More than 170 heads of government convened in New York from the 14th-16th of September 2005 to evaluate and enact key decisions concerning areas of development, human rights and security. While the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) do not explicitly address reproductive health and rights, they encompass a wide variety of principles agreed upon at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo and its five-year review.

During this most recent meeting, leaders from around the world re-defined these goals by recognizing their commitment to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2015. This agreement between leaders outlines conditions to address reproductive health within the Millennium Development goals which include promoting gender equality, improving maternal health and combating AIDS. Women’s advocacy groups are pointing to some general advances resulting from the process. These advances are to be found in the language of the final document – language which condemns violence against women, boosts access to reproductive health care, eliminates gender inequality, and increases investments to improve poor health systems all as part of the general goal of reducing poverty, promoting development, and protecting human rights.

The Center for Reproductive Rights works with NGOs around the world to ensure that the commitment to reproductive health and rights made in Cairo and at other UN conferences are realized. Protecting and promoting reproductive health and rights are essential strategies for the realization of the MDGs and for improving the lives of all people.

For more information, please visit the UN Millennium Goals web site.

Also, please check out additional related resources here at the Center for Reproductive Rights web site:

ICPD +5: Gains for Women Despite Opposition
Beijing +5: Assessing Reproductive Rights
Bringing Rights to Bear: An Analysis of the Work of U.N. Treaty Monitoring Bodies on Reproductive and Sexual Rights
Surviving Pregnancy and Childbirth: An International Human Right