Post-215 development agenda intergovernmental negotiations, 20-31 July, No 9: Comments on issues related to sexual and reproductive health and rights on the preamble and declaration

(based on information compiled by Rineke van Dam, Rutgers and Ida Klockmann, Sex og Samfund, Denmark) 

Below is a brief summary of the comments from nearly all Member States on sexual and reproductive health and rights and related issues. These form the basis for an understanding of the positions they might take during the negotiations next week.

Sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights / Sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights 

Denmark  – sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Malta – Any reference to sexual and reproductive health and rights should be made with reference to ICPD. Abortion is illegal in Malta. It should not be included.

United Kingdom – Access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

France  – Sexual and reproductive health and rights has to be better reflected – helps to create a better world where people have equal opportunities.

European Union  – sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Norway – Under paragraph 19 sexual and reproductive heath and reproductive rights.

The Netherlands – Sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Uruguay – Access to sexual and reproductive health and rights to be ensured as stated in 5.6.

United States   – Sexual orientation.

Sweden – commit to full realization of women and girls human rights including sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Peru – para 13 mention reproductive health – MDG with least progress. Gender equality and empowerment of women can be strengthened to include rights, including sexual and reproductive rights.

Belgium  – Universal access to health care and reproductive rights. Women and girls should decide freely on matters related to their sexual and reproductive health including contraceptives and family planning

Finland – Paragraph 19 should include sexual and reproductive health ands rights, and emphasize the need to eliminate gender-based violence

Israel – add sexual and reproductive health and rights in paragraph 18. Sexual orientation should also be noted. 

Brazil – Sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights and the Montevideo consensus should be included, but they also see the need to build a package for consensus with no reservations.

Iceland – Ensuring human rights of women and girls includes sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Cameroon – Avoid unnecessary confusing language.

Gender equality / human rights

Mexico – happy with gender equality, non-discrimination and human rights in the text.

Switzerland – Like inclusion of gender equality but needs to be stronger. Gender equality and empowerment od women and girls, and their human rights directly affects the wellbeing of half of the world’s population.

Republic of Korea – Happy with human rights and gender equality.

Finland – Want to see gender equality in the preamble.

Denmark – Gender equality and human rights of all women and girls should be properly included in the preamble and declaration. All barriers should be removed for reaching gender equality and human rights for women and girls including sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Sweden – Welcome positive steps taken on gender equality and open-ended discrimination lists.

Malta – Empowerment of women and girls; girls’ access to education; women’s rights to inheritance. 

United Kingdom – Gender equality across all the ‘5 Ps’ and improved in paragraph 19.

Chile – welcomes human rights, gender equality, non-discrimination and empowerment of women and girls in paragraph 19. Enhance investment in women to bridge gap between the genders and ensure empowerment of women at all levels.

European Union – Commit to the promotion of all human rights and full implementation of Beijing, ICPD and the outcomes of their review conferences. Better language on protecting and fulfilling human rights of people. Add gender equality and human rights in paragraph 3. Gender discrimination should be reinstated in paragraph 19.

Norway – paragraph 19 can be seen as a diluted version of goal 5 and is missing universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.

Holy See – Change ‘child’ to ‘girl’ in paragraph 4.

The Netherlands – Reflection of human rights can be strengthened. Human rights of women and girls cross-cutting issue including universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights building on commitments from Beijing and ICPD and the outcome of their review processes

Greece – References to gender and human rights are particularly welcome as cross-cutting measures 

Uruguay – Gender equality as pa prerequisite for sustainable development. Paragraph 19 needs to include reference to protection of sexual and reproductive health of girls and women

United States – Women as positive agents of change. They have additional suggestions.

Costa Rica, on behalf of Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Chile, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Netherlands, NZ, Palau, Peru, USA, Switzerland, Uruguay  – Full realization of gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights of women and girls, engage boys. They referred to violence and negative gender stereotypes as well as the removal of legal, social and economic barriers. Also to integrate gender in all aspects. Gender equality should be included in the preamble as well as recognizing that gender equality benefits all.

Costa Rica – Endorses the gender statement and welcomes progress on human right language and non-discrimination. 

Sweden – Strengthen preamble on gender equality, non-discrimination and inequality. Paragraph 8 – all legal, economic, social barriers to women’s empowerment must be listed, including men and boys.

Spain – Human rights and gender equality need to be strengthened in the preamble.

Peru – Preamble – People: need to guarantee human rights and participation. Fight discrimination in all aspects.

Australia  – Gender equality and women’s empowerment should be strengthened in the text. They support Costa Rica. There should be gender equality across all ‘5Ps’ Para 19 should address the human rights of women and girls.

Finland – Human rights and gender equality in the preamble and all ‘5 Ps’. They see gender equality as cross cutting. And request inclusion of gender-based violence and the empowerment of women.

Israel – preamble: reinforce inclusion of gender equality, empowerment of women and girls and youth. Paragraph 19 : replace first word with ‘Realize’ and last word to ‘eliminate’ instead of ‘combat’.

Liechtenstein – support Costa Rica’s statement on gender.

Ghana – People: end poverty in all its forms and hunger; ensure quality education; achieve gender equality and healthy lives for all.

Kazakhstan – Welcome strong reference to rule of law, human rights and gender equality, which are essential elements of sustainable development.

