Global South Leaders Reaffirm Commitment to Keep Well-Being at the Centre of Development

As the Partners in Population and Development initiative marks 30 years of intergovernmental collaboration, 27 member countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America came together to evaluate the gains and gaps in reaching their goals for reproductive health, population and development.

“We believe that for a healthy nation, you need healthy citizens, and to have healthy citizens you need to take care of every man, woman, boy and girl’s sexual and reproductive health so they underpin the ability of a country to progress in terms of its development agenda,” said Lydia Zigomo, UNFPA East and Southern Africa regional director, at the opening of the 20th International Inter-Ministerial Conference of the Partners for Population and Development. 

The conference, organized by Partners in Population and Development, the Government of Zimbabwe and UNFPA, took place on 9 and 10 October 2023 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Representatives of governments, civil society organizations, international organizations and academia discussed how cooperation among countries in the global south can further the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development. They reaffirmed their strong commitment to the ICPD agenda, which puts human rights and well-being at the center of development.

The 10-point Victoria Falls Declaration of the conference reflects the discussions and commitments made by Partners in Population and Development member countries in light of the 30-year review of implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. This includes their intention to actively participate in the ICPD30 process, to shape the future agenda and to define strategies for achieving ICPD goals by 2030. Member countries also committed to tackling issues of low fertility and ageing populations through providing health-care services, community support, social security schemes and other means to increase people’s well-being. This includes ensuring that young people take part in decision making on issues that affect their health and well-being. Lastly, members agreed to strengthen their South-South cooperation by mobilizing more resources, increasing domestic financing and promoting research and innovation.