At the eighth global parliamentarians’ conference on population and development, which concluded on Friday 12 April, 172 parliamentarians from 112 countries issued a forward-looking inclusive declaration confirming their commitment to upholding universal sexual and reproductive health and rights, as was agreed at the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994.
In the Oslo Declaration, the parliamentarians recognized the ICPD Programme of Action as “a beacon of hope,” and celebrated the progress that has been made for women and girls in the three decades since it was adopted. But they also pointed out that crises and polarization are shaking the world, and require them to set out an ambitious vision for the future they want to help create in their legislatures.
The parliamentarians emphasized the importance of ensuring comprehensive sexuality education, ending gender-based violence and achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services, including access to safe abortion services. They also committed to working with and for women, girls and adolescents in all their diversity to safeguard their right to bodily autonomy, and to address harmful social and gender norms.