A/HRC/RES/33/18
Affirming that a significant reason for the high rates of maternal mortality and
morbidity in developing countries is the lack of adequate development and infrastructure in
certain areas,
Recognizing that there are large disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity rates
between countries, but also within countries, and between women with a high and a low
income, and between those living in rural as against urban areas, and noting with concern
that the risk of maternal mortality is highest for adolescent girls under 15 years of age, and
that complications in pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death among
adolescent girls in developing countries, and recognizing also that the risk of maternal
mortality and morbidity is exacerbated in armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies,
Deeply concerned that there are continuing violations of the right of everyone to the
enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including sexual
and reproductive health, which have a negative impact on rates of maternal mortality and
morbidity, and that the full enjoyment of this right remains a distant goal for many women
and girls throughout the world,
Regretting the multitude of factors that can lead to maternal mortality and morbidity,
including lack of accessible and appropriate health-care services, information and
education, lack of access to emergency obstetric care, poverty, all types of malnutrition,
harmful practices, including child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation,
denial of contraception, unsafe abortion, discrimination against women, gender inequality
and gender-based stereotypes,
Convinced that greater political will and commitment, international cooperation and
technical assistance at all levels are urgently required to reduce the unacceptably high
global rate of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, and that the integration of a
human rights-based approach can contribute positively to the common goal of reducing that
rate,
Recognizing the need for enhanced cooperation aimed at strengthening capacities
and promoting adequate transfer of technology on mutually agreed terms to developing
countries in order to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity in those countries,
Acknowledging that the failure to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity is one of
the most significant barriers to the empowerment of women and girls in all aspects of life,
the full enjoyment of their human rights, their ability to reach their full potential and to
sustainable development in general,
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Urges all States to renew their political commitment to eliminate preventable
maternal mortality and morbidity at the local, national, regional and international levels,
and to strengthen their efforts to address multiple and intersecting inequalities and to
remove all barriers to access to sexual and reproductive health facilities, services, goods
and information, and education, to ensure the full and effective implementation of their
human rights obligations, and their commitments as addressed in the Beijing Declaration
and Platform for Action, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on
Population and Development and the outcome documents of the review processes,
including the commitments relating to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive
rights, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable
Development Goals, considering the Goals on improving maternal health and promoting
gender equality and empowering women, and other interlinked Goals, by ensuring universal
access to quality maternity, sexual and reproductive health-care services, including through
international assistance and cooperation, the allocation of domestic resources to health
systems and the provision of the necessary information and services in relation to the right
to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including the sexual and
reproductive health of women and girls;
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