UNFPA ICPD +20 Operational Review

Framework of Actions for the follow-up to the Programme of Action of the International Conference

on Population and Development Beyond 2014

Background: This non-negotiated document known as the “ICPD Beyond 2014 Report” or the “Framework of Actions,” purports to be the major global 20-year ICPD review outcome document. It calls itself a “follow-up” to ICPD encompassing all of the UNFPA-led thematic and regional review outcome documents of ICPD. There is no other 20-year UN global review outcome document for ICPD other than this one.

Quotes from “ICPD Beyond 2014 Report”:

The “ICPD Beyond 2014 Report” has 191 references to “abortion,” for example:

“PRIORITY DEFINITIONS: 1. Abortion: Captures all priorities pertaining to abortion including addressing unsafe abortion, promoting access to safe abortion services, post abortion care, reducing the number of abortions and legal reform around abortion.”

Abortion 504 d) “Ensure that all women have ready access to safe, good- quality abortion services.”

“The role of NGO providers may nonetheless be crucial to the provision of comprehensive coverage of sexual and reproductive health, to ensure the provision of key services such as abortion.”

“371. States should remove legal barriers preventing women and girls from access to safe abortion, including revising restrictions within existing abortion laws, in order to safeguard the lives of women and girls and, where abortion is legal, ensure that all women have ready access to safe, good-quality abortion services.”

“Other soft law: Since 1994 human rights standards have evolved to strengthen and expand States’ obligations regarding abortion. In a series of concluding observations, treaty monitoring bodies have highlighted the relationship between restrictive abortion laws, maternal mortality and unsafe abortion; condemned absolute bans on abortion; and urged States to eliminate punitive measures against women and girls who undergo abortions and providers who deliver abortion services. Further, treaty monitoring bodies have emphasized that, at a minimum, States should decriminalize abortion and ensure access to abortion when the pregnancy poses a risk to a woman’s health or life, where there is severe foetal abnormality, and where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. However, the Human Rights Committee noted that such exceptions might be insufficient to ensure women’s human rights, and that where abortion is legal it must be accessible, available, acceptable and of good quality.”

The “ICPD Beyond 2014 Report” has 14 references to “comprehensive sexuality education,” for example:

“States should design and implement comprehensive sexuality education programmes.”

“The regional reviews and outcomes [of ICPD] stressed the importance of designing and implementing effective, ‘comprehensive sexuality education’ that addresses the key elements linking the five thematic pillars of the operational review.”

“Comprehensive sexuality education – Binding Instruments: Binding instruments. The Ibero-American Convention on the Rights of Youth (2005; entry into force 2008) recognizes that ‘the right to education also includes the right to sexual education’ and that ‘[s]exual education shall be taught at all educational levels.’”

“Comprehensive sexuality education … The Programme of Action called on Governments to provide sexuality education to adolescents.”

“Safeguarding the rights of young people and investing in their quality education, decent employment opportunities, effective livelihood skills and access to sexual and reproductive health and comprehensive sexuality education strengthen young people’s individual resilience.”

The “ICPD Beyond 2014 Report” has 20 references to “sex work,” for example:

“With 116 countries criminalizing some aspect of sex work, sex workers face deeply rooted stigma, as well as institutionalized discrimination through legal and policy environments that reinforce and exacerbate their vulnerabilities … Criminalization of sex work limits their political voice and collective representation”

“States should decriminalize adult, voluntary sex work in order to recognize the right of sex workers to work without coercion, violence or risk of arrest.”

The “ICPD Beyond 2014 Report” has 10 references to SRHR, for example:

“The International Conference recognized the centrality of sexual and reproductive health and rights”

The “ICPD Beyond 2014 Report” has 4 references to “sexual orientation and gender identity,” for example:

“259. The operational review showed that persons with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities in parts of the world suffer from the risk of harassment and physical violence. The outcomes of the regional reviews reinforced the importance of the principles of freedom and equality in dignity and rights as well as non-discrimination. Structural violence in the form of homonegativity marginalizes and dehumanizes persons of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity, hindering their capacity to fully contribute to society, and denying them the civil rights that are typically afforded to other persons. The commitment to individual well-being cannot coexist with tolerance of hate crimes or any other form of discrimination against any person.”

“human rights principles related to equality and non-discrimination have unfortunately remained unrealized for many groups, principal among them girls and women, and persons of diverse sexual orientation or gender identity. In some countries, laws banning certain consensual adult sexual behaviour and relationships, including relations outside of marriage remain in force.”

“States the rights of and the international community should express grave concern at acts of violence, discrimination and hate crimes committed against individuals on the grounds of their sexual orientation and gender identity. National leaders should advocate for all persons, without distinction of any kind.”