Dispatches - November
UNFPA Flagship Report 2008 Launched Throughout Europe
12 November
London – Sixteen European cities have launched The State of World Population 2008: Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender and Human Rights, with launches also taking place in more than 100 countries around the world.
The report, which coincides with the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, calls for culturally sensitive approaches to development to promote human rights in general and women’s rights in particular.
At the main launch in London today, UNFPA’s Executive Director, Ms. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid showcased how UNFPA is partnering with forces of positive cultural change to protect human rights and improve human well-being:
“We see this clearly in the case of female genital mutilation or cutting. This harmful practice carries significant cultural meaning – it is seen as part of a girl’s transition to womanhood. Today, we are working with community leaders to keep the celebratory aspects of the tradition and remove the harmful aspect of cutting,” Ms. Obaid explained.
But cultural sensitivity and engagement do not mean acceptance of harmful traditional practices, or a free pass for human rights abuses – far from it, she added.
“In this report, we dismiss the assumption that culture is only an obstacle to the realization of human rights. Culture is not a wall to tear down. It is a window to see through, a door to open to make greater progress for human rights,” Ms. Obaid concluded.
UNFPA has also published a youth supplement, Generation of Change: Young People and Culture, whichfeatures the stories of young women and men, their experiences and achievements in different cultures.
