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April 1, 2002

Speaking before the 35th session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (UNCPD), Ipas Executive Vice President Barbara Crane recently called on the U.N. "to provide leadership and inspire action" on all recommendations from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo — including more effectively addressing the global toll of unsafe abortion.

Ipas was among several nongovernmental organizations to address the commission during its April 1-5 session in New York City, whose theme was reproductive rights and reproductive health, with special reference to HIV/AIDS. Composed of 47 member states, the UNCPD has a primary role in monitoring, reviewing and assessing national, regional and international implementation of programs of action from U.N. population and development conferences.

In her address, Crane noted that millions of women have suffered injuries and death from unsafe abortion since the Cairo meeting, where 179 nations endorsed a program of action that called for universal access to reproductive health services by 2015, including family planning and other measures to reduce maternal mortality and prevent unsafe abortion. She noted that the financial resources committed to these efforts are minimal in relationship to the need and called on U.N. members to find the political will to save women's lives."With concerted action, deaths and injuries from unsafe abortion are entirely preventable," Crane said.

A recent decision by the Bush administration to withhold $34 million appropriated by Congress for the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) on charges that it supports forced abortions and sterilizations in China cast a shadow on the conference discussions. In opening remarks, UNFPA executive director Thoraya Obaid stated, "Today, we are faced with a paradox. The need for reproductive health services is great and growing. At the same time, the funding for such services is declining."

For more information:

Planetwire.org

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258