On 20 – 21 November 2014 Romania was reviewed by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). It has been almost 20 years since its last review. CESCR assesses states’ compliance with their obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which Romania had ratified. The NGOs met with several of the members of the CESCR in a pre-session meeting, and participated as observers in the public dialogue between the CESCR and the Romanian delegation. The concluding observations of the CESCR were issued on November 28th and are available here. The CESCR issued strong recommendations on SRHR and also on the problem of conscientious objection (para. 22):
The Committee is concerned at the significant number of undesired teenage pregnancies and the high number of abortions in the State party, at the limited access to sexual and reproductive health education and services, especially in rural areas, and at the limited availability of contraceptives free of charge. As a result, the Committee is concerned that, although abortion is legal in the State party, women continue to have to resort to illegal and unsafe abortions. It further notes with concern that health professionals are increasingly invoking conscientious objection, thus hindering in practice access to safe abortion. Finally, the Committee expresses concern at cases of discrimination against women living with HIV/AIDS in access to sexual and reproductive health, as well as inadequacy of mother-to-child transmission prevention.
The Committee calls on the State party to adopt a national strategy on sexual and reproductive health and to intensify its efforts aimed at preventing undesired teenage pregnancies, including through the implementation of a comprehensive and mandatory programme on sexual and reproductive health in schools. The Committee also urges the State party to ensure that sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion and contraception services and information, are available, accessible and affordable without discrimination, including to adolescents. It further recommends that all pregnant women and girls have access to specialized medical care, including measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
ASTRA member – the Euroregional Center for Public Initiatives, Amnesty International, the European Roma Rights Centre, Global Justice Institute, Romani CRISS and Society for Contraception and Sexual Education published a joint statement (available here) in which they express their deep concern over discriminatory remarks by Romanian representatives at the time of the review who also neglected to answer questions related to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Since 1994, Romania has repeatedly failed to submit reports for review by the Committee, which states parties to the ICESCR are required to submit every five years. No relevant Ministry representative joined the review sessions in Geneva to represent Romania before the Committee, and furthermore, the Romanian delegation failed to provide answers to several of the questions presented by the members of the CESCR
