introduction INTRODUCTION “[R]eproductive rights embrace certain human rights that are already recognized in national laws, international laws and international human rights documents and other consensus documents. These rights rest on the recognition of the basic rights of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. It also includes the right to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence, as expressed in human rights documents.” Source: International Conference on Population and Development, Programme of Action, Para 7.3 PURPOSE The purpose of this Handbook is to provide NHRIs with tools and guidance on how to integrate reproductive rights into their work. Each NHRI is as unique as the country in which it has been established but that does not mean that many of the challenges, including within the field of reproductive rights, are not the same or similar for many NHRIs. This Handbook is intended to give an introduction to reproductive rights, both what they mean in practice and their normative background, and how NHRIs can work within this field. Naturally, many NHRIs already work within the reproductive rights field, and a number of experiences from NHRIs have been gathered and are mentioned in the Handbook. In line with the ICPD Programme of Action, all development should be centred on peoples’ rights. Development should happen, and funds be spent, in a way that not only respects basic tenets of human rights but also furthers their realization, without discrimination, as the ultimate development objective. Inherent to that understanding is the notion that the recipients of development and public services are not passive recipients of “charity” but are individuals with rights (rights-holders) who should be empowered to demand these from duty-bearers (principally states).1 This is central in the area of reproductive rights where the importance of empowering rights-holders, particularly women and adolescent girls, cannot be overstated. The United Nations Common Understanding of a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA), reached by consensus among various United Nations agencies in 2003, guides UNFPA’s work, as it does for all United Nations agencies. 1 For more on HRBA, see: UNFPA. A Human Rights-Based Approach to Programming, 2010. OHCHR. Frequently Asked Questions on a Human Rights-Based Approach to Development Cooperation, 2006. UNFPA. Rights into Action, UNFPA implements Human Rights-Based Approach, 2005. HRBA is also the subject of Chapter 3 of this Handbook. 13