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October 2009
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 12 October 2009
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Secretary-General says progress in improving maternal health is slow

12/10/2009

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called for recommitting to the 1994 Cairo Programme to empower women.

Ban Ki-moon in General Assembly

Ban Ki-moon in General Assembly

Speaking in General Assembly as it marked the 15th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, he noted that there have been achievements in improving the lives of women.

He said today more women use modern contraception, fewer babies die during their first year and more women giving birth in developing countries have skilled personnel to help them.

However, he added, despite these achievements, millions of women still face hardships including sexual violence, genital mutilation and other harmful traditions as well as a lack of access to safe and effective contraception,

The Secretary-General said the Cairo Programme of Action is critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals especially maternal health which, he said, is linked directly to a country's health system.

"When we improve maternal health, all people will benefit. To fully carry out the Cairo Programme of Action means providing women with reproductive health services, including family planning. It means backing poverty-eradication initiatives. And it means preventing rape during wartime and ending the culture of impunity."

The Secretary-General said all of these actions require funding and stressed that although this may be a time of a global turmoil and economic downturn, it is not a time to renege on promises made to protect and invest in women.

Gail Walker, United Nations Radio
(duration: 1'33")

Sound bites

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressing the General Assembly

"When we improve maternal health, all people will benefit. To fully carry out the Cairo Programme of Action means providing women with reproductive health services, including family planning. It means backing poverty-eradication initiatives. And it means preventing rape during wartime and ending the culture of impunity."
Duration: 22 secs

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressing the General Assembly

"The 1994 Cairo Conference marked a major shift in the international mindset on population issues. Countries from around the world affirmed that population, far from being about numbers, is about people--and that women's health, education, employment and empowerment are the keys to a sustainable future. The Cairo Conference grappled with some of the most sensitive issues of our day--and achieved a consensus."
Duration: 32 secs

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressing the General Assembly

"Nearly 180 governments agreed to put gender equality, reproductive health and reproductive rights at the centre of development. They acknowledged the importance of universal education, especially for girls. They recognized the need to prevent the unnecessary deaths of infants, children and mothers. And they stressed the need to make sure that all people who want reproductive health care can get it. Participants also agreed that women and girls will never be empowered unless we eliminate violence against them and ensure that they can control their own fertility. The Conference was a shining example of what the United Nations does like no other organization in the world: be a pioneer in addressing global challenges, and bring governments together to set international goals that go further than many countries would on their own."
Duration: 1'02"

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressing the General Assembly

"Fifteen years ago in Cairo, for the first time governments acknowledged that every person has the right to sexual and reproductive health. Today, we meet to hail the progress that has been achieved...to acknowledge the many problems that remain...and to strengthen our resolve to overcome them. Fifteen years ago, fewer than half of all women used modern contraception. Today, more women and couples--56 per cent, up from 47 per cent--can choose if, when and how many children to have. Fifteen years ago, 71 out of every 1,000 babies died during their first year of life. Today, that number has been cut to 51 per thousand. Fifteen years ago, fewer than half of all women giving birth in developing countries had skilled health personnel to help them. Now, more than 60 per cent receive this life-saving assistance."
Duration: 1'14"

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressing the General Assembly

"Some 200 million women still do not have access to safe and effective contraception. Too many women resort to abortions that are not safe because they lack access to family planning. In too many countries, girls are still married off as child brides. The dangerous practice of genital mutilation and other harmful traditions continue to have a terrible impact. Sexual violence, especially during conflict, continues to victimize women on a mass scale. And the number of deaths from childbirth--a staggering toll of more than half a million women each year--has not changed since the Cairo Conference."
Duration: 48 secs

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressing the General Assembly

"This may be a time of global financial turmoil and economic downturn, but it is not a time to renege on our promises to protect and invest in women--for their sake and for the sake of our collective future. I am personally committed to doing everything possible to empower women--here at the United Nations and around the world. I call on all development partners to join me in recommitting to the Cairo Programme of Action until all of its promises are fulfilled."
Duration: 35 secs