ICPD + 25: Posting 6

ICPD Beyond 2014 + 5 Regional Reviews — Asia Pacific

The Sixth Asian and Pacific Population Conference (6APPC) was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 16 - 20 September 2013. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) mid-term review of its outcome, which will constitute the intergovernmental regional review of the ICPD agenda in the Asia Pacific Region will be held in Bangkok from 26 – 27 November 2018. It is planned to hold a CSO Forum and a Youth Forum immediately before the Intergovernmental Meeting (dates to be confirmed) and Member States will also be encouraged to include CSOs in their delegations.

Civil society forum for 6APPC

An Advances, challenges and ways forward: Asia Pacific CSO forum on ICPD beyond 2014 was held immediately before the 6APPC, at which a statement was developed by the 120 regional and national CSOs from over 30 countries, representing the five sub-regions of the Asia Pacific region. Thirty percent of delegates attending were youth. 

The statement includes SRH services as a human right; gender-based violence; gender equality and an inter-sectional approach to reproductive and sexual rights including sexual orientation and gender identity; migration; comprehensive sexuality education; participation of older persons; unsafe abortion and decriminalization; accountability mechanisms; and poverty eradication. For further information on the forum and statement see: 6 APPC Civil Society Statement.

Sixth Asian and Pacific Population Conference and Declaration 2013

At the end of the 6APPC, a Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development was adopted by a vote of the 38 participating Member States, with three countries – Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan – voting against and one abstention. The Declaration includes sexual and reproductive rights, comprehensive sexuality education and the need to address discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. (For further information and Declaration see: Asian and Pacific declaration on population and development. 

Despite the fact that consensus could not be reached and it was necessary to take a vote, the Declaration remains the source of regional guidance on population and development and is the basis for the follow-up and review. 

Preparations for 2018 review

In preparation for the review, ESCAP and UNFPA have sent letters to governments requesting the preparation and submission of voluntary national reports on progress towards achieving commitments made in the Declaration and the ICPD Programme of Action by 15 June 2018. A set of guidelines for the reports, prepared by UNFPA and ESCAP, has been shared with countries. They include a set of SDG indicators across the following themes: poverty eradication and employment, health, SRH services and rights, education, gender equality and women’s empowerment, international migration, urbanization and internal migration, population and sustainable development and data and statistics.

The regional report will be developed based on the national reports and regional level analysis, together with three thematic reports on population and inequalities, SRHR and gender and population and climate change and disaster risk reduction.

It should be noted that part of the ESCAP region overlaps with the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE).