United Nations Economic Commission for Africa/African Union Congress Regional Meetings for ICPD Beyond 2014

We have received the following information about the Regional Conference and Civil Society and Youth participation from the International Planned Parenthood Federation 

Regionally, UNECA, UNFPA and AUC are working together to determine the status of progress on and identify priorities for the population and development agenda on the African continent. The regional population conference will convene under the theme Harnessing the Demographic Dividend: The Africa we want on 2-6 September in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is a regional review of the status of the implementation of the ICPD programme of Action in Africa The conference is hosted by United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and African Union Congress (AUC) who are holding an experts and governmental meeting. IPPF Africa Region and partners are hosting a civil society meeting and Afri Yan and Partners are hosting a youth forum.

The key themes up for discussion have been determined as the following:

• Population and development
• Reproductive Health, Maternal Health, Rights and Family Planning
• Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
• Urbanisation, Internal and International Migration and Population distribution
• Population Structure: Adolescents, Youth, Persons with disabilities, Older persons and the family

Civil Society and Youth Voices in the ICPD review process

Civil society participation in the intergovernmental meeting is still in negotiation, but it has been confirmed that civil society and youth will have a speaking slot each in both the Ministerial and Experts meeting.

IPPF Africa Region and partners will be convening in a pre-meeting 29-30^th August, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to develop key messages and a common civil society position for the meeting.

Coordination with wider civil society in the region for the event is being done via a steering committee who represent a broad base of constituents from the region, geographically and thematically. These include:

• Aids Accountability International (AAI) (Aids/Southern)
• African Centre for Shared Development Capacity Building
• Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development (ACORD) (Development/MDG CSO Secretariat)
• African Youth and Adolescents Network (AFRIYAN) (Youth)
• African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) (Population/Health Research)
• The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) (Women Rights)
• Coalition for African Lesbians (CAL) (LGBTI)
• Civic Commission for Africa (Development/TICAD)
• The African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) (Women Rights)
• International Refugee Rights (Crisis, Refugees, IDP’s)
• International Planned Parenthood federation Africa Region (IPPFAR)
• Reproductive Health Advocacy Network Africa (RHANA) (SRHR)
• Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF WEST AFRICA) (Women Rights)
• Youth Action Movement (Youth)
• Youth Vision

Participation in the civil society meeting

It is expected that there will be around 150 participants at the civil society meeting. Participants will be drawn from existing regional networks and an open application process for local and self funding civil society to attend. At least 20% of these spaces will be allocated to young leaders

For more information contact: Loise Ochanda: lochanda@ippfaro.org 

Participation in the youth forum

The youth forum is being led by AfriYan and partners including:

• Aids Accountability International (AAI)
• Connect Africa Development
• Global Youth Coalition on Aids (GYCA)
• IPPFAR
• Paramount Young Women’s Initiative (PAYOWI)
• PEPETA
• AfriYAN
• UNFPAAR
• Pan African Youth Union
• AUC Youth Division
• Youth Action Movement
• Worldwide Young Women’s Christian Association (WYWCA)
• Sonke Gender Justice network
• African Young Positives (AY+)
• African Youth with Disability Network (AYWDN)

For more information contact: Youth Steering Committee; icpdysc@gmail.com

There will be around 120 participants at the youth meeting. A selection criteria has been drawn up for the youth pre- conference participants,

• A leader, or emerging leader, currently working at national, regional or global level in an area that contributes to the ICPD Programme of Action;
• Working in a paid or voluntary capacity for a government set-up youth body or a civil society organization engaged in policy development at national and local levels;
• Able to demonstrate outstanding youth advocacy and networking capabilities with concrete examples of achievements in these areas in different contexts;
• Ability to have a sustained engagement with the rest of the ICPD Review process including through mentoring and supporting other youth at country level;
• Below the age of 35 with special focus on youth under 25years;

The YSC is coordinating the nomination of participants at country level using UNFPA Country Offices and the IPPFARO in Nairobi. Steps are being taken to ensure representation of youth organisations working at regional levels too. More details to follow.