10th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development - ICPD at Ten
Information Note from UNFPA on the 10th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development—ICPD at Ten
19 March 2004
Background
The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994 was a milestone in the history of population and development, as well as the history of women's rights. The Programme of Action that was adopted by 179 countries, by consensus, is a forward-looking 20-year plan. While the Programme of Action (PoA) is comprehensive and calls for action at various levels, the strategic focus of the recommendations is for action at the national level.
The first five-year review of the implementation of the Programme of Action was conducted by the General Assembly in 1999 which adopted, by consensus, the Key Actions for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. The review showed that the ICPD goals are still valid and that much progress had been made in advancing them. At the same time, it revealed that much greater and urgent action was needed in certain areas. The Key Actions validated the comprehensive approach to population and development articulated in the Programme of Action, affirmed the ICPD goals and provided a set of benchmarks for achieving them.
As we reach the 10th Anniversary of the ICPD, the mid-point of its 20-year Programme of Action, there is much to celebrate and to look forward to. Many countries have been able to translate the commitments they made in Cairo into policies and action programmes designed to transform the lives of women and men. But much remains to be done. At this point in time, most member states, UNFPA, and other partners believe that the best way to commemorate ICPD is by doing a pragmatic and constructive country-by-country analysis of achievements, of constraints, of lessons learned and to feed back the results so as to enrich and accelerate the implementation of the ICPD PoA. The 10th Anniversary is also an opportunity to reflect on the ICPD goals, and demonstrate how achieving them will contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
UNFPA is grateful to the donors who provided financial support for activities related to the ICPD 10 year review, namely, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
Several activities are already planned at the national, regional and global levels.
National-level Activities
The cornerstone of the review process of the implementation of the ICPD PoA is at the national level. National activities vary among countries to include some, or all, of the following components: responses to regional/global inquiries, national reports, national review meetings, updates of national programmes or strategies, and national advocacy events. A common objective in all countries is to: assess achievements; identify challenges, constraints and opportunities; formulate lessons learned; and strategize on how best to accelerate the implementation of the ICPD PoA. Ideally, the review process will reinforce and complement efforts to track progress in achieving the MDGs, and reflect the linkages between ICPD goals and the MDGs.
The UNFPA Country Offices are playing a proactive and catalytic role in the national reviews of the ICPD PoA, and providing modest support from the country programme funds, when possible.
Field Inquiry
UNFPA has undertaken a Field Inquiry on national experiences among all countries. The Field Inquiry is designed to capture progress achieved by countries in implementing the various commitments and recommendations contained in the ICPD PoA and Key Actions, as well as the difficulties and constraints they have faced.
The Field Inquiry for developing countries assesses major sections of the PoA, with a more in-depth examination of certain aspects, particularly those of priority concerns to UNFPA programmes. The Field Inquiry covers population and development; gender equality, equity and empowerment of women; reproductive health and rights; behaviour change communication and advocacy; partnership; resources; data, research and training; and indicators.
The Field Inquiry for developed countries looks at selected aspects of the PoA and focuses on population, gender and reproductive health issues, partnership with NGOs and civil society, and international cooperation in population and reproductive health, the latter in the case of donor countries only.
A total of 169 countries have completed the questionnaire, and a wealth of information has been collected. Based on this information, the Fund is preparing a global report on national experiences in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action and Key Actions, identifying lessons learned and best practices. The report will be released in connection with the annual session of the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board on 21st June 2004, in Geneva. See also below, on FI regional reports.
Regional-level Activities
UNFPA supports the UN Regional Commissions in marking the ICPD tenth anniversary with regional reviews, including with regional analysis of the results of the Field Inquiry. The emphasis is on lessons learned and on exchange of experiences at the regional level, and countries can identify how they can be of assistance to each other in a south-south cooperation spirit.
Asia and the Pacific: the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) hosted the Fifth Asia and Pacific Population Conference (APPC) in December 2002, on the theme of "Population and Poverty". The Conference adopted a Plan of Action at the conclusion of the meeting.
