Commission on Population and Development

Forty-seventh session

Assessment of the Status of Implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development

The Commission on Population and Development,

PP1. Recalling the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development,

PP2. Recalling also the key actions for the further implementation of the Programme of Action,,

PP3. Recalling further the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

PP4. Recalling the outcomes of relevant United Nations high-level meetings, conferences and summits, including the United Nations Millennium Declaration, the 2005 World Summit Outcome, the Beijing Platform for Action and Five-year Review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration, the World Programme of Action for Youth, and the outcome document of the 2011 High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding, the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing, the Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS: Intensifying Our Efforts to Eliminate HIV and AIDS, and the Political Declaration of the High level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, as well as the outcome document of the 2010 High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals,  the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, “The future we want”, the outcome document of the 2013 High-level meeting of the General Assembly on disability and development and the Declaration of the 2013 High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development,

PP5. Recognizing the need to address persistent inequalities and discrimination on any grounds, which hamper achievement of the goals and objectives of the ICPD and the key actions for its further implementation, especially for those groups that are particularly disadvantaged,

PP6. Recognizing further that the right to development is a universal and inalienable right and an integral part of fundamental human rights, and the human person is the central subject of development, and that while development facilitates the enjoyment of all human rights, the lack of development may not be invoked to justify the abridgement of internationally recognized human rights and that the right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet the population, development and environment needs of present and future generations,

PP7. Recalling resolution 65/234 adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2010 on the follow-up to the International Conference on Population and Development beyond 2014, in which the General Assembly decided to extend the Programme of Action and the key actions for its further implementation beyond 2014 and ensure its follow-up in order to fully meet its goals and objectives,

PP8. Recalling also the General Assembly’s decision to convene a special session during the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly in order to assess the status of implementation of the Programme of Action and to renew political support for actions required for the full achievement of its goals and objectives, on the basis of and with full respect for the Programme of Action and with no renegotiation of the existing agreements contained therein,

PP9. Reaffirming that sustainable development is a central goal in itself and that its economic, social and environmental dimensions constitute key elements of the overarching framework of United Nations activities,

PP10. Stressing the importance of protecting the achievements of the International Conference on Population and Development, responding to new challenges relevant to population and development and to the changing development environment, and reinforcing the integration of the population and development agenda in global processes related to development, including in the process related to the post-2015 development agenda,

PP11. Reaffirming the need to promote gender equality and the empowerment of girls and young women in all aspects of youth development, recognizing the vulnerability of adolescent girls and young women and the need to eliminate discrimination against them, and the critical role of boys and young men in ensuring gender equality,

PP12. Acknowledging that the current generation of adolescents and youth is the largest one ever and recognizing that adolescents and youth in all countries are a major resource for development and key agents for social change, economic development and technological innovation, and that further progress for development requires the realization of their rights, gender equality, and the full participation of young people and youth-led organizations at the international, regional, national and local levels,

PP13. Acknowledging also the important link between migration and development, and recognizing that migration brings both opportunities and challenges to countries of origin, transit and destination, to migrants and to the global community, and recognizing also the responsibility of States to promote and protect effectively the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, regardless of their migration status, especially those of women and children,

PP14. Aware that migration has increased in volume, scope, complexity and impact since the adoption of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and that migration is an intrinsic feature of a globalizing world in which economic, social, cultural, demographic, political and environmental factors all play an important role,

PP15. Acknowledging the importance of sustainable integrated urban development in order to respond effectively to the growth of urban populations, while also recognizing that a significant portion of the world’s poor live in rural areas and that rural communities play an important role in the economic development of many countries,

PP16 Recognizing that health is a precondition for economic and social development and aware that sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights are central to the realization of social justice and to the achievement of global, regional, and national commitments for sustainable development,

PP17. Recognizing also that population and development issues are interlinked with sustainable development at sub-national, national and international levels requiring a multi-stakeholder and international approach and acknowledging the need to integrate population dynamics into developmentplanning, including its implications for human rights, dignity, quality of life and poverty eradication, at all levels, in order to achieve sustainable development,

PP18. Taking note of the contributions made by Member States and relevant stakeholders to the operational review of the implementation of the Programme of Action and the key actions for its further implementation,

