H. Res. 118
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
March 23, 1999.
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 Con-
ference on Population and Development;
Whereas chapter II of the Programme of Action, which sets
forth the principles of that document, begins: ‘‘The im-
plementation of the recommendations contained in the
Programme of Action is the sovereign right of each coun-
try, consistent with national laws and development prior-
ities, with full respect for the various religious and ethical
values and cultural backgrounds of its people, and in con-
formity 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
•HRES 118 EH
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 provi-
sion’’: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Represent-
atives that—
(1) no bilateral or multilateral assistance or benefit
to any country should be conditioned upon or linked to
that country’s adoption or failure to adopt population
programs, or to the relinquishment of that country’s sov-
ereign right to implement the Programme of Action of
the International Conference on Population and Develop-
ment consistent with its own national laws and develop-
ment priorities, with full respect for the various religious
and ethical values and cultural backgrounds of its peo-
ple, and in conformity with universally recognized inter-
national human rights;
(2)(A) family planning service providers or referral
agents should not implement or be subject to quotas, or
other numerical targets, of total number of births, num-
ber of family planning acceptors, or acceptors of a par-
ticular method of family planning;
•HRES 118 EH
(B) subparagraph (A) should not be construed to
preclude the use of quantitative estimates or indicators
for budgeting and planning purposes;
(3) no family planning project should include pay-
ment of incentives, bribes, gratuities, or financial reward
to any person in exchange for becoming a family plan-
ning acceptor or to program personnel for achieving a
numerical target or quota of total number of births,
number of family planning acceptors, or acceptors of a
particular method of family planning;
(4) no project should deny any right or benefit, in-
cluding the right of access to participate in any program
of general welfare or the right of access to health care,
as a consequence of any person’s decision not to accept
family planning services;
(5) every family planning project should provide
family planning acceptors with comprehensible informa-
tion on the health benefits and risks of the method cho-
sen, including those conditions that might render the use
of the method inadvisable and those adverse side effects
known to be consequent to the use of the method;
(6) every family planning project should ensure that
experimental contraceptive drugs and devices and med-
ical procedures are provided only in the context of a sci-
•HRES 118 EH
entific study in which participants are advised of poten-
tial risks and benefits; and
(7) the United States should reaffirm the principles
described in paragraphs (1) through (6) in the special
session of the United Nations General Assembly to be
held between June 30 and July 2, 1999, and in all pre-
paratory meetings for the special session.
Attest:
Clerk.