Joint UN Statement Calls for Enhanced Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All

In April, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, governments worldwide renewed their commitment to the Programme of Action established at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The principles of this program are integrated into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services and the advancement of reproductive rights.

Over the past three decades, significant progress has been made. Since 1990, the number of women using modern contraception has doubled, and maternal mortality has declined by 34% since 2000. Additionally, by 2022, access to HIV treatment had averted approximately 20.8 million deaths globally. Despite these advancements, recent years have seen a stalling and, in some cases, reversal of progress. Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflicts, climate change, rising inequalities, and increasing polarization are undermining access to essential health services, necessitating urgent action.

Women and girls are disproportionately affected by these challenges, impeding their ability to make informed decisions and exercise full bodily autonomy without coercion, violence, or discrimination—fundamental human rights. Equitable and sustainable access to human rights-based sexual and reproductive health interventions and information remains inaccessible for many, particularly marginalized women, adolescent girls, and those living in humanitarian crises and conflict zones. Data indicates that more than half of women of reproductive age cannot make their own informed decisions about pregnancy, and many still lack the autonomy to fully exercise their reproductive rights.

On World Population Day, UN agencies dedicated to advancing health and rights for all, and ensuring no one is left behind, call upon the global community—including governments, donors, civil society organizations, and the private sector—to strengthen access to a comprehensive package of sexual and reproductive health services as part of universal health coverage, delivered through resilient health systems, including at the primary healthcare level. It is crucial to implement evidence-based, normative guidance to strengthen access to affordable, high-quality, and rights-based care. To ensure services are acceptable to all, efforts are needed to eliminate stigma and discrimination and dismantle harmful social and gender norms.

The UN also calls for accelerated access to comprehensive sexuality education and strengthened action across social sectors, such as education and gender, to enhance the health and well-being of girls and women throughout their lives. Promoting comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights is not only the right thing to do; it is also the smart thing to do. Investing in women’s and girls’ reproductive rights and agency and expanding access to services has remarkable returns, including social well-being, economic prosperity, and peace. Additional financing from all sources—domestic, international, public, and private—is essential to create long-term positive outcomes for women and girls.

The statement urges support for the increasing efforts of young people, women, and communities to speak up about sexual and reproductive health concerns and to design and deliver solutions that respond to their needs. An inclusive, bottom-up approach to designing and delivering health interventions with and for communities can deliver more sustainable results and reach those who are furthest left behind.

Furthermore, the statement calls for public and private sector collaboration in exploring cutting-edge technologies like telemedicine, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and predictive modeling to bridge geospatial gaps and expand access to essential services, particularly in remote and underserved areas. However, it also stresses the need to address risks inherent in these new technologies, such as gender gaps in access, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and systematic biases in tech design.

Finally, the UN urges governments, communities, civil society organizations, and the private sector to prioritize universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health in ways that advance gender equality and promote the full realization of human rights. This aligns with the groundbreaking vision of the ICPD Programme of Action. The call is for more than just commitment or business as usual; it is an appeal to collaborate and innovate to ensure everyone can realize their rights to health, dignity, and security. As the world heads towards the Summit of the Future at the United Nations General Assembly in September, now is the time to act boldly and decisively, forging a path towards a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for all.

Thirty years ago, in Cairo, 179 governments adopted a framework that recognized sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights and the empowerment of women and girls as foundational pillars of sustainable development—the landmark Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. The UN agencies reaffirm their commitment to advancing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights, which are integral to everyone’s right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and essential for achieving gender equality.