Thirty years have passed since the landmark International Conference on Population and Development, where world leaders agreed to take concrete action to put human rights – including sexual and reproductive health and rights – at the heart of sustainable development. This year, the anniversary takes centre stage at the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Population and Development
The theme of the session: “Assessing the status of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.”
The anniversary is a critical opportunity to discuss how the world has changed since the adoption of the landmark agenda, including demographic shifts and significant global threats, such as climate change, pandemics, economic instability and inequality. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the successes of the past three decades, to take stock of where we stand and to position the agenda for the future – ensuring that it is a core part of tomorrow’s solutions.
To be sure, great gains have been made. Humanity is healthier and happier; motherhood is safer; people are living longer. But progress has been slow and unequal, disproportionately improving the lives of people who are easiest to reach, leaving many members of marginalized communities excluded. And progress has stalled or reversed on some fundamental issues, such as maternal deaths. Tragically, a woman dies every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth.
Greater political will and investment are needed to dismantle the social and structural barriers that prevent women, girls and millions of others who live in poverty or suffer discrimination or violence from achieving their potential.
Indeed, in a world grappling with upheaval and uncertainty, “every crisis has a decidedly female face,” UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem has said. “The face of a woman haunted by the shadow pandemic of gender-based violence or conflict, or often by both. The face of a girl married or mutilated against her will, pregnant before her body is ready, as barriers are thrown up to protective sexual and reproductive health services.” The vision for humanity in the International Conference on Population and Development is ever more urgent.
With that in mind, a commemorative event under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly will celebrate the anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development during this year’s weeklong session of the Commission on Population and Development. The event will be convened by the President of the General Assembly on the first day of the session, featuring high-level United Nations officials, ministerial speakers and interactive discussions.
The Commission on Population and Development is made up of 47 Member States elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council for a period of four years on the basis of geographic distribution. It assists the Council in many ways, including advising on population issues and trends, and monitoring and assessing the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.
The proceedings of this year’s session will be broadcast on UN Web TV. Programmes, documents and more information about the session can be found here.
Side events hosted by UNFPA and partners
Rising Youth Voices: Outcomes from the ICPD30 Global Youth Dialogue
29 April, 1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. EDT
UN Secretariat, Conference Room 11, New York
UNFPA and partners are delighted to invite you to a side event titled “Rising Youth Voices: Outcomes from the ICPD30 Global Youth Dialogue.”
The ICPD30 Global Youth Dialogue convened recently in Cotonou, Benin, under the theme “A new generation’s vision for the future,” serving as a platform for solution-oriented discussions on the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and new ideas for the future.
This side event provides the opportunity to hear the outcomes of the dialogue – the Cotonou Youth Action Agenda – and is also a platform to amplify the voices of young people within the Commision on Population and Development. The vision presented in the Cotonou Youth Action Agenda holds the potential to significantly influence the forthcoming Summit of the Future as well as ongoing reforms and initiatives that advance the ICPD Programme of Action.
The event is organized in partnership with the Republic of Benin, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, the United States of America, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Major Group for Children and Youth, and the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
Representatives of diverse countries and stakeholders will hear and engage directly with young people, in order to foster mechanisms to support the global perspectives emerging from Cotonou.
Please register to confirm your attendance.
“Life or Death is a Political Decision" – Parliamentarians Reaffirm Their Commitment to SRHR
30 April, 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. EDT
Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations
At the eighth international Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action in Oslo, Norway, this year, parliamentarians from around the world issued a declaration confirming their commitment to upholding universal sexual and reproductive health and rights.
In this Oslo Declaration, the parliamentarians recognized the ICPD Programme of Action as “a beacon of hope.” They celebrated the progress that has been made for women and girls in the past three decades, while also pointing out that global crises and polarization require an ambitious vision for the future.
This side event, co-hosted by UNFPA, the Permanent Mission of Norway to the UN and the European Parliamentary Forum, will highlight the outcomes from the conference and will reaffirm the global call to action by parliamentarians and their unique contributions to the ICPD30 review process.
Please register here.
Shared Research Priorities for Engaging Men and Boys in SRHR in Accountable Ways
1 May, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. EDT
UNFPA headquarters, Orange Cafe, and via Zoom
Along with partners including MenEngage Alliance, Queen’s University Belfast, the World Health Organization and the Human Reproduction Programme, UNFPA is pleased to invite you to a side event titled “Shared Research Priorities for Engaging Men and Boys in SRHR in Accountable Ways.”
This event provides an opportunity for representatives of participating United Nations Member States and civil-society organizations to gather with UN agencies to reflect on the newly published results in The Lancet Global Health of the study “Masculinities and sexual and reproductive health and rights: A global research priority-setting exercise.”
French and Spanish Interpretation will be available.
Please register to attend in person.
Navigating Megatrends: The ICPD Programme of Action for a Sustainable Future – Launch of the ICPD30 Briefs
1 May, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. EDT
UN Secretariat, Conference Room 12, and on UN Web TV
In light of the dramatic changes in the past 30 years, UNFPA has commissioned five think pieces as well as corresponding ICPD30 briefs to highlight the progress and challenges in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights and investing in population data, and to examine how demographic diversity, climate change and digitization are transforming future demands.
This side event will see the launch of the ICPD30 briefs and provide a platform for global leaders, policymakers, experts and advocates to engage in meaningful discussions and reflections on the progress made and challenges ahead.
You can watch the livestream here.
Insights from the Global South: Feminist Perspectives on the Implementation of ICPD from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa
2 May, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EDT
UNFPA headquarters, Orange Cafe
Along with the Fòs Feminista alliance, UNFPA is pleased to invite you to a side event titled “Feminist Perspectives on the Implementation of the ICPD from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa.”
The event provides an opportunity for cross-regional and transnational dialogues between UN Member States, UN agencies and feminist civil-society organizations from Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa.
French and Spanish Interpretation will be available.
Please register to attend in person.
