Addis Ababa to host population and development conference

AddisAbebaAddis Ababa, Ethiopia – The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) will be held on 2-6 September 2013 at the United Nations Conference Centre, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The theme of the conference will be harnessing the Demographic Dividend: The future we want for Africa. This conference seeks to emphasize the need for state and non-state actors to recommit themselves at the highest level to fully implementing the ICPD Plan of Action at national and regional levels.

According to the organizers, the outcomes of the regional report will serve as a major reference for population and development policies and program mes beyond 2014 and inform the post-2015 development agenda in Africa.

This will be based on three principles: Right to development: the people of Africa have the right to develop in all spheres of life, including human rights and human development, and in peace and security; Empowering and capacitating people to play a more strategic role in development; and Justice, equality and human dignity and rights for achieving inclusive and sustainable development.

Furthermore, the main objective of the conference is to provide opportunities for member states to consider the draft report and recommendations of the regional review of the ICPD POA for Africa, to consult and agree on the linkages between the outcomes of the Africa regional review and the past- 2015 development agenda, as well as adopt a common position to contribute to the ICPD beyond 2014 Global review.

The conference will also consider the draft report of the operational review of the ICPD POA in Africa, recommendations of the operational review, and the African common position on ICPD beyond 2014.

This conference will bring together ministers responsible for population and development matters, government experts, research and training institutions, the Pan-African Parliament, Regional Economic Communities, United Nations agencies, international organizations, civil society organizations, and the youth.

Source: AllAfrica.com