Resolution on the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) (Nairobi Summit)
The European Parliament adopted by 444 votes to 182, with 57 abstentions, a resolution on the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) (Nairobi Summit).
2019 marked 25 years since the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, where the ICPD Programme of Action was adopted by 179 governments, declaring a global commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in line with the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action itself, and consolidating the consensus to place the rights and well-being of the individual at the centre of the reproductive health agenda and demographic planning.
ICPD Programme of Action – since 1994
Parliament commended the progress that has been made so far in specific areas such as the increasing availability of contraceptives, which has allowed women greater control over fertility, or decreasing maternal and new born mortality. However, efforts need to be considerably stepped if the objectives of the Programme are to be attained.
The resolution welcomed the objective agreed at the Nairobi Summit to mobilise the political will and financial commitments urgently needed to finally achieve zero unmet need for family planning information and services, zero preventable maternal deaths, and zero sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls.
Parliament reaffirmed that SRHR are grounded in human rights, are essential elements of human dignity, and remain crucial to achieving gender equality. It called for the EU and its Member States to recognise the rights of women and girls to bodily integrity and autonomous decision-making. It condemned frequent violations of women’s sexual and reproductive rights, including the denial of access to comprehensive sexuality education, family planning services, contraceptives and maternal healthcare, as well as safe and legal abortion care. An adequate budget is requested for the above purposes.
Zero unmet need for family planning
On average, 214 million women in developing countries do not have access to effective contraception, which leads to around 75 million unintended pregnancies annually. Parliament commended the concerted efforts to expand family planning coverage to those women who are hardest to reach and called for such efforts to involve all other sexual and reproductive health services.
Parliament emphasised that women should be guaranteed proper and affordable healthcare, universal respect for their sexual and reproductive rights, and access to these rights. It recalled that, in addition to taboos around menstruation, the lack of access to water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in schools and the lack of free menstrual protection are a major obstacle to the schooling of girls when they have their period. The resolution stressed the need for adequate infrastructure in schools to ensure that girls have access to water and separate toilets.
Zero preventable maternal deaths
Parliament is concerned that restrictive abortion laws in many countries, poor availability of services, high costs, stigma, conscientious objection of healthcare providers and unnecessary requirements, such as mandatory waiting periods, mandatory counselling,
provision of misleading information, third-party authorisation, and medically unnecessary tests, are among the main barriers to addressing maternal health and contribute to unsafe abortions and maternal deaths.
Zero gender-based violence and harmful practices against women, girls and young people
Parliament called for legislative and policy frameworks to be strengthened in order to prevent, investigate and punish acts of gender-based violence within and outside the family, and to provide support to victims and survivors, including counselling and health, psychosocial and legal services.
The EU and its Member States are called on to:
- prevent gender-based violence and provide support to victims;
- better coordinate and strengthen the enforcement of international treaties, legislation and programmes, including via diplomatic relations with governments and organisations in third countries, in order to address issues related to child, early and forced marriages.
Development and funding commitments
Parliament is convinced that a mechanism to ensure accountability for delivering on global and national commitments, as well as the effectiveness of measures, should be one of the outcomes of the Nairobi Summit.
Although the EU contributes to SRHR through a range of EU instruments, it is apparently difficult to quantify accurately how much EU funding directly promotes SRHR and family planning. Ambitious levels of financing are called for to improve SRHR provision in the current multiannual financial framework.
Lastly, Parliament called for the EU to implement a comprehensive and ambitious Gender Equality Strategy.