State of World Population 2012 - UNFPA Haiti

Rights, 2012). The charges had been broughtin late 2009 by the Federation of WomenLawyers–Kenya and the Center for ReproductiveRights, alleging violations of reproductive rightsin Kenyan health facilities. The Commission’sassessment found that people’s rights had beenabused, largely as a consequence of the poorservice quality and called on the Governmentto make the needed improvements.The Colombian Constitutional Court haspassed important judgments ensuring accessto sexual and reproductive health services(Corte Constitucional de Colombia, 2012;Reprohealthlaw, 2012). In 2010, for example,it affirmed the legality of and ensured access toemergency contraception.In 2003 UNFPA conducted a global surveyof national experiences 10 years after theICPD (UNFPA, 2005a). Of the 151 countriessurveyed, 145 provided responses on theenforcement of reproductive rights. Of thosethat responded, 131 reported adopting newpolicies, national plans, programmes, strategiesor legislation on reproductive rights.Family planning and human rights:a frameworkAt the ICPD in 1994, the international communitytranslated its recognition of peoples’right to family planning into a commitment toa human rights-based approach to health, whichfocuses on building the capacity of States andindividuals to realize rights. Thus people notonly have rights, but States have the obligationto respect, protect and fulfil these rights (Centerfor Reproductive Rights and United NationsPopulation Fund, 2010).In their work to support human rights,United Nations agencies are guided by theUnited Nations Common Understandingon the Human Rights Based Approach toDevelopment Cooperation (2003): in the pursuitof the realization of human rights as laiddown in the Universal Declaration of HumanRights and other international human rightsagreements, “human rights standards andprinciples must guide all development cooperationand programming in all sectors andphases of the programming process” (WorldHealth Organization and Office of the HighCommissioner for Human Rights, 2010). Ahuman rights-based approach is operationallydirected towards developing the capacitiesof rights holders to claim their rights andthe capacities of duty-bearers to meet theirtGrace Matthews,a mother-of-two,walked and cycledfor three hours to getcontraceptives. Shedecided to have aninjection to delay hernext pregnancy.©Lindsay Mgbor/UK Department forInternational DevelopmentTHE STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 20127