They associate with Costa Rica on gender and to reinforce women and girls.

Ecuador – Paragraph 18 on human rights and non-discrimination.

India – Paragraph 19 – full strength gender equality realization of human rights of women and girls. Close the resource gap on gender equality. 

Belarus – More emphasis on human trafficking and reflect 5.2 and also violence against women and children.

Iceland – Align with gender equality statement by Costa Rica. Gender equality and women’s empowerment is not referenced strongly enough and they miss it as a cross-cutting issue in the preamble. References to culture undermine respect for human rights.

Sri Lanka – Include violence against women and children in paragraph 11. In paragraph 37 insert labour rights and human rights.

Rwanda – Welcome paragraph 19, believe it should be further strengthened to ensure systemic mainstreaming and move from slogans to action. Suggests adding “further work to strengthen support for institutions that address the empowerment of women at national, regional and global levels.”

Italy   – Associated with statement by Costa Rica.

Republic of Korea – Language on vulnerable and marginalized, human rights and gender equality. Furthest behind are women, children and persons with disabilities. Referred to human rights treaties in paragraph 10. Also strengthen with major UN conference.

Bolivia – On human rights, ethnicity should be included.

Benin – For paragraph 19 they propose a reference to the full realization of human rights of women and girls and systematic mainstreaming of gender perspectives in the implementation of the agenda, as well as investments to close the gap and strengthen support for institutions on gender equality and empowerment of women at global, regional and local levels.

ICPD & Beijing

Malta  – When mentioning sexual and reproductive health and rights, also mention ICPD. Should be understanding that does not reflect any unqualified reference to abortion.

European Union – Beijing and ICPD and the outcomes of their review conferences.

The Netherlands – Beijing and ICPD and the outcomes of their review processes.

Costa Rica, on behalf of Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Chile, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Netherlands, NZ, Palau, Peru, USA, Switzerland, Uruguay – ICPD, Beijing and CEDAW.

Philippines – Add Beijing Platform for Action and the ICPD Programme of Action.

Rwanda – Include the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action as a key pillar.

Family

United Kingdom – Delete paragraph 38.

Chile – supports paragraph 38 on the role of the family in all its forms.

European Union – Call for the deletion of paragraph 38, as there is no need for it.

Norway – Suggests para 38 should be deleted.

Uruguay – Welcome paragraph 38 when referring to family in all its forms

United States – Only if it recognizes all types of the family

Canada – delete paragraph. If remains – recognize various forms of families

Costa Rica, on behalf of Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cape Verde, Cambodia, Chile, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Netherlands, NZ, Palau, Peru, USA, Switzerland, Uruguay  – Must recognize the diverse forms of the family (although, they noted that the family does not feature in Millennium Declaration or World We Want)

Costa Rica – Needs to include in all its forms

Australia – Delete this paragraph

Finland – Delete paragraph 38

Israel – If we were to need the family paragraph, it need to reflect the diverse forms of families

Brazil – there is no need for the paragraph on the family

Belarus – Does not support revisions on  family suggested by some Member States to paragraph 38

Iceland  – Reference does not exist in the Millennium Declaration or other treaties. They suggest deleting or, if the reference is kept, it needs to make clear the forms of diversity

Cameroon – Support the proposal to include the paragraph “recognize the role of the family as contributor to sustainable development. One measure of the success of the new agenda will be the ability of society and the state to strengthen and protect the family that is neutral and fundamental… Another proposal is ‘strengthen family policy development.”

Zimbabwe – welcome the reference to paragraph 38, on the family as the basic unit of society. The family is key in societal norms and values. Support retention of this paragraph and emphasize the role of the nuclear family in sustainable development.

Chad – Propose deletion of ‘all kinds of families’.

Russian Federation – Not supporting adding ‘all kinds of family’. Universality means it would be applicable to all and they have only one form of the family.

Young people / demographic dividend

Belize – mentioned young people in listings.

Thailand – young people as agents of change in disaster risk reduction.

United States –Happy with children and youth elevated as positive agents of change. Also women but have suggestions for improvement here.

Sweden – Need to raise aspiration for children and youth.

Israel – Include youth in the preamble. Reference to children, youth and people with disabilities.

Ghana – Paragraph 23 – reflect the need for investments in adolescents and youth in the context of harnessing the demographic dividend.

Brazil – inclusion of children in paragraph 46.

Iceland – Paragraph 8: women and children are not comparable groups. Gender equality benefits everyone, including men and boys,. Gender equality should be referred to as beneficial for all.

Sri Lanka – Promoting the rights of children and protection of children against violence and exploitation.

Republic of Korea – in paragraph 23 suggested to add “age.”

Benin – underscores that LDCs represent an enormous untapped reservoir, in particular of young people to contribute to job creation and poverty eradication.

Health and education

Palau – Health is a prerequisite for sustainable development.

Sweden – Antimicrobial resistance.

United Kingdom – Antimicrobial resistance.

Costa Rica – Must guarantee the right to health and education.

Spain – Paragraph 7 right to health ( as well as other rights).

Belgium  – Universal access to health care.

Finland  – Health and health systems.

Turkey – Paragraph 23 on education and paragraph 24 on health contain language that goes beyond the SDGs or are not contained in the SDGs. The paragraphs 23-29 can be shortened.

Also referred to by Indonesia, Bangladesh.