(http://www.unescap.org/pop/5appc/index.htm).
The Arab Region: ESCWA along with UNFPA and the League of Arab States is organizing the Arab Population Forum on 6–8 April 2004, in Beirut, Lebanon. The objectives of this expert meeting are to assess the achievements in the implementation of the ICPD POA and of the Amman 2 Declaration on Population and Development; to identify emerging issues in the framework of the ICPD POA; to enable stock-taking of lessons learned and best practices that could be replicated in other countries in the region.
The event will focus on selected themes such as population, poverty and development, youth issues from a multi-faceted perspective, and on analyzing and addressing prevailing challenges such as persistent high maternal mortality and RH morbidity and barriers to enforcement of reproductive rights and gender equality, and the impact of post-demographic transition.
Finally, the Forum will allow a review of the potential sources of support and partnership, including financial resource mobilization, participation, transfer and utilization of knowledge, and information and communication technology. Members from national population commissions, civil society, academia and selected professional associations will be among the experts who will contribute to the various sessions. For more information: http://www.apf.org.jo
Europe: The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and UNFPA, as co-organizer, and the Government of Switzerland as the host, convened an expert meeting—the European Population Forum 2004: Population Challenges and Policy Responses, in Geneva on 12–14 January 2004. The Forum considered important, newly emerging population changes, examined challenges they pose and identified best policy responses to them. In this context, the Forum examined the implementation of the ICPD-related regional and global agreements of the 1990s in the UNECE region, as a source of partnerships and technical assistance, particularly in countries in transition. It also considered how the UNECE region can further the implementation of these agreements globally in the future. The Forum brought together noted experts from all parts of the UNECE region; from the major partners in the region, including the European Commission, at the highest level; from executive and legislative branches of government, academia, research, intergovernmental organizations and institutions, civil society, including non-governmental organizations, youth and the private sector. The Forum provided a platform for a rich discussion and exchange of a wide range of views, stressed the pertinence of ICPD to the Europe region and called for immediate attention to further its implementation worldwide as well as to address prevailing population issues within the region. Background papers, presentations, statements and the Summary of Deliberations are available at http://www.unece.org/ead/pau/epf/Welcome.html.
Africa: The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) conducted a survey among all African countries on the implementation of the Dakar-Ngor Declaration (DND) and the ICPD PoA; this survey complements the UNFPA Field Inquiry, and both will be used in the preparation of the regional report. The ECA will convene a ministerial level meeting on 11 June, preceded by an expert meeting on 7–10 June 2004, in Dakar, to review and endorse the Africa Regional Report. Go to http://www.uneca.org/POPIA, click on "Gateway", then on "Follow-up of the DND/ICPD".
Latin America and the Caribbean: The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) held a meeting of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) on 11–12 November 2003, in Port-of-Spain, to review progress in the implementation of the ICPD PoA in the Caribbean region. The twenty Caribbean countries and territories that attended reaffirmed their commitment to ICPD and adopted a declaration.
ECLAC also held an open-ended meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Ad Hoc Committee on Population and Development in Santiago, Chile on 10–11 March, 2004. The meeting adopted a declaration reaffirming the commitment of countries to the ICPD goals and highlighting the importance of attaining those goals in order to achieve the MDGs. The outcome of this meeting will be presented to the upcoming meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Population and Development, to be convened on 29–30 June 2004, in Puerto Rico. The latter will have three segments: 1) Ten-year review of the implementation of the ICPD PoA; 2) Panel discussions on HIV/AIDS and on Population and Poverty in the framework of the MDGs; and 3) Aging as the substantive theme of the meeting, drawing on the outcome of the November 2003 Regional Conference on Aging. http://www.eclac.org/celade/
Global-level Activities
In June 2003, the GA adopted a resolution 57/270B on the integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the major UN conferences and summits in the economic and social fields.
