IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 947 

Expressing commitment to the objectives of the Program of Action of the 

International Conference on Population and Development. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 3, 2009 

Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of 

Texas, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. RUSH, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, and Ms. 

DEGETTE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing commitment to the objectives of the Program 

of Action of the International Conference on Population 

and Development. 

Whereas the International Conference on Population and Development was convened by the United Nations Population Fund and the Population Division of the United 

Nations Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis in Cairo from September 5 to 

September 13, 1994, for the purpose of addressing critical issues regarding population, development, and human 

rights; 

Whereas the International Conference on Population and Development built upon earlier initiatives aimed at addressing development and population growth, including the 


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World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women in 1985, 

the World Summit for Children in 1990, the International Conference on Nutrition in 1992, and the World 

Conference on Human Rights in 1993; 

Whereas at the time of its convening, the International Conference on Population and Development was the largest 

intergovernmental conference ever organized, with representatives from over 10,000 concerned groups and 179 

governments, including the United States; 

Whereas the conferees of the International Conference on 

Population and Development adopted a new approach to 

sustainable development, focusing on women’s rights, the 

links between population growth and development, and 

expanded access to education and health services; 

Whereas the International Conference on Population and Development was guided by Fifteen Principles, foremost of 

which was the fact that all human beings are born free 

and equal in dignity and rights; 

Whereas the Fifteen Principles of the International Conference on Population and Development furthermore included the recognition that the family is the basic unit 

of society and as such should be strengthened and the 

recommendation that all States and families should give 

the highest priority to children; 

Whereas the International Conference on Population and Development resulted in the drafting and adoption by acclamation of a 20-year Program of Action referred to as the 

Cairo Consensus, the goals of which included sustained 

economic growth in the context of sustainable development, universal access to education, gender equity and 


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equality, the reduction of infant, child, and maternal 

mortality, and universal access to reproductive health 

services; 

Whereas the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development provided a strategic underpinning for the development and adoption of 

the eight Millennium Development Goals adopted at the 

Millennium Summit in 2000; 

Whereas the United Nations Commission on Population and 

Development has acknowledged that without a firm commitment to population, reproductive health, and gender 

issues, it will not be possible to meet the goals of either 

the International Conference on Population and Development or the Millennium Development Goals; 

Whereas substantial progress has been made in the 15 years 

since the adoption of the Cairo Consensus, including but 

not limited to improvements in gender equity, decreases 

in the world rates of poverty, infant and child mortality, 

and maternal mortality, and improvements in access to 

primary education, safe water, and health and family 

planning services; 

Whereas, despite this progress, many of the goals of the 

Cairo Consensus remain unmet; 

Whereas 1,000,000,000 people still live in abject poverty; 

Whereas each year half a million women die of causes related 

to pregnancy and childbirth; 

Whereas each year 4,000,000 infants die in their first month 

of life; 

Whereas a disproportionate number of the world’s impoverished and illiterate are women; 


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Whereas it is currently predicted that 58 of the 86 countries 

that did not provide universal primary education in 1994 

will not meet this goal by 2015; 

Whereas 200,000,000 women have an unmet need for safe, 

effective, and modern contraceptives; 

Whereas pregnancy-related complications are the leading 

cause of death for young women aged 15 to 19; 

Whereas the International Conference on Population and Development called for governments to commit themselves 

at the highest political level to achieving the goals and 

objectives of the Program of Action and to take a lead 

role in coordinating the implementation, monitoring, and 

evaluation of follow-up actions; and 

Whereas the General Assembly of the United Nations endorsed the Program of Action, affirmed that governments 

should commit themselves to their goals and objectives, 

and furthermore called upon all governments to give the 

widest possible dissemination to the Program of Action 

and to seek public support for its goals, objectives, and 

actions: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) remains committed to the goals and objec3 tives of the Cairo Consensus, as set forth at the 

4 International Conference on Population and Devel5 opment; 

6 (2) supports the President’s public commitment 

7 to the advancement of the Cairo Consensus and the 

8 achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; 


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1 (3) encourages media organizations to partici2 pate in publicizing the issues addressed by the Cairo 

3 Consensus, including global poverty, gender equity 

4 and equality, the reduction of infant, child, and ma5 ternal mortality, and universal access to primary 

6 education and reproductive health services; and 

7 (4) encourages nongovernmental organizations, 

8 faith based organizations, community organizations, 

9 and private citizens to take action where possible to 

10 improve gender equality, end violence against 

11 women, expand access to reproductive, maternal, 

12 and other health services, lower infant, childhood, 

13 and maternal mortality rates, and eradicate world 

14 poverty. 

Æ 


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