United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC)

The following is a report on the preparations for the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC) Regional Conference:

The Regional Population Conference in Latin America and the Caribbean in Montevideo, Uruguay, 12- 15 August will focus on key issues in population and development in the context of the Beyond 2014 Review of the ICPD Programme of Action. Various agencies and organizations will come together to discuss the evidence gathered in the ICPD global surveys, which was summarized into a regional report. The Regional Population Conference will be a space for participants to discuss future policy directions based on findings in the regional report.

A Caribbean Regional Forum was held in Guyana on 9 - 10 July, the outcome of that meeting will formulate the Caribbean position to input into the ECLAC conference.

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Telecon: Caribbean dialogue on the Post-2015 Agenda

Date: 25 July, Thursday

Time: 10am to 11.15am EDT

Speakers: 

• Ambassador Patricia Espinosa, Government of Mexico and member of the former HLP
• Diane Quarless, Director of the Sub-regional Headquarters of ECLAC in the Caribbean 
• Dona da Costa Martinez, Executive Director of the Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago

Moderated by: 

• Dr. Carmen Barroso, Regional Director – IPPF

The report of the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on the post-2015 agenda recommends five major ‘transformations’ that can inform the global development agenda in 2015.  This includes a commitment to end extreme poverty; to ensure sexual and reproductive health and rights; to integrate social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and to ensure that peace and effective governance are at the heart of all development efforts.

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Call for self-funded organizations: ICPD Africa Youth Pre-Conference

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

As part of the on-going review of the ICPD Programme of Action for 2014 and beyond, the Regional Population Conference is being planned by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa together with other partners to be held in September 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Following the success of the Global Youth Forum and the resounding outcome of that process, it is important that young people from across Africa have an opportunity to discuss in greater details the issues and recommendations that are most relevant to them in relation to the ICPD and Post 2015 development agenda. 

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Caribbean Forum: the Road Map for Population, Migration and Development beyond 2014

The Recommendations of the Caribbean Forum on Population, Migration and Development are in the form of a Road Map, which will provide inputs from the Caribbean to the First Regional Conference on Population and Development and the High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development.

Preamble

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ICPD Beyond 2014 Caribbean Forum on Population, Migration and Development

Civil Society Statement, presented by Dona Da Costa Martinez, Trinidad and Tobago Family Planning Association

In the statement presented by Dona Da Costa Martinez of the Trinidad and Tobago Family Planning Association on Georgetown, Guyana on 9 July 2014, civil society organizations (CSOs) and networks highlighted a number key issues related to the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action that should also strengthen the linkages between the ICPD objectives, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda.

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Counting down to the UN General Assembly Special Event on the MDGs

The deadline has passed for civil society organizations to contribute to the UN Non-Governmental Organization Liaison Service (NGLS) consultation. The report based on these inputs will be presented to the UN Secretary General and Heads of State and Governments at the UN General Assembly Special Event on the MDGs on 25 September 2013, for which the co-facilitators are the Permanent Representatives of Ireland and the Republic of South Africa. At the present time the Report of the UN Secretary-General is also being finalized.

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ICPD Human Rights Conference Points Way Towards Equality, Dignity for All – Recommendations and Conclusions

During the ICPD International Conference on Human Rights recommendations were developed over three days by representatives of government, parliaments and civil society groups on how to ensure equality and protect the rights of every person. 

A summary was presented at the closing ceremony by Marijke Wijnroks, the conference chair and Dutch Ambassador for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the chair’s reflections on the conference.

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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.

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FP2020 launches its Communication Toolkit

July 11th marks the first anniversary of the London Summit on Family Planning.  According to the FP2020 Task Team, looking back and reflecting over the last twelve months,it can be seen that good progress has been made. Some of the achievements over the last year are captured in the attached communications toolkit, which they hope you will use on July 11th. 

The toolkit pdf and four jpgs to use on social media are available (jpgs below). 

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Assessing the Fourth Session of the Open Working Group

Looking back at the Fourth Session of the Open Working Group (OWG4), it is possible to see the commitment of a number of Governments to the inclusion of sexual and reproductive health and rights. This was particularly evident in the statement that was delivered by H.E. Ambassador Jose Luis Cancela, Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations, on behalf of the Governments of Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Mozambique, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Rwanda, South Africa, Slovenia, Turkey, United Kingdom. It was unique as it was a major cross-regional statement from countries in Latin America, Africa, the Pacific, Eastern Europe, as well as countries in Western Europe.

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