52ND COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Review and appraisal 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
1-5 April 2019, United Nations Headquarters, New York
Oral Statement delivered by Shama Karkal of Swasti Health Catalyst
Your Excellencies, honourable delegates, fellow advocates and activists. This statement is being delivered on behalf of Swasti Health Catalyst, a global public health organisation headquartered in India, working to improve health and well-being for the poor and marginalized. I am also the Chair of the Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, a regional network that catalyzes civil society advocacy towards the fulfillment of sexual and reproductive health and rights.
We join the many voices in offering our congratulations on the adoption of the Political Declaration as a reaffirmation of the importance of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme for Action and its visionary linkage of human rights to just and sustainable development. This transformative approach is echoed in Agenda 2030’s promise to be inclusive, rights-based, and people-centered and is imperative to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
We applaud the outcomes of the recent Midterm Review of the 2013 Asian Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development. The Governments in our region stressed the need to address key Asia Pacific priorities including the achievement of universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights; ensuring access to comprehensive sexuality education for adolescents and young people; and eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence, in particular against women, young people, migrants, people of diverse sexual orientation or gender identity/expression and sex characteristics, HIV or other status.
Asia Pacific governments also took a big step towards ensuring accountability to the commitments of the 2013 Ministerial Declaration in the recommendation to develop a region specific monitoring framework. We urge for a fully transparent and participatory approach in the development of this framework, as well as through its implementation.
With 60% of the worlds population of ýoung people in Asia Pacific, we stress the importance of taking an inclusive youth-centered approach to planning, policy and decision making. Finally, we urge Member States to show leadership in addressing the gaps, challenges and priority issues of Asia and the Pacific, and to work towards bold new commitments for the upcoming Nairobi Summit.
Thank you
