Preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity and Human Rights Resolution
Maternal Mortality Resolution at the United Nations’ Human Rights Council provided another prospect to the ongoing efforts of the Safe Motherhood Campaign (SMH). World Population Foundation, Pakistan initiated a short but extensive advocacy campaign along with Civil Society Organizations urging the Government of Pakistan (GOP) to accept Maternal Mortality as a human rights issue by endorsing the Maternal Mortality Resolution at the United Nations. Different advocacy tools were used to convince decision makers to pledge their commitment for the cause of Safe Motherhood in Pakistan. (For further details, please visit this link.Finally, on 17 June 2009 the UN Human Rights Council, at Geneva during its eleventh regular session adopted the landmark resolution on ’Preventable Maternal Mortality and Morbidity and Human Rights’ unanimously which is a big achievement.
In this resolution, governments express concern for the unacceptably high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, acknowledge that this is a human rights issue, and commit to enhance their efforts at the national and international level to protect the lives of women and girls worldwide. Over 70 UN member states co-sponsored this resolution, led by Colombia and New Zealand.
The elimination of maternal mortality and morbidity requires the effective promotion and protection of women and girls’ human rights. This right should get acknowledgement at district, provincial and national level so that a collective commitment can be geared against maternal deaths.
