UN Secretary-General Appoints Natalia Kanem of Panama Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund

The Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commat) joins others in welcoming the Dr Natalia Kanem as the new Executive Director of UNFPA, as announced:

We are pleased to announce that Dr Natalia Kanem has been appointed Executive Director of UNFPA on 3 October 2017 by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres...

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SDG Implementation discussed by UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS Board

Support for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was discussed at the second regular session of the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Office of Project Services (UNOPS), held in New York from 6-9 September 2016...

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UN Secretary-General reappoints Dr Babatunde Osotimehin as UNFPA Executive Director

The NGOs Beyond 2014 website is very pleased to post the following announcement of 21 August 2014 from the United Nations, New York:

The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has reappointed Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin as the Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

In his statement on the appointment, the Secretary-General noted his “appreciation for UNFPA’s progress in effective management for results, especially for the most disadvantaged women and adolescent girls”.

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UNFPA launches its Concept Paper on Empowering Adolescents and Youth to Ensure a Sustainable Future for All

UNFPA has launched its concept paper on Empowering Adolescents and Youth to Ensure a Sustainable Future for All. The concept paper calls for a stand-alone Post-2015 goal on Adolescents and Youth. As well as referring to the numerous recent global and regional discussions and their outcomes that recognize the urgent need to invest in adolescents and youth, it makes proposals for such a goal, together with possible six targets and indicators. 

The timing is particularly apposite given the scant attention that is paid to this age group in the Focus Areas Paper recently circulated by the Co-Chairs of the UN General Assembly Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals. The concept paper highlights many issues related to adolescents and youth that should be included in the post-2015 development agenda.

UNFPA Issues Briefings for Open Working Group (OWG) Session 7

UNFPA has developed briefing notes is to highlight the linkages between the themes and the issues of gender equality, women and young people’s rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights. Please see attached briefing notes on population dynamics and climate change; sustainable consumption and production and sustainable cities.

UNFPA note on inclusive economic growth for OWG5

The fifth session of the Open Working Group (OWG5) starts today, Monday 25 October with the discussions focused on sustained and inclusive economic growth, macroeconomic policy questions (including international trade, international financial system and external debt sustainability), infrastructure development; (1.5 days) and Energy (1.5 days), as can be seen by the draft programme of work.

In preparation for this session, UNFPA has prepared the attached note that highlights some key issues on the relation between population dynamics, gender equality and economic growth.

“Not old enough to drive, yet old enough to be a parent ...” UNFPA Calls for Development Goal on Youth

UNFPA recently called for a development goal for the post-2015 development agenda on youth in its recent publication Next Steps: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights on the Post-2015 Agenda. Fulfilling rights, achieving universal access to SRHR, empowering women, investing in youth, through a coherent post-2015 development framework. At the International Conference on Family Planning that concluded recently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, its Executive Director, expanded further why the inclusion of this goal is important.

Recognizing that young people are a vital force that must be front and centre in global development efforts. Dr Osotimehin said,

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OHCHR call for submissions on child, early and forced marriage — deadline 15 December 2013

The High-Level Panel in its illustrative goal 2 called for a target to end child marriage. The UNFPA proposals for the post-2015 development framework also call for prevention and elimination of sexual coercion and violence against women, including child marriage.

Last month the UN Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 24/23 on the subject of child, early and forced marriage.  It requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to prepare a report on “preventing and eliminating child, early and forced marriage, with a particular focus on challenges, achievements, best practices and implementation gaps” to be presented to the Council at its 26th session in June 2014.  This report will also inform the panel discussion that will be held at that session on the same subject. This report can contribute to the inclusion of child, early and forced marriage into the post-2015 development agenda.

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UNFPA announces its proposals for the post-2015 development framework

Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, introduced the UNFPA proposals for the post-2015 development framework at the EuroNGOs conference Next Steps: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights on the Post-2015 Agenda. Fulfilling rights, achieving universal access to SRHR, empowering women, investing in youth, through a coherent post-2015 development framework.

As Dr Osotimehin noted there are about 800 days are left for MDGs.  ICPD has been about 20 years and the MDGs 15 years. At that time we could not get a goal for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and Target 5B was not introduced until 2007. The next 18 months will be most critical. As far as the ICPD Beyond 2014 review process is concerned, the regional conferences and thematic meetings have been held and it is very clear that the world wants to realize gender equality and women’s empowerment. There is, moreover, from the regions for a strong call for advancing SRHR.

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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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