UNECE Regional Conference, 1 – 2 July 2013, Geneva

Enabling choices: Population Priorities for the 21^st Century

The ECE Regional Conference, Enabling choices: Population Priorities for the 21^st Century, to be held in Geneva 1 -2 July 2013, will bring together 200-250 representatives of governmental, including high-level officials, academia and ECOSOC accredited NGOs, as well as members of national parliaments and other national and international stakeholders. They will review the progress that has been made towards achieving the goals and objectives of the ICPD Programme of Action in the region; identify neglected areas; pinpoint what needs to be done to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action; and address the emerging issues and reduce inequities.

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ICPD Review International Conference on Human Rights

The Hague, 7-10 July, 2013

The ICPD Review International Conference on Human Rights, which is co-hosted by the Government of the Netherlands, UNFPA and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, will be held in The Hague, 7-10 July 2013. It will “provide an opportunity to assess the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action through an examination of the nexus between human rights, equality, equity and population and development, including in the key areas of gender, empowerment, and sexual and reproductive health and rights’.

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World We Want 2015 website

Although the final meetings for the Thematic Consultations have taken place, the World We Want 2015 website continues to be a place for posting and looking for information on the various themes.

The 11 Thematic Consultations can be accessed through Topics or through Official Consultations, which also includes information and opportunities to make input into the National Consultations process.

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1,000 days to go to the MDG 2015 Target Date

Today, 5 April kicks off the countdown to the last 1,000 days for the MDGs. UNFPA is  joining the United Nations (DPI, UNDP, the Millennium Campaign, UNICEF and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs), the United Nations Foundation and many others in calling for renewed and intensified attention to the Millennium Development Goals as the target date for their achievement approaches. 
 
UNFPA is marking this milestone with a variety of online activities to amplify awareness and accelerate action on the MDGs. Attention is drawn in particular to MDG5 Targets A & B: to improve maternal health, and universal access to reproductive health. 

Open Application Process for FP 2020 Working Groups

Family Planning 2020 has announced that it is inviting individuals to apply now to serve either on a FP2020 Working Group or on a FP2020 Consultative Network to the Core Working Groups.

The application process opened on Friday, March 29 and closes on Tuesday, April 16. 

All FP2020 Working Groups will consist of two co-leads and a core membership of 10-18 individuals representing a wide range of stakeholders and expertise. 

Working Group: Participation in the Core Working Groups is on an unpaid volunteer basis and members are required to give 10% of their time (approximately four hours per week) over a two-year term. Three Core Working Groups are currently accepting applications for membership: 

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High-Level Panel adopts Bali Communiqué

At the end of their meeting the High-Level Panel adopted the Bali Communiqué, which should be read alongside the Monrovia Communiqué, which includes a reference to sexual and reproductive health. 

The Bali meeting focused particularly on areas such as partnerships, the global environment and sustainable development, and less on social inclusion. The panel did, however, note that the population will peak at 9-10 billion in 2050. It also recognized the need for data availability and better accountability in measuring progress.

Expert Group Meeting on Population Dynamics and the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Among the meetings taking place in Bali in the run up to the High-Level Panel (HLP), an Expert Group Meeting on Population Dynamics and the Post-2015 Development Agenda was organized by UNFPA, in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia (BKKBN and UKP4) to develop concrete recommendations on “how to” address and harness population dynamics in relation to development objectives in the Post-2015 development agenda in general, and on priorities of the Asia-Pacific region in particular. Participants in the meeting included international and Indonesian experts from universities, research institutes and think tanks, relevant Indonesian Government institutions and selected Youth Organizations and CSOs that have strong backgrounds in population dynamics.

Based on the Outcome document of the Thematic Consultation on Population Dynamics and the Dhaka Declaration, the Expert Group adopted the Bali Statement as input into the HLP meeting process.

Global Civil Society Forum Communiqué

The Communiqué for the Global CSO Forum that met on 23-24 March in Bali includes several reference to sexual and reproductive health and rights, in addition to the references in the other outcome documents that have also gone forward to the High Level Saturday and Sunday, (See previous postings) thanks to the  collective efforts of APA, ASTRA, ARROW, DAWN, IPPF and IWHC, as well as other organizations. The Civil Society Communiqué was presented in the morning plenary at the HLP meeting on 25 March. 

“It states that gender equality must be central - including addressing violence against women and girls with and without disabilities, and guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights. And thatgovernance starts at home, with women making decisions over their ownbodies, sexualities  and lives - sexual and reproductive rights arefundamental and must be guaranteed, while laws and policies that discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation and gender identity must be repealed.”

Youth Multi-Stakeholders Meeting Communique

The Youth Multi-stakeholders Meeting in Bali, organized by Indonesian Future Leaders, ARROW and other partners including the YC. Representatives of many organizations working on sexual and reproductive health and rights were present such as IPPF, YPEER, CHOICE, China Youth Network, IWHC, Youth LEAD, Ugandan Young Positives, ARROW and of course Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, provided one of the last few opportunities for young activists to make their voices heard before the report of the HLP is launched.  

As can be seen in the Communique from the meeting, participants in the meeting called the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education and services for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

High Level Panel meets in Bali

The fourth meeting of the High Level Panel (HLP) is taking place in Bali, Indonesia.

25 March 2013 was the Stakeholder Outreach Day with a series of meetings involving civil society, youth, academia, the private sector, parliamentarians and other elected representatives, as well as global and regional governance institutions. Civil society interaction with the High Level Panel was through the Civil Society Roundtables coordinated through the Asia Working Group, a broad network of national, regional and international organizations and the Stakeholder Town Hall Meeting, which also involved the Stakeholder Groups.

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