US Secretary of States renews commitment to reproductive health and ICPD

In a speech on 9 January at the State Department, Secretary Hilary Rodham Clinton renewed the US government's support and dedication to meeting the health and development goals laid out in the International Conference on Population Development (ICPD) and other related UN agreements, including the Millennium Development Goals.

The Secretary said that 'women's health is essential to the prosperity and health of all people,' and that the US has rejoined with governments to 'make access to reproductive healthcare a basic right.'

During the groundbreaking 1994 International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, 179 nations agreed to an ambitious plan of action to improve health and achieve sustainable development by focusing on individual health needs and human rights, especially for women and girls.

Read the transcript of the Secretary's speech on the State Department website. To see the video of the Secretary's speech, visit www.icpd2015.org.