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The 57th Commission on Population and Development (CPD) begins in New York to reaffirm commitments made three decades ago in the ‘ICPD Programme of Action’. Rutgers advocate Evi van den Dungen leads efforts to safeguard sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for young people. Join us at the CPD in New York!
Today marks the start of the 57th Commission on Population and Development (CPD) at the UN headquarters in New York. Three decades ago, the overwhelming majority of nations signed a forward-thinking and inclusive ‘ICPD Programme of Action’. This year’s CPD agenda is centered around reaffirming the commitments outlined in this programme. Rutgers advocate Evi van den Dungen is eagerly anticipating an eventful week in New York. Despite facing resistance on several fronts, she is happy to see the reaffirmation of the agreements from Cairo, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.
For Evi, this marks her sixth attendance at the CPD in New York. Rutgers, alongside other SRHR civil society organisations, advocates for the safeguarding of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality, and the health and rights of young people and adolescents as fundamental components of the Cairo agenda. The reaffirmation of the agenda and references to gender equality, human rights for all and the empowerment of women and girls in the political declaration is crucial, as it signifies states’ commitment to uphold them.
“By ensuring that terms such as human rights for all and gender equality remain prominent in the declaration, governments reaffirm their significance.”
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Holding states accountable
“The language of the negotiated political declaration holds considerable weight in shaping policy and driving action,” Evi explains. “By ensuring that terms such as human rights for all and gender equality remain prominent in the declaration, governments reaffirm their significance. This facilitates the process of holding governments accountable should they fail to meet their objectives. For example, in cases where further efforts are needed to prevent maternal mortality or where insufficient action is taken to combat gender-based violence, civil society organisations can leverage the document for accountability.”
In New York, Rutgers is closely monitoring the discussions during the CPD and attended informal negotiations to review the draft declaration. Rutgers, together with ARROW and CHOICE, has submitted a written statement to the CPD, emphasising the importance of sexual and reproductive justice for young people in achieving Agenda 2030 for the Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, Rutgers is hosting an event where young advocates will articulate their visions for the next five years and engage in discussions about the ongoing actions to implement the ICPD agenda.
The SRHR of 1.9 billion young people shouldn’t be a battle
Today, the relevance of ICPD remains undeniable, particularly for the world’s 1.9 billion young people. Despite progress in some areas, gender equality and reproductive health and rights continue to lag far behind for many. In low- and middle-income countries, almost half of adolescents aged 15-19 who want to avoid a pregnancy have an unmet need for contraception. Globally, one in five girls are married or in an informal union by the age of 18 – a number that almost doubles in the lowest-income countries.
Read more about young people's SRHR, the challenges and solutions in our ICPD+30 shadow report.Rutgers is participating in the CPD57 to ensure that the voices of young people are heard and that their rights are upheld. Follow us on Instagram or LinkedIn to stay up-to-date and follow youth advocates in their engagements at the CPD!
