Bush AWOL again
"With the notable exception of U.S. President George W. Bush, more than 250 global leaders, including former President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, reaffirmed their commitment to a ten-year-old UN plan to ensure the rights of women around the world.
"The statement came on the eve of the tenth anniversary of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo where representatives of 179 governments adopted a plan of action that affirmed the fundamental rights of women, including their sexual and reproductive rights, and set specific targets for their achievement.
"The targets included universal access to family planning, safe motherhood, treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as HIV/AIDS, basic education and greater opportunities for social and economic advancement.
"But the Bush administration, which has cut off funding of UNFPA and repeatedly voiced reservations about the ICPD’s commitment to sexual and reproductive rights, declined to sign on to the statement.
"The United States, which helped draft and strongly supported the Cairo plan of action, as well as the UN women s conference in Beijing in 1995, abruptly changed course after Bush became president six years later."
"The statement came on the eve of the tenth anniversary of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo where representatives of 179 governments adopted a plan of action that affirmed the fundamental rights of women, including their sexual and reproductive rights, and set specific targets for their achievement.
"The targets included universal access to family planning, safe motherhood, treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as HIV/AIDS, basic education and greater opportunities for social and economic advancement.
"But the Bush administration, which has cut off funding of UNFPA and repeatedly voiced reservations about the ICPD’s commitment to sexual and reproductive rights, declined to sign on to the statement.
"The United States, which helped draft and strongly supported the Cairo plan of action, as well as the UN women s conference in Beijing in 1995, abruptly changed course after Bush became president six years later."
posted by RJ | 8:29 AM
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