Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-03-08-Speech-1-097"
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"en.20040308.8.1-097"2
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".
Mr President, I wish to thank Mrs Junker for her important work on this report.
The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo was a watershed event that presented the people of the world with a comprehensive approach to sexual and reproductive health and rights. The global community agreed on the importance of reproductive rights and advancing gender equality and on the importance of all women and men being able to access comprehensive health services. The European Union fully endorsed the Cairo commitments at the time, and continues to do so. In 2000, the adoption by the United Nations of the Millennium Development Goals gave renewed focus to many of the concerns raised at Cairo and offered the opportunity to reinforce efforts and undertakings.
However, ten years on from Cairo, several factors are now threatening the achievement of the goals set at that conference. I note in particular that development aid funds for improved reproductive health services are not increasing sufficiently, that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is devastating social and economic structures and that the global political climate is hampering progress in reproductive health. In this context, I refer in particular to the 'global gag rule', or Mexico City policy, as reinstated by President Bush.
This initiative by the European Parliament is both very welcome and timely, coming as it does at the beginning of the year of Cairo +10, when progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights is under threat. The resolution is very solid and covers sexual and reproductive health activities comprehensively. I am particularly pleased to see that Parliament calls for the need to fully integrate programmes for sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV, with those addressing sexual and reproductive health needs in general. I also very much appreciate how much gender issues are highlighted and closely linked to sexual and reproductive health.
Reproductive health services, including family planning, are in the front line of HIV/AIDS prevention and maternal health. The need for universal access is even more urgent now than in 1994, given the dramatic increase in the numbers of people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. Maternal mortality also remains alarmingly high in too many countries, with more than half a million women worldwide dying prematurely each year owing to pregnancy-related causes.
As regards our support for the implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action, the European Community provided approximately EUR 655 million in direct support to these activities between 1994 and 2001. Applying pro rata shares to all health-related support, including humanitarian assistance, the total European Community support to these activities over this period was about EUR 1.42 billion, or just over 12% of total international donor support to the Cairo activities. Furthermore, we are supporting research into HIV/AIDS through the European and developing countries' clinical trials partnership programme, with an initial allocation of EUR 200 million.
In conclusion, the Commission supports the proposed resolution. We will take careful note of its contents and will give due consideration to each point. In our opinion the main objectives at the present time are to reaffirm our support for the ICPD and the Cairo commitments and to counter the global campaign against it, to consolidate the progress made so far and also to support continued high-quality work on sexual and reproductive health and rights at all levels."@en1
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