Remarks by the Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, MP on the occasion of the UN Commission on Population and Development, Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Development in Africa beyond 2014 - Side event convened by the Government of South Africa, UN Headquarters, New York
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, fellow panellists.
I am pleased to join you this afternoon to discuss and reflect on the Addis Ababa Declaration. The meeting of the African Ministers which culminated into the adoption of the Addis Ababa Declaration was of historical importance as it set out an ambitious rights-based agenda for population and development issues in Africa.
It is indeed timely that we collectively reflect on this important political commitment as the Declaration provides guidance on priorities for Africa on ICPD Beyond 2014 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
It is also timely that we reflect on this as we resume the negotiations this week because the Declaration reflects high political commitment on the part of the 53 African countries that convened in Addis Ababa to review the implementation of the ICPD. As President Chissano stated in 2013, the Addis Declaration contains essential elements for propelling Africa’s transformation forward, more especially in the context of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
The Declaration sets a forward-looking political agenda and context for Africa on population and development matters going forward. It reaffirms that respect for and fulfilment of human rights must be a guiding principle for Africa in advancing the ICPD goals beyond 2015 and the future development agenda. Most importantly, the Declaration highlights the unfinished business and the need to accelerate implementation on key actions.
The Declaration further emphasises that advancing sexual and reproductive health rights is central not only to the well being of women, children and their families, but also for advancing the broader development agenda in the African continent.
It is in this context that I strongly believe that the Declaration has set the tone and the context for Africa’s engagement on this matters going forward. I am concerned by the prevailing attitudes that seek to undermine the importance of the Declaration in so far as it relates to the important matter of sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The Declaration clearly recognises that the realization of human potential in Africa as in many other parts of the world depends upon guaranteed rights, key amongst which is the attainment of fundamental rights and freedoms of all people.
We therefore cannot continue to ignore the fact that the sexual and reproductive health and rights of African women and girls because these matters are considered “sensitive”. This begs the question, what is so “sensitive” when the Declaration reaffirms the rights-based approach to population and development?
Women across the world die because their rights are not protected. 800 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. In 2013, this amounted to almost 300 000 women dying following pregnancy and childbirth.
More than 50 percent of these deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa and one third in South Asia. Sexual and reproductive rights are fundamental human rights issues and all individuals should be able to enjoy them equally regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, class religion, sexual orientation and gender identity.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, SRHR is key to addressing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Africa and should therefore be addressed from a reproductive justice and human rights perspective. I therefore take this opportunity to urge the African delegation to ensure the inclusion of the SRHR in the post 2015 development agenda.
It is the context of saving lives and investing in the future of our young people, especially, adolescent girls that the South African government recently approved the National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRH&R) Framework Strategy.
The foundation of the National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRH&R) Framework Strategy is aligned to the South African Constitution and the Bill of Rights, thus adopting a human rights based approach to population policies.
It draws considerably on guiding principles and outcomes of various international treaties, guidelines, conventions and resolutions that place focus on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, and national legislation, within the framework of the Population Policy. The Framework Strategy was informed by evidence based reports and strategy documents produced by government departments and research institutions in South Africa.
The National Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Framework Strategy focuses on five key priority areas that are underpinned by a set of accompanying objectives which focus on increased coordination, collaboration, information and knowledge sharing amongst stakeholders so as to improve the delivery of services. The strategy has developed innovative approaches to comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights information including Comprehensive Sexuality Education and counselling to adolescents.
The envisaged service delivery improvements through the coordination of government, private sector and civil society actions should also create effective community supportive networks for adolescents and assist in formulating evidence based revisions of legislation, policies, strategies and guidelines.
In conclusion, I would like to briefly refer back to South Africa’s approach to human rights at home and also, in our international relations engagements. Guided by our constitution which includes civil, political, economic and cultural rights, and in line with the Vienna Declaration on Human Rights, we believe that the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms must be considered as a priority objective of the United Nations.
Furthermore as also stated in the Vienna Declaration we strongly believe that all human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated and that the international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing, and with the same emphasis.
It is in the light of this that I have instructed my delegation to engage in the negotiations at CPD48 with the intent to bridge the false dichotomy between social and political rights and economic and cultural rights.
They will therefore be expected to advance language related to the Declaration on the Right to Development which describes a development process that integrates social, political, economic and cultural rights and language that seeks to strengthen global commitments to advancing fundamental civil and political rights and freedoms, inclusive of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
Once again, I take this opportunity to urge all delegations to engage constructively in these negotiations remembering that what we agree on here over the next week may profoundly affect the lives of ordinary people across the globe.
I thank you!
For media interviews with Minister Dlamini, please email Ms Lorato Moloisi at loratogo@gmail.com.
