Hawaii-2010-HCR5-Introduced

WHEREAS, the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development was held from September 5 to 13, 1994, in Cairo, Egypt and the consensus that was reached at the conference is widely referred to as the "Cairo Consensus"; and

WHEREAS, during this two-week period, world leaders, high ranking officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations and United Nations agencies representing one hundred seventy-nine countries reached consensus on a sixteen-chapter Program of Action that set out a series of recommended actions on population and development, including those that lead to sustained economic growth within the context of sustainable development, protection of the integrity of the family, combating HIV/AIDS, protecting the health of adolescents, and closing the gender gap in education; and

WHEREAS, fifteen principles emerged from the International Conference on Population and Development as follows:

(1) Principle 1 states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, including all the rights and freedoms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and have the right to life, liberty, and security of person;

(2) Principle 2 calls on all states to ensure that all individuals are given the opportunity to make the most of their potential, since human beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable development, and they are the most valuable resource of any nation;

(3) Principle 3 states that the right to development is a universal and inalienable right and an integral part of fundamental human rights, and the human person is the central subject of development;

(4) Principle 4 calls for advanced gender equality and equity and the empowerment of women, and the elimination of all kinds of violence against women. The human rights of women and the girl-child are an inalienable, integral, and indivisible part of universal human rights;

(5) Principle 5 states that population-related goals and policies are integral parts of cultural, economic, and social development, the principal aim of which is to improve the quality of life of all people;

(6) Principle 6 identifies sustainable development as a means to ensure human well being. States should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and promote appropriate policies in order to meet the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs;

(7) Principle 7 calls on all states to cooperate in the essential task of eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable development;

(8) Principle 8 states that everyone has the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and that states should take all appropriate measures to ensure universal access to health-care services, including those related to reproductive health care, family planning, and sexual health;

(9) Principle 9 states that the family is the basic unit of society, and as such, should be strengthened. In different cultural, political, and social systems, various forms of the family exist;

(10) Principle 10 states that everyone has the right to education, which shall be directed to the full development of human resources, and human dignity and potential, with particular attention to women and the girl-child;

(11) Principle 11 calls on states and families to give the highest priority to children. The child has the right to the highest attainable standards of health and the right to education;

(12) Principle 12 calls on states receiving documented migrants to provide proper treatment and adequate social welfare services for them and their families, and to ensure their physical safety and security, bearing in mind the special circumstances and needs of countries, and, in particular, those of developing countries;

(13) Principle 13 states that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. States have responsibilities with respect to refugees, as set forth in the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees;

(14) Principle 14 calls on states to consider the development and population needs of indigenous people, to recognize and support their identity, culture, and interests, and enable them to participate fully in the economic, political, and social life of the country, particularly where their health, education, and well- being are affected;

(15) Principle 15 requires that, in the context of sustainable development and social progress, sustained economic growth be broadly based, offering equal opportunities to all people. All states should recognize their common but differentiated responsibilities and the developed countries acknowledge the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development; and

WHEREAS, a review of progress since the Cairo Consensus has provided growing evidence that the International Conference on Population and Development agenda is practical and realistic and that, despite all obstacles, it is being put into practice; and

WHEREAS, the review included reports on national implementation efforts, global expert meetings, and an international forum at The Hague, culminating in a special session of the United Nations General Assembly from June 30 to July 2, 1999, which identified key actions needed for further progress; and

WHEREAS, demographic factors, such as today's unprecedented numbers of young people, aging populations, urbanization, and international migration, are crucial to plans for alleviating poverty, providing basic social services, ensuring food security, conserving resources, and protecting the environment; and

WHEREAS, in the years after the Cairo Conference, many countries have adopted new development policies incorporating population concerns, nearly half have reviewed their policies on population and development, and more than a third have updated policies to be consistent with the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development; and

WHEREAS, furthermore, two thirds of countries have introduced policy or legislative measures to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women; and

WHEREAS, nearly all countries in Latin America have introduced policy measures, legislation, or institutional changes to protect women's rights; and

WHEREAS, more than half of Asian countries and a number of African countries have acted to protect women's rights in areas like inheritance, property, and employment; and

WHEREAS, a number of countries have taken steps to increase's men's responsibility for their sexual and reproductive behavior and social and family roles;

WHEREAS, much more significant progress remains to be made to fully implement the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature hereby honors the International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action on the occasion of its fifteenth anniversary and urges the United States to re-commit to the eradication of global poverty and gender inequality; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, the President of the United States, the Honorable Barbara Lee, Representative from California, and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

International Conference on Population and Development

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	5
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII