Commission on Population and Development
Forty-ninth session
Strengthening the demographic
evidence base for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The title of this years CPD seem quite
innocent. However there were the usual battles over sexual and reproductive health
and reproductive rights etc etc, that took up most of the negotiations.
The relevant paragraphs follow.
PP18. Recognizing also that health is a
precondition for economic and social development, and aware that sexual
and reproductive health and reproductive rights are central to the realization
of social justice and to the achievement of global, regional and
national commitments for sustainable development,
PP19. Recalling the specific challenges
faced by women and girls in humanitarian settings, including an increased risk
of physical and sexual violence, reduced access to essential health
care services, including sexual and reproductive health, education and other
social services, and recognizing the importance of high quality data
collection in humanitarian settings with respect for confidentiality,
OP7. Stresses that of all the
administrative data, health-related data are among the most critical to the
full and effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
and the achievement of universal access to sexual and reproductive
health and reproductive rights and urges Member States and relevant
stakeholders to strengthen health management information systems;
OP24. Urges Governments to strengthen
health systems, in particular health information systems, to promote physical
and mental health and well-being, and extend life expectancy for all, achieve
universal health coverage and access to quality health care to ensure that no
one is left behind; to accelerate the progress made to date in reducing
newborn, child and maternal mortality by ending all such preventable deaths
before 2030; to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive
health-care services, including for family planning, information and education; to
accelerate the pace of progress made in fighting malaria, HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis, hepatitis, Ebola, Zika and other communicable diseases and
epidemics, including by addressing growing anti-microbial resistance and the
problem of neglected diseases affecting developing countries; to prevent and
treat non-communicable diseases, including behavioural, developmental and
neurological disorders, which constitute a major challenge for sustainable
development;
There was a very good sovereignty
clause :
OP2. Also reaffirms the sovereign right
of each country to implement the recommendations of the Programme of Action or
other proposals in the present resolution, consistent with national laws and
development priorities, with full respect for the various religious and ethical
values and cultural backgrounds of its people, and in conformity with
universally recognized international human rights;
The reservations of the Holy See are
below:
Madame Chair,
My delegation would like
to thank you, the Bureau and the Secretariat, and particularly our
co-facilitators for the hard work together with delegations on the outcome
document.
My delegation is
convinced that only a truly human-centered approach to development can function
as the authentic starting point for policy on population and development.
Through its vast global network of institutions, the Holy See is committed to
serving the poorest and most vulnerable among us and to achieving the integral
human development of all. This includes physical, social, and spiritual
development – focusing on the most essential factors for development,
including: quality and affordable education and health care, access to food and
nutrition, water and sanitation, the rights of migrants, as well as policies
that support the family as the fundamental and most basic contributors of this
development.
While we recognize the
importance of strong demographic evidence in the achievement of these ends and
in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, we regret that the vast majority of our
discussions as well as the resulting resolution adopted with this original
purpose, did not focus on demographic evidence but rather on a number of
controversial issues and selected rights instead of the real development
priorities consistently elaborated by the majority of delegations present.
In this regard, the Holy
See, in conformity with its nature and particular mission, wishes to express
its position on some of the concepts used therein:
1.
Regarding the terms “sexual and reproductive health”, “sexual and reproductive health-care services”, and
"reproductive rights”, the Holy See considers these terms as applying to a
holistic concept of health. These terms embrace, each in their own way, the
person in the entirety of his or her personality, mind and body. They should
also be understood to foster the achievement of personal maturity in sexuality
and in the mutual love and decision-making that characterize the conjugal
relationship between a man and a woman in accordance with moral norms. The Holy
See does not consider abortion, access to abortion, or access to abortifacients
as a dimension of these terms.
2.
In addition, the Holy See reiterates its
statement and reservations as set out clearly and more fully in the Report of
the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, and the Report
of the 1995 Fourth World Conference and their respective follow-up Conferences.
In particular, my delegation understands, in accordance with the ICPD 1.15,
that no new rights or human rights are created, that recourse to abortion may
never be considered as family planning (7.24), that abortion is a matter to be
determined in accordance with national legislation (8.25).
3.
With reference to "gender" and to related terms,
the Holy See understands these terms to be grounded in the biological sexual
identity and difference that is male or female.
4.
With respect to “education” or “information” on “sexuality”, or
the collection of data from children, youth and adolescents in this regard, the
Holy See reiterates the “primary responsibility” and the "prior
rights" of parents, including their right to religious freedom, when it
comes to the education, protection and upbringing of their children, as
enshrined, inter alia, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. In that sense, the Holy See wishes to
underline the centrality of the family, “the natural and fundamental group unit
of society,” as well as the role and rights and duties of parents to educate
their children.
In this regard, the Holy
See requests that its reservations on paragraphs PP 18, 19 and OP 7 and 24 to be
formally entered into the record of this meeting.
Thank you Madam Chair
I agree with the
statement of the Holy See as seen above. I must be the greatest Evangelical
admirer of the Holy See in the world.
