III

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 100

Reaffirming the principles of the Programme of Action of the International

Conference on Population and Development with respect to the sovereign

rights of countries and the right of voluntary and informed consent

in family planning programs.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 12, 1999

Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself, Mr. HELMS, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr.

ASHCROFT, Mr. ENZI, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire, and

Mr. NICKLES) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to

the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Reaffirming the principles of the Programme of Action of

the International Conference on Population and Development with respect to the sovereign rights of countries

and the right of voluntary and informed consent in family planning programs.

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly has decided

to convene a special session from June 30 to July 2,

1999, in order to review and appraise the implementation

of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development;

Whereas chapter II of the Programme of Action, which sets

forth the principles of that document, begins: ‘‘The im-
2

•SRES 100 IS

plementation of the recommendations contained in the

Programme of Action is the sovereign right of each country, consistent with national laws and development priorities, with full respect for the various religious and ethical

values and cultural backgrounds of its people, and in conformity with universally recognized international human

rights.’’;

Whereas section 7.12 of the Programme of Action states:

‘‘The principle of informed [consent] is essential to the

long-term success of family-planning programmes. Any

form of coercion has no part to play.’’;

Whereas section 7.12 of the Programme of Action further

states: ‘‘Government goals for family planning should be

defined in terms of unmet needs for information and

services. Demographic goals . . . should not be imposed

on family-planning providers in the form of targets or

quotas for the recruitment of clients.’’; and

Whereas section 7.17 of the Programme of Action states:

‘‘[g]overnments should secure conformity to human

rights and to ethical and professional standards in the

delivery of family planning and related reproductive

health services aimed at ensuring responsible, voluntary

and informed consent and also regarding service provision’’: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that—

2 (1) no bilateral or multilateral assistance or

3 benefit to any country should be conditioned upon or

4 linked to that country’s adoption or failure to adopt

5 population programs, or to the relinquishment of

6 that country’s sovereign right to implement the Pro-
3

•SRES 100 IS

1 gramme of Action of the International Conference

2 on Population and Development consistent with its

3 own national laws and development priorities, with

4 full respect for the various religious and ethical val5 ues and cultural backgrounds of its people, and in

6 conformity with universally recognized international

7 human rights;

8 (2)(A) family planning service providers or re9 ferral agents should not implement or be subject to

10 quotas, or other numerical targets, of total number

11 of births, number of family planning acceptors, or

12 acceptors of a particular method of family planning;

13 (B) subparagraph (A) should not be construed

14 to preclude the use of quantitative estimates or indi15 cators for budgeting and planning purposes;

16 (3) no family planning project should include

17 payment of incentives, bribes, gratuities, or financial

18 reward to any person in exchange for becoming a

19 family planning acceptor or to program personnel

20 for achieving a numerical target or quota of total

21 number of births, number of family planning accep22 tors, or acceptors of a particular method of family

23 planning;

24 (4) no project should deny any right or benefit,

25 including the right of access to participate in any
4

•SRES 100 IS

1 program of general welfare or the right of access to

2 health care, as a consequence of any person’s deci3 sion not to accept family planning services;

4 (5) every family planning project should provide

5 family planning acceptors with comprehensible infor6 mation on the health benefits and risks of the meth7 od chosen, including those conditions that might

8 render the use of the method inadvisable and those

9 adverse side effects known to be consequent to the

10 use of the method;

11 (6) every family planning project should ensure

12 that experimental contraceptive drugs and devices

13 and medical procedures are provided only in the con14 text of a scientific study in which participants are

15 advised of potential risks and benefits;

16 (7) the United States should reaffirm the prin17 ciples described in paragraphs (1) through (6) in the

18 special session of the United Nations General As19 sembly to be held between June 30 and July 2,

20 1999, and in all preparatory meetings for the special

21 session; and

22 (8) the United States should support vigorously

23 with its voice and vote the principle that meetings

24 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic

25 and Social Council, including all meetings relating to
5

•SRES 100 IS

1 the Operational Review and Appraisal of the Imple2 mentation of the Programme of Action of the Inter3 national Conference on Population and Develop4 ment, be open to the public and should oppose vigor5 ously with its voice and vote attempts by the United

6 Nations or any member country to exclude from

7 meetings legitimate nongovernment organizations

8 and private citizens.

Æ