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The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on 17 June 2009 that recognises preventable maternal mortality and morbidity as a human rights issue. The resolution is available below in PDF format as is the Human Rights Council Statement on its introduction.
Woman and children in Papua New Guinea (Photo credit: Steve Nowakowski)Maternal mortality and morbidity are deaths and disabilities that occur due to complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Globally it is estimated 500,000 women and girls die every year from complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths are preventable.
New Zealand worked in partnership with Colombia to lead the negotiations to gather support from other countries for the resolution.
The UN resolution on preventable maternal and mortality and human rights was adopted by consensus and co-sponsored by 72 UN member states or countries, reflecting broad cross-regional support for the issue.
The resolution is the first to recognise the human rights implications of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity. It paves the way for more substantive discussion of women’s rights in the Human Rights Council, as well as for greater emphasis on a human rights analysis in existing mechanisms such as the Millennium Development Goal on maternal health (MDG5).
Leading this initiative provided a platform for New Zealand to increase its standing and profile in the Council. New Zealand also worked closely with the United States, which actively supported the resolution.
