FEMM-DEVE ad hoc Delegation to Nairobi – 12-14 November 2019

Summary:

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, where 179 governments adopted a landmark Programme of Action which set out to empower women and girls for their sake, and for the benefit of their families, communities and nations. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

At the ICPD, diverse views on human rights, population, sexual and reproductive health, gender equality and sustainable development merged into a global consensus that placed individual dignity and human rights, including the right to plan one’s family, at the heart of development. A quarter of a century later, some progress has been achieved. There has been a 25 per cent increase in global contraceptive prevalence rate around the world. Adolescent births have declined, and the global maternal mortality ratio has fallen.

But progress has been slow and uneven. Hundreds of millions of women around the world are still not using modern contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies, and global targets on reducing maternal deaths have not been met. For a more comprenhesive account of the progress made and the remaining challenges ahead, please consult the report Unfinished business - the pursuit of rights and choices for all.