Regional Population and Development Conference for the Arab States 24-26 June 2013

The ICPD review process is gaining momentum as the first of five regional inter-governmental population conferences is currently underway in Cairo, hosted by the League of Arab States. The Inter-governmental meeting was preceded by a civil society meeting convened by IPPF Arab World Regional Office and a Youth Forum convened by the Arab Youth Coalition for Population and Development.

The civil society meeting convened by IPPF was attended by national NGOs from each country in the region, with strong participation from the youth forum. Participants discussed youth access to services, sexual and reproductive health and rights and women’s rights in plenary and worked in working groups to develop a joint declaration “Sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.” The Declaration will be disseminated inter-governmental meeting and will be available soon on www.ippf.org (Pending translation). 

The youth forum was attended by 70 young leaders from all over the region. The Coalition issued a strong declaration calling on States in the region to ensure that the rights of young people are met, respected and protected, espacially in relation to Migration, Youth Participation, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Changing Family Formation, Population, Environment, and Climate Change, and Gender and Gender-based Violence.

For further information and access to the conference reports and declarations visit www.ippf.org

For more information about the regional process and follow up contact: Rym Fayala, speacd@ippf.org.tn