Decision 57/II Statement by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on sexual and reproductive health: beyond the 2014 review of the International Conference on Population and Development

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women welcomes the ongoing review of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action. The Programme of Action, adopted by consensus by 179 States in Cairo in 1994, was a groundbreaking achievement and heralded a new era where the human rights of every individual are paramount. Member States of the United Nations recognized reproductive rights as based on internationally accepted human rights standards, and as codified in the human rights treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which the Committee oversees. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action reiterated these commitments. In order to further the implementation of the Convention, the Committee submits this statement as its contribution to the review of the International Conference on Population and Development beyond 2014. This is based on its expertise under the Convention and Optional Protocol stemming from the reporting, individual complaints and inquiry procedures as well as its general recommendation No. 24 (1999) on article 12 (women and health), which all show that inequality and discrimination are major factors preventing women and girls from enjoying “the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health”

Related Subject(s): Women and Gender Issues