9 June 2015 – With more two-thirds of the world’s population living in countries that do not produce reliable statistics on mortality by age, sex and cause of death, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are leading an international collaboration in measurement and accountability for global public health over the next 15 years.
“Accurate and timely health data are the foundation to improving public health. Without reliable information to set priorities and measure results, countries and their development partners are working in the dark,” WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan told the Measurement and Accountability for Results in Health Summit, meeting from today through 11 June in Washington, D.C.
WHO, together with the World Bank and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), is leading the international collaboration to improve support for countries to have strong health information systems.
Older Persons Are Subjected to Abuse & Violence Daily, UN Rights Experts Warn
Highly significant for older women
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day – 15 June 2015
GENEVA (12 June 2015) – Older persons have rights and must be able to live free from abuse and violence and with dignity and respect, a group of United Nations human rights experts said today, speaking ahead of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which will be marked on Monday 15 June.
“Our ageing populations are still subject to different forms of abuse and violence on a daily basis, even though innovative policies and programs have been adopted by many countries at the national level,” said Rosa Kornfeld-Matte, the Independent Expert mandated by the UN Human Rights to monitor and report on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons in the world.
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Rashida Manjoo highlighted the need to look at these issues from a gender perspective, age being an established contributory factor for risk of violence.
Background on statement of women’s organizations’ concerns About CSW methods of work & Lack of NGO access
The 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) recently took place in New York, from 9-21 March 2015. As each year, the session provided a global platform for exchange and networking for women's organizations working on furthering women's rights all across the world.
But this year's session was also the occasion to present the 'Future organization and methods of work of the Commission on the Status of Women' (access the draft document)
providing the framework for contribution to the annual CSW by participating CSOs, among aspects of the working methods. With less space provided to feminist and women's organizations to influence the outcomes of the session, through increasingly limited access to official negotiations and space to contribute to outcome documents, an international coalition of women's organizations has produced the following 'Statement on the CSW Methods of World Resolution':
As representatives of feminist and women's organizations and organizations working to promote the full realization of the human rights of women and girls, we express our outrage at the way that we have been excluded from both the negotiation of the political declaration and the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Methods of Work resolution.
UN CEDAW COMMITTEE General Recommendation No. 24 (20th session, 1999)
(Article 12 : Women & Health)
1. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, affirming that access to health care, including reproductive health is a basic right under the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, determined at its 20th session, pursuant to article 21, to elaborate a general recommendation on article 12 of the Convention.
17. The duty to fulfil rights places an obligation on States parties to take appropriate legislative, judicial, administrative, budgetary, economic and other measures to the maximum extent of their available resources to ensure that women realize their rights to health care. Studies such as those which emphasize the high maternal mortality and morbidity rates worldwide and the large numbers of couples who would like to limit their family size but lack access to or do not use any form of contraception provide an important indication for States parties of possible breaches of their duties to ensure women's access to health care. The Committee asks States parties to report on what they have done to address the magnitude of women's ill-health, in particular when it arises from preventable conditions, such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. The Committee is concerned at the growing evidence that States are relinquishing these obligations as they transfer State health functions to private agencies. States parties cannot absolve themselves of responsibility in these areas by delegating or transferring these powers to private sector agencies. States parties should therefore report on what they have done to organize governmental processes and all structures through which public power is exercised to promote and protect women's health. They should include information on positive measures taken to curb violations of women's rights by third parties, to protect their health and the measures they have taken to ensure the provision of such services.
FIVE KEY ELEMENTS OF AN ADDIS MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY PACT
1. Access to basic services
Governments must agree to a nationally owned minimum per capita spending level to deliver, by 2020, a basic package of services including health and education for all, but particularly for the poorest and most marginalised, with a focus on girls and women.
2. Domestic resource mobilisation
Governments should increase domestic revenues towards ambitious, nationally defined revenue-to-GDP targets and halve the gap to those targets by 2020 by implementing fair tax policies, curbing corruption and stemming illicit flows.
3. Development assistance: Should grow to 0.7% of GNI of which 50% goes to LDCS
Development partners must allocate 50% of development assistance to LDCs by 2020,1 and DAC countries must set timetables immediately to meet the target of 0.7% ODA/GNI – ideally by 2020. All partners must implement agreed development effectiveness principles.
