The Missing Link: Applied Budget Work as a Tool to Hold Governments Accountable for Maternal Mortality Reduction Commitments

May 2009 | By the International Budget Partnership

This brief explores the relevance of civil society budget analysis and advocacy (i.e., budget work) as a tool to hold governments accountable for their maternal mortality reduction commitments and discusses three recent examples of civil society groups engaged with budget analysis and advocacy: Fundar, Center for Analysis and Research in Mexico; Women’s Dignity in Tanzania; and the Center for Budget and Governance Accountability in India. The work of these organizations, and the lessons that we seek to draw from their experiences underscore that the lack of real progress in reducing maternal mortality is unquestionably linked to the failure of governments to make maternal health a budgetary priority. Their findings reveal that even though resources to address this issue exist—and may continue to grow—they are not necessarily being allocated correctly or spent effectively.

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Enforcing Accountability through Budget Transparency and Citizen Participation in the Budget Process

The International Budget Partnership (IBP) participated in the 2010 Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health forum held in New Delhi, India with the presentation “Enforcing Accountability through Budget Transparency and Citizen Participation in the Budget Process.” This presentation was one of the few that discussed the importance of citizen participation and access to public budget information as a precondition to fulfill government’s commitments to improving maternal, newborn, and child health.

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health 2011 Report

This report analyzes the financial, policy, and service-delivery commitments made by over 130 stakeholders from a variety of constituency groups. The report presents opportunities and challenges in advancing Global Strategy commitments, and charts a path for next steps to strengthen advocacy, action, and accountability in the field of maternal health.

The IBP was involved in the production of this report.

Technical Guidance on the Application of a Human-Rights Based Approach to the Implementation of Policies and Programmes to Reduce Preventable Maternal Morbidity and Mortality

This report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights aims to assist policymakers in improving women’s health and rights by providing guidance on implementing policies and programmes to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in accordance with human rights standards. It highlights the human rights implications for multiple actors in the policymaking, implementation and review cycle, as well as the need for robust enforcement mechanisms and international assistance and cooperation.