Breaking Ground 2020: Treaty Monitoring Bodies on Reproductive Rights

Breaking Ground 2020: Treaty Monitoring Bodies on Reproductive Rights summarizes the jurisprudence from United Nations treaty monitoring bodies (TMBs) on reproductive rights, particularly the standards on reproductive health information and contraception, maternal health care, and abortion. It is intended to provide treaty body experts and human rights advocates with succinct and accessible information on the standards being adopted across treaty monitoring bodies surrounding these important rights. In addition to considering non-discrimination, bodily autonomy, and social determinants of health, there are three thematic areas given particular attention: Assisted Reproductive Technology; Humanitarian Settings; and Capacity & Consent.

This booklet is the fourth edition of this publication. It includes new standards issued by TMBs on reproductive rights over the past two years, such as the Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 36 on the right to life, new standards from CESCR prohibiting the exposure of pregnant women to biased and medically unsound information on abortion, and CEDAW’s recommendation that laws on surrogacy must not impose criminal or administrative sanctions on women who act as surrogates.

To access the 2018 version of this publication, click here.

To access the 2016 version of this publication, click here.