Costa Rica: campaigners and parliamentarians push for WHO data disclosure

Campaigners in Costa Rica are using the Day of Action to gather more support for a parliamentary motion calling on the WHo and Iraqi Ministry of Health to release the data on Iraq’s rates of birth defects.

Isabel Macdonald

Members of the Quaker Peace Center in San José, Costa Rica for the day of action will be gathering signatures from legislators in support of the following resolution, approved by the Human Rights Commission of the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica on September 11, 2013 in solidarity with the call for the release of the World Health Organization full report on birth deffects in Iraq.
As signatures are gathered to a document prepared for this effect, the ICBUW 10 year statement will be handed to the legislators, translated into Spanish.  The motion reads as follows:
MOTION 04-07
SEVERAL MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT:
“FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE LEGISLATIVE PLENARY OF THE FOLLOWING PROPOSAL:
THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF COSTA RICA:
CONSIDERING:

• THE WORK PERFORMED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION IN IRAQ, INVESTIGATING THE ALARMING RATES OF BIRTH DEFECTS IN BABIES;

• THE AFFECTATION TO PUBLIC HEALTH, REPRESENTED BY THESE FACTS, WHICH WOULD BE RELATED TO THE ARMED CONFLICT THAT HAS AFFECTED THE IRAQI PEOPLE;

• THE IMPORTANCE THE RESULTS THIS STUDY MAY PROVIDE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY.

• IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE VICTIMS OF ARMED CONFLICTS:

EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT FOR THE CALLS MADE BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, FOR THE  PUBLISHING OF THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ON THE SUBJECT OF BIRTH DEFECTS IN BABIES BORN IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ.