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Fwd: US vs the World re. Women's reproductive health servicesFrom: Terry J. DuBose (duboseterryj@uams.edu)Mon Dec 16 10:46:54 2002
Forwarded for Information. Just in case the efforts of the US to undercut the consensus of the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development, and restrict efforts around the world to enable women to receive reproductive health services come up in conversations that you are having, you may find useful the following excerpt from the statement of Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund to the Ministerial Meeting of Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference, 16 December 2002, Bangkok. The Bush Administration contends that some phrases in the Cairo agreement including "reproductive health services" and "reproductive rights" can be construed as promoting abortion as well as establishing a "right to abortion." Statement of Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund to the Ministerial Meeting of Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference, 16 December 2002, Bangkok. The language of the ICPD Programme of Action is extremely clear. There is no hidden agenda, nor any secret codes. The ICPD Programme of Action states, and I quote: "In no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning. All Governments and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are urged to strengthen their commitment to women's health, to deal with the health impact of unsafe abortion as a major public health concern and to reduce the recourse to abortion through expanded and improved family planning services. Prevention of unwanted pregnancies must always be given the highest priority and every attempt should be made to eliminate the need for abortion. Any measures or changes related to abortion within the health system can only be determined at the national or local level according to national legislative process." Unquote (para.8.25). This paragraph means exactly what it says, no more, no less. Let me also state once more, since it has been called into question: the meaning of the phrases "reproductive health" and "reproductive rights" are not in doubt. The components of reproductive health are safe motherhood; voluntary family planning; protection from and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and protection from gender-based violence. As the ICPD Programme of Action points out "Reproductive rights embrace certain human rights that are already recognized in national laws, international human rights documents and other consensus documents. These rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. It also includes the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence as expressed in human rights documents." (para. 7.3) The phrase "reproductive health services" is not code for the promotion or support for "abortion services". Nothing in the proceedings at Cairo, or the five-year review, justifies describing them as such. Countries have the sovereign right to make laws regarding all aspects of reproductive health, including abortion: nothing in the Programme of Action, or any international consensus document, infringes on this sovereign right. Indeed, national sovereignty, together with internationally-agreed standards of human rights, are the pillars on which the ICPD consensus stands. END EXCERPT David F. Hales, Chair Stakeholder Forum 7 Holyrood Street, London, SE1 2EL (USA-001) 703 501 1912 Fax: 703 931 2597 (UK 44) 20 7089 4300 Fax: 44 20 7089 4310
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