ICESCR concluding observations 2025, paragraph 53
Plain English recommendation
Government should:
(a) Do more to ensure equal access to maternal health services for migrant women and women from ethnic minority groups with the aim of reducing maternal and infant deaths. Facilities should be properly set up to care for women during pregnancy, while giving birth and after birth, particularly in rural areas;
(b) Strengthen sexual and reproductive healthcare services and information. This includes better access to safe abortion services and abortion medication, as well as contraception and emergency contraception for all women and adolescent girls, particularly those in rural or remote areas;
(c) Be guided by UN advice on the right to sexual and reproductive health, the World Health Organisation’s Abortion Care Guideline and inquiry recommendations from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Original UN recommendation
The Committee recommends that the State Party, along with the devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales:
(a) Increase efforts to ensure equal access to maternal health services for migrant women and women from ethnic minority groups with a view to reducing maternal and infant mortality rates and to adequately equip facilities for antenatal, perinatal and postnatal care, particularly in rural areas;
(b) Strengthen measures to ensure the accessibility and availability of appropriate, good-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare services and information, such as access to safe abortion services, including abortion medication, contraception and emergency contraception, for all women and adolescent girls in the State Party, particularly those living in rural or remote areas;
(c) Be guided by the Committee’s general comment No. 22 (2016) on the right to sexual and reproductive health and the Abortion Care Guideline (2022) of the World Health Organization (WHO) and take into account the recommendations made by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in its inquiry concerning the State Party.
Date of UN examination
12/03/2025
Original UN document
Download the original ICESCR concluding observations 2025 on the UN website.
Last updated on 21/08/2025