On the occasion of World Population Day, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on countries to invest in providing universal access to reproductive health, referring to reproductive health and rights as a "building block" for sustainable development.
11 July 2012: On World Population Day, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on countries to invest in universal access to reproductive health, calling it an indispensable part of the sustainable development equation.
Ban highlighted the pressure of the world’s population on planetary resources of food and fuel, to prompt awareness of the need to address reproductive health and rights as a “building block” for sustainable development. He called for adequate health care during pregnancy, support for voluntary family planning services, and access to contraception.
World Population Day is observed annually as an occasion for focusing on population issues in the context of development plans and programmes. This year’s theme is “Universal Access to Reproductive Health Services.” [UN Press Release] [Statement of UN Secretary-General] [UNFPA Flyer of Key Treaties, Declarations, Agreements on Right to Decide Number of Children, Family Planning]