22 September 2014
Statement by
Joe Thomas
Executive Director of Partners in Population and Development (PPD)
Twenty-ninth special session of the General Assembly on the follow-up to the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
United Nations Headquarters, 22 September 2014
Excellencies,
Partners in Population and Development (PPD), an alliance of 26 developing countries from the Global South congratulates the Secretary General for presenting a comprehensive “Framework of actions for the follow-up to the Programme of Action of the International
Conference on Population and Development beyond 2014’.
We are meeting here to review and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (PoA- ICPD). We have much to celebrate, yet our unfinished agenda is critical.
The ICPD PoA adopted in 1994, represented a remarkable consensus among 179 Governments that individual human rights and dignity, including the equal rights of women and girls and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, are a necessary precondition for sustainable development.
Achievements over the ensuing 20 years have been remarkable, including gains in women’s equality, population health, life expectancy, educational attainment and human rights protection systems and an estimated 1 billion people moving out of extreme poverty.
We particularly acknowledge and appreciate Secretary General’s observation on the need for promoting the partnership of Global South in achieving the ICPD PoA and the contribution of Partners in Population and development towards the goals of ICPD (UN SG Report, A/69/62. 12 February 2014, PP 251)
Our greatest shared, unfinished challenge is that Earth’s resources, are increasingly, inequitably distributed, threatening inclusive development, the environment and our common future.
Unsustainable population growth is still a challenge for many governments. Many countries in Africa and Asia are preparing for the largest cohort of young people the world has ever seen. However, they have yet to develop an investment strategy to benefit from such a
“demographic dividend”. Many countries still continue to face premature mortality, high fertility, unmet family planning needs and preventable maternal and child death.
The future we want presents critical challenges.
Dignity and human rights are the fundamental prerequisite of poverty reduction. Need for policy and program response in the area of Women’s empowerment and gender equality remains a critical issue.
Much effort needs to be taken for addressing the needs of Adolescents and youth, older persons, Persons with disabilities and Indigenous peoples. Sustainable development can only occur when a universal culture of non-discrimination of all persons is being practiced.