Human Rights and the MDGs
The Cairo goal on reproductive health has
been endorsed at the highest level and recognized as essential
to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Now
we need to move forward with confidence and consolidate our
gains. Together, we must ensure that the commitment expressed
in the agreement is communicated to partners and translated
into solid plans, policies, laws and programmes.
—UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya A. Obaid
The Millennium Declaration and the eight
Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) derived from it offer a framework for development
based on principles of equity, empowerment, participation
and accountability. This advances development work beyond
meeting immediate community needs to recognizing basic human
rights and having those rights respected and protected. Essentially,
the MDGs offer an opportunity to realize basic human rights
more broadly.
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The importance of achieving
the MDGs was reaffirmed at the highest level in
September 2005 at the World
Summit. At that meeting, the largest-ever
gathering of world leaders also agreed to promote
the rights of women more broadly by:
- Eliminating gender inequalities in schools
- Guaranteeing the free and equal right of women to own and inherit property
- Ensuring equal access to reproductive health
- Promoting women's equal access to work
- Eliminating all forms of
discrimination and violence against women and
girls, in particular during and after armed
conflicts
- Promoting increased women's representation in government decision-making bodies
Leaders at the World Summit also advanced the cause of reproductive rights by endorsing the ICPD goal of universal access to reproductive health by 2015. Universal and equal access to reproductive health and the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women are now at the top of political agendas of all countries in the world.
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The MDGs set out an ambitious but feasible agenda for development that has the potential to eliminate poverty, and dramatically improve the health and welfare of women and men throughout the developing world. They will also help less developed countries improve their social, economic and cultural human rights indicators.
In tandem with the UN system, UNFPA plays
a role in assisting countries to meet all
the MDGs. The Fund's work is directly related to the goals
dealing with poverty reduction, gender equality and empowering
women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health,
combating HIV/AIDS and achieving universal primary education,
with an emphasis on girls' education.
There is now consensus
that advancing women's rights in general, and reproductive
rights, in particular, is a necessary precondition for
halving the number of people living in poverty and underpins
success in achieving all the other goals. This subject is
discussed in the State
of World Population 2005: The Promise of Equality.
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