UN General Assembly adopts important resolutions that include reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive health

The General Assembly has recently adopted important resolutions that include specific references to reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive health. They also reaffirm the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the key actions for the implementation of ICPD and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

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National consultations (Update)

National consultations are being facilitated in up to 100 countries. The results from these consultations will be shared in various forms with the High Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (Post2015 HLP), the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (as agreed in Rio and yet to be convened) and the membership of the UN. Below are the countries in which consultations are planned. The number, however, is expected to increase the coming months.

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Moving towards the third meeting of the High Level Panel in January 2013

As reported by Homi Kharas, Lead Author/Executive Secretary HLP Secretariat, the second meeting of the High Level Panel (Post2015 HLP), held in London, UK, at the beginning of November 2012, focused on:(i) defining the overall vision and main questions that will frame the report of HLP, and (ii) discussion on individual and household level poverty. These discussion topics included 1) human development, and 2) jobs, livelihoods, and how to reach the poorest and most marginalized. (See attached for further information on meeting.)

At the third meeting in Monrovia, Liberia in January, the Post2015 HLP will discuss national growth, economic transformation, and development. This will be followed by global partnership and means of implementation at the fourth meeting in Bali, Indonesia.

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Global Thematic Consultation on Education – E-Discussion on Equitable access

The e-discussion on Equitable Access to Education has begun and will run until 24 December. It is important to post information on the benefits of secondary education for girls and its links to better maternal and sexual and reproductive health.

While gender parity for primary school enrolment has greatly improved, more needs to be done at the secondary school level. This is a key area where links can be made to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Access to all subjects on the curriculum, or that should be on the curriculum, including comprehensive sexuality education, can also be highlighted.

Bali Global Youth Forum Declaration

The Bali Global Youth Forum Declaration has been adopted at the ICPD Global Youth Forum that has taken place in Bali, Indonesia, 4-6 December 2012. The recommendations, developed in the context of the review and follow up of the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development beyond 2014, outline the vision of young people around the world for their future. They demonstrate a new consensus on putting youth rights at the heart of development.

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Global Youth Forum

The Global Youth Forum (GYF), involving nearly 700 young people, NGO representatives, academics, government officials, and other stakeholders and some 2,000 virtual delegates on line, has taken place in Bali, Indonesia, sponsored by UNFPA and governments with the most progressive language ever being negotiated by the youth leadership. Specific and forward-looking consensus recommendations have been agreed on Staying Healthy, Comprehensive Education and Transitions to Decent Work.

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Inequalities … Updates on discussions

LGBTI and Inequalities

Please note that this discussion now finishes on 7 December 2012

Persons with Disabilities

A summary has been posted of the first week of the discussion and new questions have been posted for the second week

Economic Inequalities

New questions have been posted for week 2 of the discussion.

Indigenous Peoples and Inequalities

Questions for discussion have been posted in the follow areas:

• Human rights;
• Environment;
• Education;
• Economic and social development;
• Culture;
• and Health.

Global Thematic Consultation on Education is launched…

UNESCO and UNICEF have launched the Global Consultation on Education and are inviting young people, civil society, non-governmental organizations, governments, academia, media, the UN system and the private sector to contribute their experiences and ideas on how to improve education around the world. It will help review progress on the Education for All (EFA) goals and the MDGs and discuss how to ensure that the issues around education are effectively addressed and have a central place in a new development framework after 2015.

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Thematic consultation round-up (continued)

Food security and nutrition

The consultation on hunger, food and nutrition security has started and will run until March 2013. It is co-chaired by FAO and WFP, together with the other Rome-based agencies, IFAD and Bioversity International, and with support of Dr. David Nabarro, Special Representative of the SG for Food Security and Nutrition.  Contributing partners include UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNIDO, and UNDESA.

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Thematic consultation round-up

The consultations of greatest relevance to sexual and reproductive health and rights are those on Health and Population Dynamics. It is, however, important to contribute to as many other consultations as possible in order to ensure that relevant sexual and reproductive health and rights concerns are reflected in discussions.

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