The GA stressed the importance of regular reviews in accordance with the provisions of the respective outcomes and follow-up processes of the conferences. Conference reviews should assess the progress made in implementation of commitments and provide occasions to reaffirm the goals and objectives agreed at the major conferences. The periodicity and format of reviews "should be decided on a case-by-case basis by the GA, bearing in mind the relevant provisions, taking into account the needs, concerns and specific nature of the issue and the economic and political circumstances and developments and also bearing in mind the need to continue efforts to use the existing structures as well as the calendar of major UN events". The existing structures in the case of ICPD are the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), ECOSOC and the GA.
It was decided that the annual agenda of the GA would include an item on integrated and coordinated follow-up. It was also decided that ECOSOC would review on an annual basis, through a cross-sectoral thematic approach at its coordination segment, progress in implementation of the conference outcomes. The CPD will be expected to contribute to the assessment of the cross-sectoral themes by ECOSOC. Each Commission is requested to examine its working methods and report on them to ECOSOC no later than 2005.
The resolution stressed that there was "scope for a major event in 2005, possibly a comprehensive review, which could be politically attractive and powerful" linked to the 2005 review of progress achieved towards the implementation of the commitments in the Millennium Declaration. The full text of the resolution can be found at
http://ods-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N03/418/08/PDF/N0341808.pdf?OpenElement.
General Assembly Commemoration of the Tenth Anniversary
In December 2003, the General Assembly adopted decision 58/529, entitled "Commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development". By this decision, the Assembly has decided to devote one day, during its fifty-ninth session in 2004, to the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development. The Commemoration will be on 14th of October.
Commission on Population and Development
As mandated by the General Assembly resolution 49/128 and subsequent decisions of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), the primary responsibility for the review and assessment of the implementation of the Programme of Action rests with the three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism comprising the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Population and Development.
At its 37th session, on March 22–26, 2004, in New York, the CPD will review and appraise the progress made in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, following a thematic approach focusing on selected cross-cutting themes (see below). The general debate during the 37th session would be on national experiences in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the ICPD on those cross-cutting themes. The proposed cross-cutting themes for discussions at the CPD are:
- Population imperatives for sustainable development
- Building partnerships and capacity, and mobilizing human and financial resources for the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action
UNFPA has submitted a report on flow of financial resources for assisting in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the ICPD, to the 37th session of the CPD. http://www.un.org/esa/population/cpd/comm2004.htm
Annual Session of the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board
A Special Event Panel Discussion, on "Putting People First: Implementing the ICPD Agenda and Achieving the MDGs", will take place on 21 June 2004, in the afternoon, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The Report on the Field Inquiry will be launched during this special event.
High-level Roundtables
UNFPA will organize three thematic high-level roundtables in the framework of the 10-year review on issues key for the further implementation of the ICPD PoA.
UNFPA will hold a high-level Global Consultation on HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health in the New Millennium: Getting Priorities Straight, on the 7th and 8th of June 2004. This consultation will bring together high-level Global Leaders from both the reproductive health and HIV/AIDS fields/disciplines to reach consensus on a set of actions/recommendations that need to be taken to ensure more effective integration and linkage between policies and programmes that address HIV/AIDS and those that address reproductive health. The resulting "Call for Action" endorsed by the Global Leaders will be disseminated widely including at a UNFPA-organized Leadership panel at the XV World AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, in July 2004.
UNFPA will also organize a two-day Roundtable on Promoting Reproductive Health and Rights: Reducing Poverty, with high-level policy-makers, experts and selected social and opinion leaders. The Roundtable will aim at positioning Reproductive Health and Rights as a cornerstone of national poverty eradication strategies, in order to promote social and economic growth within a human rights framework, and at presenting arguments to prioritize investments in Reproductive Health and Rights. The Roundtable will issue a Declaration of Commitment. The findings of the Roundtable will be used to inform the 2005 UNGA Review of the Millennium Declaration. Sweden has indicated interest to host the Roundtable and it is tentatively scheduled to take place in Stockholm on 4–5 October 2004.
UNFPA is considering organizing a third Roundtable on key population and development issues, with a focus on migration. More details will be provided as they become available.
