On March 16th 2009, 85 Governments in a joint statement delivered to the UN Human Rights Council reaffirmed their commitment to addressing maternal mortality as human rights issue and called upon the Human Rights Council to take decisive action to contribute to existing efforts to address maternal mortality. The statement includes a reaffirmation that maternal mortality is a human rights issue and that the magnitude of the problem calls for the renewal of political will to address it. The 85 Governments call on the Council to take collective and concrete action on maternal mortality during its session in June 2009.
This resolution would be the continuation of a process that would lay the ground for further work of the Council and its mechanisms on this issue, and would be the first of its kind at the UN Human Rights Council.
Advocacy with all governments to support such a resolution on maternal mortality at the Human Rights Council is important. Because of this, it is requested to the Geneva Mission of each country to support a resolution on maternal mortality and human rights at the Human Rights Council.
See the Resolution on Maternal Mortality and the support request .