Countdown to UN General Assembly Special Event, 25 September 2013 No 1

Report of the UN Secretary-General — A life of dignity for all: accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015

The long awaited report of the UN Secretary-General, A life of dignity for all: accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015, (A/68/202) has been published. While it is a report that the Secretary-General is mandated to provide each year, it also serves as a key document in the preparations for the UN General Assembly Special Event, both in reporting on progress in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and in making recommendations for further steps to advance the post-2015 development agenda.

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ECLAC: Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development

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

The Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development was adopted on August 15 by official representatives from 38 member countries and associate members of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), who participated at the First Session of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in LAC, in Montevideo, Uruguay from 12 to 15 August.  More than 800 people participated, bringing together 24 regional and international agencies and approximately 260 NGOs.  

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Good news from ECLAC's meeting

The 1st session of the ECLAC's Conference on Population and Development concluded with a historic agreement that among other things recognize and define Sexual Right, make a commitment to implement comprehensive sexuality education programs and ensure access to youth friendly services, ask governments to consider reviewing the laws that criminalize abortion, among many other things.

The outcome document is currently available and can be downloaded here: 

• English
• Spanish

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) ICPD regional review is underway

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

The  Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) ICPD regional review is underway

The Articulación Regional de Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil de América Latina y el Caribe Hacia Cairo +20 convened a civil society forum on August 11th,  in advance of the First Regional Conference on Population and Development for Latin America and the Caribbean.  Approximately 250 members from a wide range of regional, sub-regional and national networks and organizations-- including representatives from IPPF Member Associations- participated in the day-long forum.  During the forum, participants discussed the Cairo +20 and Post-2015 processes, and drafted “The Time is Now”, a declaration that was delivered to delegates during the Conference.  The declaration highlights the need to ensure that sexual and reproductive rights and health are met through various actions, including the decriminalization of abortion and the promotion of comprehensive sexuality education, among others. 

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Sexual and reproductive health and rights: Priorities for the ICPD Beyond 2014 and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda

PRESS RELEASE

Sexual and reproductive health and rights:
Priorities for the ICPD Beyond 2014 and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda

The High-Level Task Force for the ICPD calls on States participating in the Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean to accelerate efforts for achieving gender equality, the empowerment of women and young people and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The full press release is available to download in English and Spanish. 

Strong Statement From CSOS At Regional Meeting On ICPD Beyond 2014 From Latin America And The Caribbean In Montevideo

More than fifty networks, national and international coalitions with presence in the Latin American and Caribbean region, campaigns and organizations aligned as movements for almost two years in the Alliance of Civil Society Organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean from different countries, cultures, races, ethnicities, social classes, ages and sexualities, are present at the Regional Conference on ICPD Beyond 2014 in Montevideo, Uruguay. In a strong statement read by Dorotea Wilson from the Articulación Regional at the Regional Conference. 

In their statement they said that they were at the conference in support of the agenda for the 20 years of the Cairo process and for development beyond 2014 and 2015, and also to defend an environment in the region where all people can live in freedom, equality and solidarity. The region , moreover should be one that ensures the effective enjoyment of human rights and A WORLD where everyone can realize those rights. The statement not only specifies the unjustified gaps that exist, but makes specific demands for the agenda moving forward.

The full statements are available here:

• English 
• Spanish

Outcome Document for the ESCWA Region

The Declaration, adopted at the ICPD Beyond 2014 Regional Conference on Population and Development in the Arab States held in Cairo from 24 through 26 June 2013, is now available and can be downloaded here.

The Arabic version is also available and can be downloaded directly from UNFPA here. 

The UN Millennium Campaign invites you to a teleconference on the UN Secretary-General's Report & engagement opportunities around the UN General Assembly

Date: Tuesday 20 August 2013

Time: 1:30pm GMT (9:30am in New York / 2:30pm in London / 3:30pm in Geneva / 8:30pm in Bangkok. For other cities and time zones click here).

The meeting will be Chaired by Sering Falu, Deputy Director of the UN Millennium Campaign, and is organised jointly by the UN Millennium Campaign and the Executive Office of the Secretary General.

Please see enclosed the draft agenda for your consideration and feedback, and below the dial in instructions.

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ESCAP - Civil Society meeting

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

The civil society forum, prior to the Economic and Social Commission for Asian Pacific (ESCAP) International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) regional review will be on 12- 13 September, Bangkok. The forum is being organized in partnership by a steering committee comprised of:  Asia Pacific Alliance (APA) , International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW), The Asian- Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), South Asia Regional Youth Network (SARYN), 7 Sisters, International Council on Management of Population Programme (ICOMP), Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), Help Age International, IPPF ESEAOR/SARO 

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Sexual and reproductive health and rights and UN Women consultation on stand alone goal on gender equality and gender mainstreaming

UN Women has posted a position paper outlining its recommendations for the post-2015 development agenda on the World We Want 2015 website ). In the paper UN Women calls for addressing the structural causes of gender inequality through a stand-alone goal and gender mainstreaming throughout the post-2015 agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It provides the evidence for and expands on the arguments presented in a shorter version issued in May 2013.

It should be noted that the paper refers throughout to “sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights”. While this is agreed language as included in the ICPD Programme of Action, in the development of the Post-2015 Development Agenda the language has moved on to “sexual and reproductive health and rights”.  It will be important going forward to encourage UN Women to refer to “sexual and reproductive health and rights.”