UNFPA publishes State of World Population 2008
12th November 2008
Development strategies that are sensitive to cultural values can reduce harmful practices against women and promote human rights, including gender equality and women´s empowerment, affirms The State of World Population 2008 report from UNFPA. Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender and Human Rights, launched at various events including a press conference at the UNFPA office on November 12 2008, reports that culture is a central component of successful development of poor countries, and must be integrated into development policy and programming.
The report, which coincides with this year´s 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is based on the concept that the international human rights framework has universal validity. Human rights express values common to all cultures and protect groups as well as individuals. The report endorses culturally sensitive approaches to development and to the promotion of human rights, in general, and women´s rights, in particular. Click here to read more about this new report.