ICPD BEYOND 2014MESSAGE FROM CEDPA PRESIDENT CAROL PEASLEY Because all CEDPA alumni – whether you are now in government, business, or broader civil society – have important voices in your communities and countries, I want to make sure you know about upcoming efforts by UNFPA and the broader United Nations community to prepare for the 20th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). I know that some of you were in Cairo in 1994 and helped to define the “women’s rights and empowerment” priorities that formed the ICPD Programme of Action. We hope that all of you will have similar impact over the coming two to three years as the post-ICPD agenda is defined. The United Nations (UN) is putting in place a process that will encourage consultation with civil society. This message describes that process – and identifies some opportunities for your engagement. Background | Key Dates | Civil Society Organization Consultations | Other Opportunities | ClosingBackground When it was agreed upon in Cairo in 1994, the ICPD Programme of Action (POA) was designed as a 20-year initiative. Recognizing that the 20 years were quickly coming to an end, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution in December 2010 acknowledging that not all goals from the POA had been achieved and extending it beyond its original 20-year timeframe. This in turn began the new focus on “ICPD Beyond 2014.”
The UN resolution called for a rigorous “operational review” of implementation of the POA in order to identify gaps and emerging issues. This review will produce two global reports for discussion at a United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) in September 2014. This session will be designed to re-energize political commitment to the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action. The UN expects heads of state to attend this UNGASS. It will therefore be an important international event – especially for those of us who care about women’s equality and rights, including the right to reproductive health. UNFPA will coordinate the complex process leading up to the September 2014 UNGASS, including involvement of multiple UN agencies and Regional Economic Commissions, national governments, and civil society. The UN wants civil society to be involved in all stages of the “operational review” from:
The operational review will be done on the basis of a common global survey, although individual countries can add modules to explore specific issues. The core survey will include:
Opportunities to Add Your Voice
The below are some of the most important actions that will be taking place over the next several years – and points out opportunities for civil society (CSO) engagement. I hope this will then help all of you to engage actively in your own countries and regions. I have also added some information at the very end on a related process related to the Summer 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Please feel free to share with others. Also, please keep us informed of your efforts. While we do not have the same resources we had in 1994, we do hope to be engaged and to help bring your voices to the international debate. January – April 2012 UNFPA will consult with national governments, other UN agencies, and civil society on indicators and draft survey instrument. Need agreement by 3/2012. CSO Engagement Opportunity
April 2012 Conference on Population and Development (CPD) #45 in NYC. CSO Engagement Opportunity
June 2012 Surveys must be sent to national governments for completion by June 2012. June – November 2012 Countries complete surveys, including consultation with CSO. CSO Engagement Opportunity
December 2012 – January 2013 Submission of country data to Regional Economic Commissions by January 2013. January – May 2013 Regional Commissions analyze data and generate regional reports. CSO Engagement Opportunity
April 2013 CPD #46 in NYC. CSO Engagement Opportunity
May – August 2013 Regional Commissions will host regional meetings.
September – December 2013 Regional reports submitted to UNFPA HQ for preparation of global report. January 2014 Final date to submit draft global report and index report to Secretary General’s Office. April 2014 Commission on Population and Development (CPD #47) in NYC – will review Global and Index Reports prepared by UN to determine major issues to be discussed at UNGASS in September 2014. CSO Engagement Opportunity
September 2014 UNGASS Meeting in NYCCSO Engagement Opportunity
Civil Society Organization Consultations The first round of civil society organization consultations is designed to garner CSO input to help inform the subject matter that the country-level surveys will focus on to examine progress under the ICPD Programme of Action. Africa Regional Meeting: Organized by CHESTRAD for March 5-9 in Abuja (with the possibility of moving to Ghana). This will coincide with the Dialogue and Retreat of Southern CSOs session scheduled for March 5-6. Interested alumni should coordinate with their local UNFPA office or CHESTRAD directly. Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region: The UNFPA Regional office is planning a consultation for April 17-18 in Instanbul. It will immediately precede the AWID Forum in Instanbul. Asia and the Pacific: ARROW is planning a meeting in Kuala Lumpur for May 1-6. Latin America and the Caribbean: The UNFPA regional office is working with RSMLAC to organize two meetings: April 12-13 for the Caribbean region in Jamaica; and April 30-May 1 for Latin America in Montevideo. Return to Top
The United Nations is also managing a similar process for the 20th anniversary of the original UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio, June 20-22, 2012. The UN recently issued information on how stakeholder, civil society groups could register. If you are already an accredited group with the UN/ECOSOC, you have until May 20, 2012 to register. If you are not already accredited, you must apply for accreditation by February 20, 2012. You can do both of these at http://www.uncsd2012.org/registration. The UN has also indicated that there will be a number of side events for Rio+20: some related to the 3rd Preparatory Committee Meeting on June 13-15, 2012; some related to the “Four Days of Dialogue on Sustainable Development” on June 16-19; and some around the actual conference dates, June 20-22,2012. Information on side events can be found at http://www.uncsd2012.org/sideevents. These meetings in Rio will also be important in defining UN approaches to a future development agenda, so I hope you look for opportunities to engage either directly in Rio or in your own countries before your national delegations depart. All of us, of course, want to make sure that the Rio+20 conference outlines a positive message on women, reproductive health and gender equality. Return to TopFinally, please do keep us informed as you engage in these important issues, whether related to Rio or ICPD. We know that your voices will make a difference. We will do all we can to help you enhance your voices. Fondest wishes from all of us at CEDPA Headquarters.
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