Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

Several Delegates Take Issue with Language Concerning Sexual, Reproductive Health Services, Reproductive Rights

The Commission on Population and Development failed to adopt an outcome document today as it concluded its fifty-eighth session, with delegates sharply divided about support for sexual and reproductive rights, and some questioning commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

At the outset of the meeting, Catharina Jannigje Lasseur (Netherlands), Chair of the Commission at its fifty-eighth session, withdrew the draft resolution she had circulated earlier, citing a lack of agreement among delegations.  While noting “strong efforts towards consensus”, she acknowledged: “I see no other possibility at this late hour than to withdraw my proposal.”

If adopted, that wide-ranging text, titled “Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages” (document E/CN.9/2025/L.4), would have urged Member States to ensure everyone’s right to the enjoyment of the highest-attainable standard of physical and mental health and called on them to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services.  It would have also called on Governments to take concrete measures towards the full implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.

The Programme, adopted by 179 countries at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, set out an ambitious vision about the relationships between population, development and individual well-being.  It recognized that reproductive health and rights, as well as women’s empowerment and gender equality, are cornerstones of development.

In the contentious discussion that followed the Chair’s withdrawal of her resolution, many speakers expressed regret that the Commission could not adopt a consensus text this year but diverged as to why agreement was not possible.

Several speakers took issue with language concerning “sexual and reproductive health services”, as well as “reproductive rights”.  The representative of Djibouti said that there is an “ever-growing number of delegations who have come to realize that [these terms] have become — and remain — highly controversial”. Similarly, the observer for the Holy See said:  “This language has always been controversial.”  Nigeria’s delegate said that, despite various calls for the removal of certain language, the facilitators ignored these requests, which concern “cultural and ethical values and core national priorities”.

Burundi’s delegate underscored that the phrase “sexual and reproductive rights” must not be interpreted to mean the right to abortion.  The term “gender” must be understood as exclusively meaning the biological sexes of male and female.  Further, “a strong family policy” must be at the heart of sustainable development, he said. The representatives of Iran, Cameroon, Belarus and the Russian Federation also said they could not agree with a text that did not incorporate references to the role of the family.

However, South Africa’s delegate, delivering a statement on behalf of a number of countries, said:  “We are deeply concerned by what we have witnessed in this forum around fundamental rights and issues that have enjoyed long-standing consensus in the United Nations.”  Noting the ongoing challenge to human rights — including the right to development and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights — she reaffirmed commitment to the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action.

Poland’s delegate, speaking for the European Union, also reiterated support to that Programme and the role of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in advancing sexual and reproductive health and gender equality. She stressed the need to ensure that “we live in a world without sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices, where all women and girls can make choices about their life, health and well-being, where the potential of every individual is fulfilled and no mother or infant dies simply because the health system has failed them”.

Inclusive and resilient health systems, universal healthcare and inclusive sexual health and reproductive services are essential to sustainable development, stressed Sweden’s representative, while France’s delegate stressed that reproductive rights “are what determines access to development for women and girls”.

The representative of the United States, meanwhile, said that his delegation “rejects and denounces the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and will no longer affirm the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] as a matter of course”.

Many delegations, however, took the floor to reaffirm their support for the 2030 Agenda, including the representatives of Chile, Lebanon, Colombia, the Republic of Moldova, the Philippines and Japan.  The representatives of Portugal, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Australia (also speaking for Canada and New Zealand), Norway, Belgium and Luxembourg expressed concern that foundational references to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs were consistently challenged during negotiations.

“We cannot become accustomed to delegations picking and choosing from international commitments,” Brazil’s delegate said.  China’s delegate described the rejection of references to the 2030 Agenda as “a regression in the course of history”.

In the face of such attacks, Germany’s delegate said, it is all the more vital to work together to realize the aspirations collectively agreed upon in the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action, the 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the Future.  The United Kingdom’s representative warned that “ignoring links between health, climate change and inequality do not make them disappear”, while Uruguay’s delegate observed:  “Sadly, we are living in a time when reason is insufficient.”

Algeria’s representative sounded a more-hopeful note:  “Thanks to the work of this Commission, it was possible to have an exchange of views and achieve agreements that will undoubtedly facilitate negotiations in the future.”  For his part, the representative of Bangladesh urged:  “Let us not allow short-term differences to undermine our long-term destiny; consensus is not the surrender of national interests, it is the recognition that our fates are intertwined.”

In her closing remarks, Ms. Lasseur encouraged delegates to reflect upon the larger role of the Commission.  With 116 Member States speaking in the general debate and more than 30 side events, this year’s session featured many examples of positive steps that have been made to implement the International Conference on Population and Development’s Programme of Action, she said.  “This shows that the [Programme and the Commission on Population and Development] are very much alive and kicking,” she said.  Participating in this forum, she added, “really made it clear to me who we are fighting for:  women and girls, often living in rural areas, sometimes in dangerous conflict settings, lacking access to basic healthcare services, not having the basic necessities to live a life of dignity”.

“How unfortunate then that the Commission’s best efforts could not translate into an action-oriented outcome this year,” said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, in her closing remarks.  People are dying because they are denied fundamental rights and choices, food, life-saving medicines and the basic necessities of life, caught up in catastrophes not of their own making, and for women and girls, in battles over their own bodies.

“In this year, like no other, women and girls expect UNFPA and the United Nations to rush to their rescue,” she said, adding that once again, it will be poor people and the most vulnerable women and girls who will bear the greatest burden of ill health and preventable deaths.  “Who is listening to them?  Who will defend their fundamental rights?” she asked.  Reaffirming the Fund’s commitment to listening to them, she said it will continue to respond “based on what women and girls tell us they need”.

Also regretting the lack of an outcome document, Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, expressed appreciation for the “frank, thoughtful and interactive” discussions held throughout the week.  The Commission heard about important progress in improving people’s health and well-being over the past decades even as it learned about the many health-related SDG targets that are off track.  She noted that these insights will feed into the Economic and Social Council’s activities.

In other business, the Commission adopted the report of its fifty-eighth session (document E/CN.9/2025/L.3) and the provisional agenda of the fifty-ninth session (document E/CN.9/2025/L.2).  The Russian Federation’s delegate said his delegation was short-handed because one member arrived late due to visa delays and stressed that the United States has a legal obligation to issue visas in a timely manner.

The Chair said that in the absence of an outcome document, she would prepare a summary of the proceedings.  Iran’s delegate said such a summary should not be considered a representation of the positions of delegations.

The Commission also adopted a decision (document E/CN.9/2025/L.5), which decided that the special theme for its sixtieth session, to be held in 2027, will be “Population, poverty eradication and sustainable development”.  The Russian Federation’s delegate, noting that eliminating poverty is an important global goal, hailed the consensus by which the Commission chose the theme.

The Commission then concluded its fifty-eighth session and opened its fifty-ninth session, electing Zéphyrin Maniratanga (Burundi) as Chair and Arb Kapisyzi (Albania), Sasha-Kay Kayann Watson (Jamaica) and Stéphanie Toschi (Luxembourg) as Vice-Chairs.  The nomination of the remaining Vice-Chair, to represent Asia-Pacific States, was deferred to a later date.

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