General Assembly Commemoration of the Tenth Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to address this commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

Cairo was a turning point in development thinking and it was a turn in the right direction. The Cairo Conference put the focus where it should be—on improving the quality of life of all people, no matter where they happen to be born and whether they are women or men. It put the focus on protecting human rights and the natural resources on which all life depends, and bringing our world into greater balance. It recognized that what happens in one part of the world affects what occurs in another, and migration, urbanization, and poverty and sustainable development are interconnected.

With its emphasis on gender equality and reproductive health and rights, some people say that the ICPD Programme of Action was ahead of its time. It was and is, and we have some serious catching up to do.

All over the world, in every region, people are demanding information and services to prevent HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy. In every country, increasing numbers of women are speaking out against the violence they face in their lives, and a growing number of men are standing by their side, demanding that justice be served. Today, as never before, young women are refusing to be victims of genital cutting and in more and more cases, their parents and communities are supporting them in this choice. And young people who live in this global information age are demanding that they be let out of the dark, when it comes to information and services, to protect their reproductive health and exercise their reproductive rights.

Issues that were still a little sensitive at the time of the Cairo Conference are now matters of open public debate. Never before, for instance, has there been so much discussion, and outrage, about sexual violence that women face in conflict situations, and there is agreement that much more needs to be done to address these massive violations of human rights. I myself have been asked to address the Security Council this month on this very important and urgent issue.

Indeed, the time that has passed since the adoption of the ICPD Programme of Action has only confirmed its deep relevance and vision.

For this, much credit belongs to the Secretary-General of the Cairo Conference, Dr. Nafis Sadik, my predecessor as UNFPA Executive Director. She made sure that the agreement was not only far-reaching and visionary, but also extremely practical. Today, I would like to pay tribute to Dr. Sadik, who was and remains a tireless champion of the Cairo agenda.

The agenda is built on a simple premise: that providing universal access to education and reproductive health services and promoting women’s empowerment will reduce gender inequality and poor health, and help break the cycle of poverty in which millions of individuals and families now find themselves. If governments make these critical investments in people, and use population data and policies not only to count people but also to make people count, then a chain reaction will occur. This will lead to concrete progress, progress that has been measured by demographers, statisticians, economists and social scientists, and, most importantly, by individuals as they go about their daily lives. The links in this chain reaction are increased choices and opportunities, increased knowledge and freedom from fear and ignorance, increased health and productivity, and the enhanced ability of individuals to take greater control over their lives and their futures. This is what empowerment is all about. And this gives real meaning to the term: sustainable human development.

The ICPD Programme of Action is a global programme based on universal, ethical principles that reinforce human dignity and encourage the fulfilment of human aspirations. And UNFPA, as the lead agency in implementing this agenda, is committed to these human rights and we are taking a culturally sensitive approach in programme development and implementation. Such an approach does not impose solutions, but engages the concerned communities in a process of dialogue to reach out to their own positive values and institutions and bring about the change that is necessary to implement the Programme of Action.

Your Excellencies,

We should be proud of the progress that has been made in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action during the past 10 years.

We have come a long way in the decade since Cairo, and I would like to congratulate governments on the progress that has been achieved. I would also like to congratulate our many dedicated partners in civil society who worked closely with governments to come closer to achieving their common goals.

Yesterday, an incredible roster of supporters of the Cairo agenda from across sectors and regions of the world was presented to the United Nations. The support provided through the World Leaders’ Statement complements the renewed commitments expressed by the world’s governments and peoples in the regional meetings convened over the past two years in preparation for the 10-year anniversary.

From Asia to Africa and from Europe to Latin America, governments have reaffirmed their support to the Programme of Action, taken stock of progress to date and identified priorities for the future.

Based on the resolute, universal support of governments demonstrated in the regional meetings and in UNFPA’s round tables, and the exciting support mobilized through this World Leaders’ Statement, we are more confident than ever that the hopes of Cairo will be fulfilled and the dreams of the hundreds of millions of women and men in need of health, rights and development will be realized in the coming decade.

While we celebrate our achievements, we must also be realistic. We continue to face key challenges, which must be urgently addressed.

We must rise to the challenge of expanding the reach of services and programmes to reach all people, especially the poorest, the young and most marginalized. Where the Cairo Programme of Action has been implemented, we know that it is working. We know how to reduce maternal and child mortality. We know how to reach young people so that they can protect their health and lead productive lives. We know how to prevent HIV infection. And we know how to bring about safe motherhood. But the reach of these effective interventions is limited by a lack of human and financial resources. We must mobilize the necessary political will to provide the necessary resources. We have to involve more sectors and reach out to ministers of finance so that sufficient domestic and international resources are allocated for population and reproductive health.

Because it is poor women who are dying, these urgent issues have not been given the urgent attention they deserve.

Allow me to conclude my statement today with a warning. If greater action is not taken to fully implement the ICPD Programme of Action, we will not only miss the opportunity to achieve the ICPD goals, we will also fail to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Together, we must ensure that the ICPD agenda is fully reflected in the Millennium Declaration review process.

Ten years ago, the governments of the world made a promise to bring about reproductive health for all by the year 2015. Today, I call upon all leaders to live up to this commitment and to keep the promises they made in the great city of Cairo 10 years ago.