Alert from the Feminist Movement against serious regressions in the 46th Session of the Commission on Population and Development of United Nations
[Coalition of several women’s organisations (see list below), New York, April 25, 2013] International migration is the main topic of the 46th Session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD46), being held from April 22-26 in New York City. The feminist organizations in this meeting denounce the global tendency to omit the integrality of human rights.
In spaces of international negotiation, some human rights are prioritized over other human rights. This ultimately reproduces, within the United Nations system and in the discussions between State Parties, the severe human rights violations that are supposed to be eradicated. This situation restrains advances towards the recognition of human rights for everyone.
At CPD46, nations acknowledge human rights in their discourse, but refuse to guarantee the provision of services to migrant people, that would enable them to exercise their rights. Countries from the north claim their willingness to acknowledge sexual and reproductive rights, but only as a strategy to shift the focus of the discussion away from the issue of guaranteeing human rights for migrant people within their territories. Countries from the south stand up for the promotion of human rights of migrant people, but refuse to acknowledge sexual and reproductive rights. Ultimately, what lies beneath is the manipulation of women´s human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights, which have become the bargaining chip in international negotiations.
The feminist organizations present at this meeting denounce:
- 1. Governments of the world who are bargaining human rights of migrant people and thus damaging the universality, integrality, portability and indivisibility of these rights. In particular, developed countries are prioritizing their economic interests over human rights.
- 2. The refusal to include in the document the commitment of states to provide comprehensive services for education and sexual health and reproductive health.
- 3. The low profile of representation of governments, as well as the exclusion of civil society -especially of migrants’ human rights defenders and organizations- in official delegations.
- 4. The alliance of some states from Latin America and the Caribbean with countries that are openly opposed to the recognition of human rights of women. Such is the case of Nicaragua and Guatemala, who adhered to the proposal of Iran and Qatar to eliminate every mention in the final resolution of health and sexual and reproductive rights.
- 5. Brazil, which used to be very active in the defense of human rights at the United Nations, is not giving any priority to the issues of sexual and reproductive rights.
It is important to acknowledge the efforts made by some countries to guarantee the rights of migrants. However, this is not enough if we want to move forward in guaranteeing the progressiveness of human rights.
In the face of this scenario, we express our deep concern for the possible backlash that the CPD46 Resolution might bring to the recognition and commitments to the rights of migrant populations and especially women.
- Red de Salud de las Mujeres Latinoamericanas y del Caribe
- Alianza LAC de Juventudes rumbo a Cairo +20
- Articulación Regional hacia Cairo +20
- Campaña 28 de Septiembre por la Despenalización del Aborto en América Latina y el Caribe.
- Red de Mujeres Afrocaribeñas, Afrolatinoamericanas y de la Diáspora
- Red Mundial de Mujeres por los Derechos Reproductivos - RMMDR
- Red Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Jóvenes por los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos, RedLAC
- Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir
- Colectiva Mujer y Salud – República Dominicana
- Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad – México
- Creación Positiva – España
- Elige, Red de Jóvenes por los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos – México
- Equidad de Género: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia – México
- Foro de Mujeres y Políticas de Población – México
- Fundación Si Mujer – Colombia
- Organización de Mujeres Tierra Viva – Guatemala
- Red Activas - España
- Red por los Derechos Sexuales y los Derechos Reproductivos, ddeser – México
- Solidaridad Internacional / Alianza por la Solidaridad – España
- Taller Salud – Puerto Rico
Image: Migrants Rights Center Ireland 2007
