Secretary Clinton Renews Leadership on Reproductive Health: Implications for Global Environment

Next 5 Years Crucial to Meet RH Goals

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton delivered a major speech today to mark the 15th anniversary of
the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Her strong
message showed top-level U.S. Government support for the ICPD and other such
UN goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, by 2015. These include
achieving universal access to reproductive healthcare (RH) and education
(especially for girls), and reductions in maternal and child mortality.

But Secretary Clinton's address today indicated much more - a commitment to
women and girls' health and progress worldwide, which in turn relates to
development and climate change. "It signals a critical five-year window to not
only achieve the ICPD objectives, but also make tremendous gains on global
environmental and climate sustainability," said Vicky Markham, Director of the
Center for Environment and Population (CEP).

This is because the world's environment and development issues are
inextricably linked so new, strong U.S. commitment to the ICPD's principles is
also critical to achieving environmental sustainability worldwide. Now,
changes to global climate, water and forest resources, species' habitat and
biological diversity are all occurring in unprecedented ways from human
activities. "Strong, clear U.S. leadership to achieve the ICPD goals for
women's health and equality is one sure way to maintain an important balance
between people and nature on our finite planet," said Ms. Markham.

Secretary Clinton paved the way for renewed U.S. leadership on the ICPD for
the development reasons mentioned above and as a viable means to achieving
environmental sustainability - that is, to help curb climate change, provide
clean water to the 1 billion that lack access to it, restore forests as
"carbon sinks" and habitat to numerous plants and animals, and begin to alter
land use and rapid sprawling development which leads to increased use of
fossil fuels and climate change.

While many international forums have reaffirmed the ICPD "Cairo Consensus",
including the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women and the UN Millennium
Development Goals, the U.S. has fallen behind in its leadership on these
reproductive health issues. Paralleled with this is the lack of strong U.S.
leadership on key environmental treaties on climate, water and biodiversity.

But, change is in the air. Secretary Clinton's compelling support now
indicates the U.S. is poised to take a leadership role on critical RH/FP,
education and maternal and child health issues. The U.S. needs to show similar
leadership on global climate, water, forests and biodiversity issues. "When
combined, U.S. leadership on the ICPD and major environmental treaties and
commitments to sustainability are all mutually reinforcing, representing
renewed commitment to these cornerstones of population and development
policies for the international community," said Ms. Markham.

Recent polls show that a majority of Americans across the ideological spectrum
strongly support the principles in the worldwide consensus reached at the
ICPD, including providing voluntary family planning and reproductive health
services. Likewise, polls show they support environmental sustainability.

Millions of lives have been improved and saved through effective and
affordable reproductive health programs, which have proven to prevent the
deaths of women and children, reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, grow economies,
and preserve natural resources.

"Secretary Clinton today provided a much needed boost to a decade's lag on
promoting women's and girl's issues as key components of international
development and environmental stability. Now let's join her, and take it down
the home stretch to 2015," Ms. Markham said.

For more information go to www.ICPD2015.org and www.cepnet.org.

SOURCE Center for Environment and Population

Vicky Markham of Center for Environment and Population, +1-203-803-3820