); World Health Organization (WHO), Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD); Amnesty International; CARE Peru; Center for Reproductive Rights; CREA; Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights; Human Rights Watch; International Commission of Jurists; International Initiative for Maternal Mortality and Human Rights; International Planned Parenthood Federation; Ipas; Polish Federation for Women and Family Planning; and Sexual Rights Initiative