The Cartagena Declaration: FIGO takes a stand on sexual and reproductive health and rights

A Declaration made at the FIGO 2022 Regional Congress in Cartagena, Colombia, promises to defend the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of all women and girls, support governments to develop and implement national guidelines, and strengthen advocacy and education practices across the world.  

Cartagena Declaration visual

FIGO’s Division of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Wellbeing made the Declaration on 5 November 2022. This division – comprising FIGO’s Committee on Contraception, Committee on Safe Abortion, and Committee on Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Infertility – focuses its practices on four key areas: reproductive rights and women's wellbeing; safe abortion and public health; adolescent pregnancy – deficiency of public systems in contraception; and STD's and their reproductive incidence in public health.   

Led by Division Director Dr Ivonne Diaz from Colombia, committee chairs developed the Declaration after consideration of the earlier Panama Declaration made by member societies of La Federación Latinoamericana de Sociedades de Obstetricia y Ginecología (FLASOG), which was developed during the second Summit on Contraception and Sexual and Reproductive Rights in August 2022. 

Through the Cartagena Declaration, FIGO declares that all women and girls must have their sexual and reproductive health and rights recognised as human rights and have complete bodily autonomy, have access to the appropriate SRH care, including access to safe abortion and fertility care.  

Read the Cartagena Declaration in full.