PP19. Recalling that the Programme of Action requires for its full implementation adequate and sustained mobilization and availability of resources at the international and national levels, as well as new and additional resources for developing countries from all available funding mechanisms, including multilateral, bilateral and private sources, and that Governments are not expected to meet the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action single-handedly, and expressing concern that funding levels do not meet current needs,

PP20. Taking note of the reports of the Secretary-General on world demographic,

OP1. Reaffirms the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development1 and the key actions for its further implementation;2 AGREED AD REF

OP2. Also reaffirms the sovereign right of each country to implement the recommendations of the Programme of Action or other proposals in the present resolution, consistent with national laws and development priorities, with full respect for the various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds of its people, and in conformity with universally recognized international human rights;

OP3. Stresses that the full implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the key actions for its further implementation, which would also contribute to the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, as well as those on population and development, education and gender equality, is integrally linked to global efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development, and that population dynamics are all-important for development;

OP4. Calls upon Governments, to recognize the important linkages between the priorities of the ICPD Programme of Action and sustainable development and to build on progress made and experiences gained from its implementation over the last twenty years in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda;

OP5. Urges Governments to develop, strengthen and implement effective strategies aimed at eradicating poverty, promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development addressing the needs of children, adolescents and youth, older persons, unemployed persons and persons with disabilities, as well as other disadvantaged and marginalized groups in both urban and rural areas;

OP6. Calls upon States to promote and protect effectively the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, regardless of their migration status, especially those of women and children, and to address international migration through international, regional or bilateral cooperation and dialogue and through a comprehensive and balanced approach, recognizing the roles and responsibilities of countries of origin, transit and destination in promoting and protecting the human rights of all migrants, and avoiding approaches that might aggravate their vulnerability;

OP7. Further calls on Governments to intensify efforts to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support without stigma and discrimination, especially for people living with HIV, and to eliminate mother-to-child transmission towards the vision of ending HIV/AIDS epidemic;

OP8. Reiterates that increased political will from all Governments is urgently needed to address existing gaps in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and to respond to new challenges relevant to population and development;

OP9. Urges Governments to address existing gaps in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action including in the area of, inter alia, the respect, protection, promotion and fulfilment of human rights, gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, unequal progress in achieving universal and equitable access to health services, including for sexual and reproductive health, newborn, and child health, as well as uneven progress in health conditions, life expectancy and the elimination of violence and discrimination without distinction of any kind;

OP10. Recognizes the rights, duties and responsibilities of parents and other persons legally responsible for adolescents to provide, in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the adolescent, appropriate direction and guidance on sexual and reproductive matters, and that countries must ensure that the programmes and attitudes of health-care providers do not restrict the access by adolescents to appropriate services and the information they need, including on sexually transmitted infections and sexual abuse, and recognizes that in doing so, and in order to, inter alia, address sexual abuse, these services must safeguard the right of adolescents to privacy, confidentiality, respect and informed consent, respecting cultural values and religious beliefs, and that in this context, countries should, where appropriate, remove legal, regulatory and social barriers to reproductive health information and care for adolescents;

OP11. Also urges Governments, the international community and all other relevant stakeholders to give particular attention to the areas of shortfall in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, including, among others, elimination of preventable maternal morbidity and mortality through strengthening health systems, equitable and universal access to quality, integrated and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, as well as ensuring access of adolescents and youth to full and accurate information and education on sexual and reproductive health, including evidence-based comprehensive education on human sexuality, and promotion, respect, protection and fulfillment of all human rights, especially the human rights of women and girls, including sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights; and addressing the persistence of discriminatory laws and the unfair and discriminatory application of laws;

OP12. Further urges Governments and development partners, including through international cooperation, in order to improve maternal health, reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality and prevent and respond to HIV and AIDS, to strengthen health systems and ensure that they prioritize universal access to sexual and reproductive information and health-care services, including family planning, prenatal care, safe delivery and post-natal care, especially breastfeeding and infant and women’s health care, emergency obstetric care, prevention and appropriate treatment of infertility, quality services for the management of complications arising from abortion, access to reliable information and compassionate counselling for women who have unwanted pregnancies, reducing the recourse to abortion through expanded and improved family planning services and, in circumstances where abortion is not against the law, training and equipping health-service providers and other measures to ensure that such abortion is safe and accessible, recognizing that in no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and other reproductive health conditions and information, education and counselling, as appropriate, on human sexuality, reproductive health and responsible parenthood, taking into account the particular needs of those in vulnerable situations, which would contribute to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Millennium Development Goals;

