Over 40 representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) working in the following areas: population growth, sexual and reproductive health and rights, aging, migration and urbanization participated in a consultation convened in Geneva on 18-19 February, by the Governments of Bangladesh and Switzerland, UNFPA, International Organization for Migration, the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs and UN Habitat. The International Labour Organization and UNAIDS also were present at the meeting.
The main purpose of the meeting was to provide an opportunity for the CSOs present to contribute to the four major areas of the Call to Integrate Population Dynamics in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. A previous version of this document is available on the Population Dynamics Section of the World We Want 2015 website. Working in four groups on High population growth and large youth populations; Population ageing and population decline; Internal and international migration; and Urbanization, cities and sustainable development, participants made specific proposals for inclusion in the text. Their contributions are being added to those made previously by the Expert Group Meeting in November and those made last month by the private sector. The document, which is currently being worked on by the co-sponsors, will form the draft for the Outcome document from the Thematic Consultation.
The Outcome document and a draft Dhaka Declaration, which will be a policy document, will be before the High Level Leadership meeting in Dhaka Bangladesh 12-13 March 2013.