Draft Programme: CSO Consultation on Population and Development: Ensuring Rights and Choices

CSO Consultation on Population and Development: Ensuring Rights and Choices
in preparation for the UNECE Regional Conference on ICPD30
Geneva, 18 October 2023 

Draft  programme

08.00 – 09.00 Registration and networking 

09.00 – 09:15 Official session

09.15 – 10:15 

Theme: European regional perspectives on the previous 10 years of implementing ICPD PoA: where are we now?

(To take the form of two panel sessions, with 3-4 speakers each)

Issues to be discussed: From different perspectives (political, economic, social, environmental, human rights, humanitarian, demographic change and others (specify) what has contributed to successes and failures in the achievements of the ICPD PoA since 2013. Address ICPD&SDGs nexus. 

(a) Keynote external panel
(b) CSO panel

10.15 – 10.30 Break

10.30 – 12.30 A ‘deep dive’:  Breakout groups to explore each area and

i.Discuss what has been happening in the period 2018 – 2023. 

ii.What are the successes, and why? 

iii.What are the failures and why? 

iv.What is the evidence-base?

Break-out Groups:

(a) Population dynamics and sustainable development

Key areas include: population dynamics and demographic change; maternal and child health; all forms of families and balance between family and work responsibilities; life expectancy and healthy ageing; adolescent and young people, including adolescent health services, education and decent work; international and internal migration; impact of climate change, and region’s consumption and CO2 emissions

(b) Families, sexual and reproductive health, and rights over the life course 

Key areas include: free and informed choice; promotion and protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including contraception, service delivery and training; discrimination and gender-based violence; access to safe abortion services; menopause, comprehensive sexuality education and youth friendly services; HIV and other sexually transmitted infections; impact of population ageing; diverse forms of families and harmful gender norms

(c) Inequalities, social inclusion, and rights

Key areas include: relevant, guaranteed human rights; gender equality / persistent gender inequalities and harmful practices; cultural and religious practices; responsive governments and the rule of law to address inequalities; social inclusion and rights;

 (d) Russian speaking group

Key issues from those discussed by other break-out groups

(Note: As appropriate, all groups should consider cross-cutting influences: de-democratization, shrinking space for civil society, rise of populism, climate change, humanitarian response, migration, COVID-19, AI and digitalization, financing SRHR and addressing inequalities, threats to human rights defenders)

12.30 – 13.30 Lunch break

13.30 – 14.30 Report back, consensus reaching and messaging in plenary

14.30 – 16.30 What must be done now: suggestions and recommendations for inputs into Conference to address previous failures and stalemates and build on successes

Working in breakout groups (groups will pause for a coffee break at a time they decide) 

Each group should develop an action plan with specific actions that should be taken when and by whom, and specific recommendations that can be included in CSO inputs into the Conference.

16.30 – 17.30 Recommendation for action for ‘What’s happening in Europe’:

Session with reporting on breakout groups work and recommendations and 

Dialogue between CSOs and UNECE and UNFPA and others

17.30 Closing plenary