OP13. Expresses deep concern about the pervasiveness of gender-based violence, in particular violence against women and girls, and reiterates the need to further intensify efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, and harmful practices, including child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation, and recognizes that violence against women and girls is one of the obstacles to the achievement of empowerment of women and that women’s poverty and lack of political, social and economic empowerment, as well as their marginalization, may result from their exclusion from social policies for and the benefits of sustainable development and can place them at increased risk of violence;

OP14. Urges Governments to promote the development of Afro-descendent populations and indigenous peoples by implementing public policies, establishing standards and creating institutions to guide and carry forward affirmative action policies, plans and programmes at the sectoral level, whereby the principles of equality and non-discrimination can be incorporated into all levels of government, with organized civil society participating throughout the process of design, implementation and evaluation of those instruments;

OP15. Notes with concern that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and that the population of all countries, particularly those in developing countries, are vulnerable to adverse impacts of climate change threatening their food security and efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development, and urges Governments to strengthen efforts to address climate change, including mitigation and adaptation;

OP16. Emphasizes that, to realize and capitalize on demographic dividend, it is essential to increase and sustain investment in women and youth, especially education for girls, maternal, newborn and child health and meeting unmet needs of women for family planning, as well as in job creation and a well-trained and healthy workforce together with appropriate economic reforms and policies that will result in high return on investment for the growing working-age population;

OP17. Takes note of the outcome documents from the recent regional conferences on Population and Development and that each outcome provides region-specific guidance on population and development beyond 2014 for each respective region which adopted that particular outcome document;

OP18. Recalls that the Programme of Action requires for its implementation adequate mobilization of resources at the national and international levels, as well as new and additional resources for developing countries from all available funding mechanisms, including multilateral, bilateral and private sources, and that Governments are not expected to meet the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action single-handedly;

OP19. Encourages Governments, international organizations, including those of the United Nations system, international financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders to assist developing countries to address gaps andchallenges relevant to population and development and the changing development environment through technical assistance and capacity-building in order to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action and the key actions for its further implementation;

OP20. Also encourages Governments to monitor their progress towards the implementation of the Programme of Action, the key actions for its further implementation and other internationally agreed development goals at the regional, national and local levels, and in this regard, to make special efforts to strengthen their civil registration and vital statistics, and health information systems, and to develop the capacity of relevant national institutions and mechanisms to generate population data, disaggregated by sex, age, disability and other categories, as needed to monitor progress and ensure accountability;

OP21. Emphasizes the importance of building and sustaining partnerships among Governments and relevant civil society stakeholders for the successful implementation of the Programme of Action and the key actions for its further implementation beyond 2014 and invites all Governments and relevant organizations of the United Nations system, as well as the private sector and non-governmental organizations, to continue to support these activities;

OP22. Calls upon Governments, United Nations agencies, and other international organizations, as appropriate, to actively support and invest in increased participation of young people and in youth-led and youth-focused organizations, taking into account gender equality and representation of youth of various backgrounds, in the formulation, decisions about, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of, as appropriate, international, regional, national and local development strategies and policies that affect young people;

OP23. Encourages Governments to ensure that the social integration of older persons and the promotion and protection of their rights form an integral part of development policies at all levels;

OP24. Calls upon the United Nations Population Fund to continue to play a crucial role, within its mandate, in assisting countries, based on their needs and in consultation with them, to achieve the goals and objectives contained in the Programme of Action and the key actions for its further implementation beyond 2014;

OP25. Requests the Secretary-General to continue his substantive work on population and development, including on the interactions between population dynamics, inequalities, and the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, and, in collaboration with the United Nations system and relevant organizations, to continue assessing and reporting on progress towards the full implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the key actions for its further implementation;

OP26. Welcomes the special session to be held during the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly to assess the status of implementation of the Programme of Action and to renew political support for actions required for the full achievements of its goals;

OP27. Recommends in this regard that ECOSOC transmit the report of the Commission on its forty-seventh session to the special session of the General Assembly.