UN Commission on Population and Development begins its work in New York

We have received the following from the International Planned Parenthood Federation: 

The 47^th Session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) opened on Monday 7 April, the main agenda item being the review of, and advance priorities for the future implementation of the ICPD.

800 NGOs had registered to attend CPD to participate. However, despite the ECOSOC guidelines for civil society participation and the removal of restrictions, which would bar non-ECOSOC-accredited NGOs from attending, participation was restricted. They had to queue for hours to gain access to the building and were issued two-day passes while the CPD is lasting for five days.

Letters of dismay and protest, including one signed by over 110 NGOs, were sent to the UN Secretary-General, the Chair of the CPD, UNDESA and the Population Division. As a result additional passes will be available today, for which there will queues yet again.  All those accredited NGOs should, however, be able to attend the CPD for the rest of the week.

Negotiations on the outcome document, due to start on Monday, were called off after 20 minutes because the room was not big enough. It had capacity of only 117, meaning that not all Member States were able to participate. The negotiations are now taking place in the temporary General Assembly Hall in the North Lawn Building.  So there is plenty of room for all Member States and the process is underway for negotiating the CPD outcome resolution