A-Hrc-39-L.13 Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights in humanitarian settings was adopted with out a vote at the 39th Hrc session.
A-Hrc-39-L.13 Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights in humanitarian settings was adopted with out a vote at the 39th Hrc session
Reaffirming international human rights instruments (including the UDHR, ICESCR, ICCPR, CEDAW, CRC) as well as humanitarian instruments (GCs and APs) and UN resolutions on women, peace and security, the resolution acknowledges that international humanitarian law and international human rights law are complementary and mutually reinforcing, and recognizes that persons affected by disasters are entitled to the respect for and protection of their human rights in accordance with international law.
It also recognizes that preventing maternal mortality and morbidity is one of the human rights priorities for all States, and reaffirms that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
The resolution is deeply concerned that women and girls living in humanitarian settings are disproportionately exposed to a high risk of violation of their rights, including through trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence, systematic rape, sexual slavery, forced sterilization, forced pregnancy, harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage, and lack of accessible and appropriate sexual and reproductive health-care services, evidence-based information and education, including comprehensive sexuality education consistent with the evolving capacities of the child, lack of access to perinatal care, including skilled birth attendance, and emergency obstetric care, poverty, underdevelopment, all types of malnutrition, lack of access to medicines and medical equipment, human and material shortages facing health-care systems, humanitarian and funding shortages affecting hospitals, technical assistance, capacity-building and training needs, and lack of access to water and sanitation, resulting in heightened risks of unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortion and maternal mortality and morbidity,
As such it urges States, in accordance with obligations under relevant provisions of international human rights law, including the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the right to sexual and reproductive health, to ensure the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of health-care services, including mental health care and psychosocial services and sexual and reproductive health- care services, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.
As well, it calls upon States to pay special attention to the particular situation of adolescent girls in humanitarian settings, who may have to assume adult responsibilities and are exposed to higher risks of sexual and gender-based violence, child, early and forced marriage and trafficking, and are likely to be denied education, skills training, safe employment opportunities and access to sexual and reproductive health-care services and information, and to face isolation, discrimination and stigma, mental health issues and risk-taking behaviour.
Moreover, strongly urges States and all parties to armed conflict to take effective measures to prevent and address acts of violence, attacks and threats against medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively assigned to medical duties, their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities in armed conflict, including through the development of domestic legal frameworks to ensure respect for their relevant international legal obligations;
Finally, calls upon all relevant actors, including Governments, regional organizations, relevant United Nations agencies, national human rights institutions, entities providing humanitarian assistance and civil society organizations to, within their respective mandates, strengthen their efforts to reduce preventable maternal mortality and morbidity in humanitarian settings when designing, implementing and reviewing policies and evaluating programmes to reduce preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, while ensuring the meaningful participation of women and girls in all decisions that affect them.
This resolution adds international efforts for the prevention of maternal mortality and the protection of human rights in general in humanitarian situations. This is especially relevant in the context of the war in Yemen where millions of internally displaced persons are living under appalling conditions and more than 22 millions of Yemenis face starvation. Many of these victims of the hardships of the conflict are women who are pregnant in a period when health facilities are more needed than ever and often criminally destroyed by airstrikes of the Saudi-led coalition.
SEE THE ATTACH FILE RESOLUTIONS
