Hague Civil Society Call to Action

We, the members of civil society and individuals present at the International Conference on Human Rights and ICPD Beyond 2014 (The Hague, 7-10 July, 2013), representing diverse constituencies from around the globe, welcome the constructive spirit and promising tone of the International Conference. In that same spirit we repeat our call upon governments and agencies to commit to the full realization of the sexual and reproductive rights of all people.

Recognizing the ongoing review of the ICPD PoA, we support and reaffirm the Bali Declaration of the Global Youth Forum, held in December 2012 in Bali, Indonesia, which is grounded in the human rights principles of non-discrimination, equality and participation. We also reaffirm the civil society declarations that have been made throughout the ICPD Operational Review, which identify further action required as well as new and emerging issues that must be acknowledged and addressed from a human rights perspective in new and ongoing development efforts and within the post-2015 development agenda. We call on Governments to ensure the implementation of all human rights obligations related to the ICPD PoA, including obligations relating to sexual and reproductive rights.

We call on governments and agencies to recommit themselves to the comprehensive ICPD agenda which is anchored in the core Human Rights principles of universality, indivisibility and interdependence. Respecting, protecting, promoting and fulfilling sexual and reproductive health and rights as Human Rights means meeting the needs and fulfilling the rights of all people in our diversity – especially women, adolescents and other young people, persons having diverse sexual and gender identities, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, people living with HIV, sex-workers, Roma people, afrodescendants, dalits, rural, poor- all different, all human, and all equal.