Independent Accountability for Women, Children, and Adolescents Under Threat — IAP Commentary (The Lancet, 2020)

Reference Summary (Article)

Abstract

This reference summary presents key information from the following article: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32484-3. The source is a commentary titled “Independent accountability for women, children, and adolescents under threat”, authored by Phumaphi J, Mason E, Barroso C, Gautam KC, Horton R, on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Independent Accountability Panel (IAP) for Every Woman, Every Child, Every Adolescent (Nicholas Kojo Alipui, Jovana Ríos Cisnero, Carol Kidu, Brenda Killen, Giorgi Pkhakadze, Gita Sen, Alicia Ely Yamin), and published in The Lancet in 2020. The article highlights the central role of independent accountability in advancing global commitments to women’s, children’s, and adolescents’ health, and warns that progress was already lagging prior to COVID-19 and has since been further undermined. It raises concern about the potential discontinuation of the IAP without a transition plan, emphasizing that such a gap would weaken global accountability mechanisms. The authors call for the establishment of a strengthened independent accountability structure aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), supported by robust data systems, political commitment, and inclusive, rights-based approaches. The discussion reinforces accountability as a critical mechanism to connect commitments to measurable progress and ensure that no one is left behind.