[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S5171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 100--REAFFIRMING THE PRINCIPLES OF THE PROGRAMME OF 
 ACTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT 
  WITH RESPECT TO THE SOVEREIGN RIGHTS OF COUNTRIES AND THE RIGHT OF 
       VOLUNTARY AND INFORMED CONSENT IN FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS

  Mr. BROWNBACK (for himself, Mr. Helms, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Santorum, Mr. 
Ashcroft, Mr. Enzi, Mr. McCain, Mr. Smith of New Hampshire, and Mr. 
Nickles) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations.

                              S. Res. 100

       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 Conference on 
     Population and Development;
       Whereas chapter II of the Programme of Action, which sets 
     forth the principles of that document, begins: ``The 
     implementation of the recommendations contained in the 
     Programme of Action is the sovereign right of each country, 
     consistent with national laws and development priorities, 
     with full respect for the various religious and ethical 
     values and cultural backgrounds of its people, and in 
     conformity 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 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 provision''; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate 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 sovereign right to 
     implement the Programme of Action of the International 
     Conference on Population and Development consistent with 
     its own national laws and development priorities, with 
     full respect for the various religious and ethical values 
     and cultural backgrounds of its people, and in conformity 
     with universally recognized international 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, number of 
     family planning acceptors, or acceptors of a particular 
     method of family planning;
       (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 payment of 
     incentives, bribes, gratuities, or financial reward to any 
     person in exchange for becoming a family planning 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, including 
     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 information on the 
     health benefits and risks of the method chosen, 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 medical 
     procedures are provided only in the context of a scientific 
     study in which participants are advised of potential risks 
     and benefits;
       (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 preparatory 
     meetings for the special session; and
       (8) the United States should support vigorously with its 
     voice and vote the principle that meetings under the auspices 
     of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, including 
     all meetings relating to the Operational Review and Appraisal 
     of the Implementation of the Programme of Action of the 
     International Conference on Population and Development, be 
     open to the public and should oppose vigorously with its 
     voice and vote attempts by the United Nations or any member 
     country to exclude from meetings legitimate nongovernment 
     organizations and private citizens.

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