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Bush Administration Tries to Back Away From Yet Another Population Agreement
"Since 1994, the Cairo (Conference on Population and Development) agreement has galvanized action to offer lifesaving treatment for millions of mothers and their babies, prevented millions of unwanted pregnancies, helped slow the spread of AIDS and helped nudge nations toward prosperity. In an age of coalitions, the Cairo consensus is one of the most critical coalition because it saves people's lives. It is a coalition of 179 countries for the human rights of women and men,old and young. As such, it is our collective duty not only to safeguard it but also to move its implementation forward." -Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) During a series of United Nations meetings on population held in Bangkok, U.S officials, stating that they were acting on the Administration's authority, attempted to refuse to reaffirm US support for the 1994 Cairo Program of Action- a model agreement for improving women's health and helping slow population growth. The United States' delegation attempted to derail the entire meeting by altering language within the Cairo agreement, essentially changing the Cairo program of action. Fortunately, other Asia-Pacific countries persevered in rejecting all attempts by the US to change the longstanding Cairo commitments. Asia-Pacific countries reaffirmed their commitment to continue to support and implement the Cairo Programme of Action despite pressures from the US delegation. The Cairo agreement affirmed the most basic of human rights: the right of all people to decide freely how many children to have and when to have them as well as the right of all individuals to reproductive healthcare. In Bangkok, the US delegation played politics by pushing for the removal of terms like "reproductive rights" and "reproductive services" within the Cairo document. Delegates stated that this language implied support for abortion and violated US principles. In the section addressing adolescent sexuality, the US called for more of a focus on abstinence only - the Administration's preferred policy. "This particular conference shows that the countries have acted independently, looking at their own laws and sovereignty and abiding by their own priorities. Even though the US was the only dissenting voice in the meeting, it did join in consensus at the end," said Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Although many of the Asia-Pacific countries came under extreme pressure to comply with the US delegation, the attempts of the Bush Administration were thwarted. These recent threats to the Cairo Agreement represent only one of the many efforts the Bush Administration has made to roll back support for family planning and the rights of women and to abandon international agreements. Meanwhile, the health of women, families and the environment suffer. Read more about these recent meetings here. Photo above courtesy David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
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