Later Recent Trends and Challenges in Meeting ICPD Goals in Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Health 1. Previously, discussions on population had centered around the degree to which population growth was a cause or a consequence of failures of development, of poverty and its role in environmental deterioration. International discussion often reflected the first view by suggesting demographic targets for limiting the world's population. In Cairo, however, the international community recognized that links between population and development were multidimensional, emphasized that human and social development was essential to establishing positive correlations between the two, and identified reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive health as the way to contribute to human and social development within the population context. The ICPD POA defines reproductive health as a human right.
Women have the right to access sexual and reproductive health services.
This also means that women are entitled to demand from governments the provision of quality reproductive health services. The ICPD POA is unique by calling for the civil society, including NGOs, to take major responsibilities in designing and implementing reproductive health policies. The Programme also calls for national governments, bilateral and multilateral donors to make substantial budget reallocations. This document reviews progress made in the implementation of the ICPD POA with respect to ensuring reproductive rights and implementing reproductive health four years after the Conference. It has been prepared as a background document for the Round Table meeting on Ensuring Reproductive Rights and Implementing Reproductive Health, including empowerment of women, involvement of males and human rights.