Human rights - health and reproduction in Europe

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Human rights - health and reproduction in
Europe

• Dr.Gunta Lazdane
• Acting Regional Adviser
• Reproductive Health and Research

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International Conventions

• International Covenant on Economic, Social and
  Cultural Rights ICESCR 1966
• International Covenant on Civil and Political
  Rights ICCPR 1966
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child ICRC
  1989
• UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
  Discrimination Against Women CEDAW 1979

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Not ratified by countries in Europe

• Andorra ICESCR, ICCPR
• Kazakhstan - ICESCR, ICCPR
• Monaco CEDAW
• - not ratified
• - signed but not ratified
• Holy See ICESCR, ICCPR, CEDAW

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Different levels of obligations

• Treaties binding on states parties
• Declarations non-binding (Declaration of Alma
  Ata 1978, World Health Declaration 1998)
• Policy documents non-binding (consensual UN
  global conferences action plans)

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UN ICPD in Cairo - POA

• the right to of men and women to be informed
  and to have access to safe, effective, affordable
  and acceptable methods of family planning of
  their choice, as well as other methods of family
  planning of their choice for regulation of
  fertility which are not against the law, and the
  right of access to appropriate health-care
  services that will enable women to go safely
  through pregnancy and childbirth and provide
  couples with the best chance of having healthy
  infant. Chapter VII, 7.2

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Fourth World Conference on Women Beijing - 1995

• The human right of women include the right to
  have control over and decide freely and
  responsibly on matters related to their
  sexuality, including sexual and reproductive
  health, free of coercion, discrimination and
  violence.

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Cairo 5 (1999), Beijing 5 (2000)

• The reproductive rights may be violated
• Direct action on the part of a state which
  interferes with ones reproductive rights
• Result from the states failure to meet the
  minimum core obligations of a human rights treaty
  
• Result of patterns of discrimination

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EUROPE

• The European Convention for the Protection of
  Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
• The European Social Charter

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Mechanisms for Implementing Rights in the
European Human Rights System

• The Council of Europe
• Committee of Ministers
• Parliamentary Assembly
• European Union
• European Parliament
• the Council
• the Court of Justice

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The right to

• Life, survival, security, and sexuality
• Reproductive self-determination and free choice
  of maternity
• Health and the benefits of scientific progress
• Non-discrimination and due respect for difference
• Information, education, and decision-making

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The right to life and survival

• The European Commission of Human Rights
  considered a complaint alleging a states
  violation of the right to life of a woman who had
  died in childbirth!
• To protect life against unintentional loss!!!

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WHO

• Indicators to determine how fully the
  substantive elements of the right to health
  services are satisfied
• availability
• accessibility
• acceptability
• quality

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Objectives and Targets

• Reproductive Choice
• Safe Motherhood
• STI/HIV control
• Sexual abuse and violence
• Trafficking of women

• Breast cancer
• Adolescents SRH
• Refugees and displaced persons
• Migrant populations
• Aging people

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SRH Strategies in transition countries

• Countries have RH strategies
• ARM, AZE, BEL, BUL, CRO, EST, GEO, MDA,
  ROM, RUS, UKR, UZB
• Countries that are developing RH strategy KAZ,
  KGZ
• Countries asking for assistance in development
  LTU, SVK, SVN

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Population living on lt 2 USD a day ( of
population)
Source World Bank, 2001
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Unmet need for modern contraception () (CDC-RH,
2003)
Ukraine
Romania
Armenia
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
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No contraceptive use ( of sexually active
15-year old girls) HBSC survey, WHO, 2000
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Induced abortion - 1999 women lt 20 years of age
(ab/per 1000 women )
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To create supportive legislative and
regulatory frameworks

• to review laws and policies to ensure that they
  facilitate equitable access to RSH education,
  information and services
• to ensure that regulations and standards are in
  place necessary commodities are available on a
  consistent and equitable basis
• to set performance standards for the provision of
  services

EPF 2004