BOX 9. RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL ISSUES The ICPD Programme of Action clearly acknowledged the importance of religious and cultural values for the area of reproductive rights, stating as one of the principles that 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.” Reproductive rights deal with issues at the core of human existence. Many of the ­problematic issues, such as female genital mutilation, early marriages and the view of women as less ­valuable than men stem from cultural beliefs. Thus, the importance of religion, ethics and cultural beliefs within this field of human rights cannot be overstated. In the foreword to its publication, CULTURE MATTERS Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations,18 UNFPA stresses that engaging faith-based organizations (FBO) and local leaders is critical to UNFPA’s development work and the promotion of reproductive rights. They are often reference points for their communities, are respected having high credibility in addition to providing the communities with spiritual and moral support and (in many cases) educational and health services. Furthermore, even though their approaches may differ, institutions like UNFPA and NHRIs, FBO and local leaders ideally share the same objective, being to uphold human dignity, serve people and to respond to the needs of the poor, the marginalized and the excluded. Finally, it is a matter of respect for the communities being served that their beliefs are taken seriously while upholding human rights including the right to development and gender equality as consistent and unwavering objectives. In the 2010-2011 study on Integrating Reproductive Rights into the Work of National Human Rights Institutions of the Asia-Pacifi c Region, most respondents (all from NHRIs) identified culture and religion as major impediments to working with reproductive rights and this was repeated during the follow-up consultation in June 2011 in Kuala Lumpur. This was the case irrespective of the dominant religion of the country. There is every reason to assume that similar views would be expressed by NHRIs outside the Asia-Pacific region. The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion has undertaken a comprehensive study on freedom of religion or belief and the status of women in light of religion and traditions, which explains that much discrimination against women is “based on or imputed to religion.” The 18 Culture Matters: Lessons from a Legacy of Engaging Faith-based Organizations”, UNFPA, 2008, can be downloaded from www.unfpa.org/public/home/about. 96