State of the World Population Report
The UNFPA State of World Population Report for 2004 will focus on the decadal experience in the implementation of the ICPD PoA, and will use, inter alia, some of the results of the Field Inquiry. A number of media and advocacy events will be held in 2004 around the Report. The State of the World Population Report will be released on 15 September 2004.
Parliamentarian Groups
The second International Parliamentarians' Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI/ICPD), jointly organized by the Inter-European Parliamentarian Forum on Population and Development and UNFPA, in collaboration with the Council of Europe, will be held on 18–19 October 2004, at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France. The conference will be a follow-up to the first IPCI/ICPD, which was held in November 2002 in Ottawa, Canada (http://www.unfpa.org/ipci/index.htm). More details will be provided as they become available.
Asia and the Pacific: The Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) is organizing three major events in 2004 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of ICPD: an Asian Women Parliamentarians and Ministers' Conference, an Asian Medical Parliamentarians Conference and a Southeast Asian Meeting of Professional Parliamentarians on ICPD Implementation (dates and venues to be announced later). In addition, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), under its Population and Sustainable Development Programme, will present a Seminar on HIV/AIDS Policy, to be held in September in South Asia.
Europe: The Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (IEPFPD) will hold its annual Council Meeting for parliamentarians and secretariats from its member countries and select parliamentarians from non-member countries in Ankara, Turkey, in April. The organization is also planning a Young Decision-Makers Meeting for young parliamentarians, in May in Stockholm, Sweden. IEPFPD will also host the Central and East European Initiative in Vilnius, Lithuania, in late June or early July.
Africa and the Arab Region: The Forum of African and Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAAPPD) will host two conferences in 2004 highlighting the 10th anniversary of ICPD. FAAPPD's Executive Committee, tentatively scheduled to meet in February 2004, will focus on this and other issues. The organization will also devote one of the three days of its Third General Conference - tentatively scheduled for May or June - to the matter. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in conjunction with PGA (under its Population and Sustainable Development Programme), will hold a Parliamentary Seminar on Human Trafficking in Abuja, Nigeria, on 24-25 February.
Latin America and the Caribbean: The Inter-American Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (IAPG) is planning national meetings for parliamentarians in Argentina (tentatively scheduled for mid-March) and Mexico (tentatively scheduled for late-March).
Non-Governmental Organisations
There are several activities, at all levels, being organised by NGOs, including the following:
"Countdown 2015: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for All" comprises a series of activities and events that will be held throughout 2004 and into 2005—and is a key element of efforts by NGOs and civil society to mark the 10th anniversary of ICPD at the national, regional and international levels. 'Countdown 2015' began as an initiative of Family Care International (FCI), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and Population Action International (PAI) that now involves a wide range of NGO and donor partners committed to making the ICPD vision a reality. 'Countdown 2015' activities include:
- An International Round Table to be held in London, 31 August–2 September 2004, preceded by a Youth Day on the 30th of August
- A series of six regional meetings to be organized jointly by IPPF Regions in partnership with other NGOs and networks
- A Report Card and supplementary materials aimed at assessing country performance on ICPD goals
- A communications campaign aimed at refocusing attention on the importance of the goals of the ICPD
http://www.countdown2015.org/index.htm
The Population Institute and Population 2005 are organizing a three-day conference entitled 'The Global Population Forum 2004,' on May 13–15, 2004 in Washington, DC. The forum is open to participation by program managers, policy makers and NGO representatives. It will entail plenary sessions, workshops and feature four focal topics: HIV/AIDS, Family Planning and Reproductive Health, Aging and Migration.
http://www.population2005.org/news.htm
At the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) 2005 International Congress, July 18–23, 2005, Tours, France, UNFPA will sponsor a scientific plenary session on the topic of: The ICPD Vision: How Far Has the 11-Year Journey Taken Us?
http://www.iussp.org/France2005/index.php
For more information, other relevant links and an update of this note, visit regularly the UNFPA website at http://www.unfpa.org/icpd.
