Teenagers in northern Thailand are aware of different contraceptive practices.
Global progress on sustainable development will continue to stall unless countries do more to close the gender gap and reduce poverty and inequality, the president of the United Nations General Assembly said on Monday.
Dennis Francis made the remarks at an event to commemorate the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo 30 years ago.
At the end of this landmark conference, held in Cairo 30 years ago, 179 Governments had adopted a programme of action that placed reproductive rights, gender equality and the empowerment of women, girls and young people at the heart of their efforts to promote world development.
Uneven progress
Francis noted that significant progress and progress has been made since then, particularly in the areas of poverty reduction, life expectancy and food security. He said that the maternal mortality rate had decreased, while access to primary education had increased for both boys and girls.
"But we must also acknowledge that progress has been uneven, both within and between countries, as climate change, conflict and other crises put these hard-won gains at risk," he said. ”
However, he added that the vision goals outlined in the Programme of Action are "increasingly important", noting that they are interlinked to global efforts to achieve sustainable development for all by 2030.
Supporting women and girls
"We certainly must do more to recognize that the empowerment of women and girls, children and other vulnerable groups is at the heart of peaceful, prosperous and sustainable societies, and to be proactive and do more to support and promote their full potential," he said. ”
He said that as many of the challenges that impeded the implementation of the Programme of Action remained, countries must "find new and innovative ways" to address and overcome them.
"Let us sincerely rededicate ourselves to a shared future of peace, prosperity, progress and sustainable development for all, with all and everywhere," he concluded. ”
Accelerate action and set priorities
At the same time, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations has called for the anniversary of the Programme of Action to be used as an opportunity for action. In her view, this would both accelerate action to achieve the SDGs and set priorities for the next 30 years.
Amina Mohammed made the remarks in her address to the 57th session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development, held at Headquarters in New York.
With the global population now exceeding 8 billion, she said, the international community must prepare for continued population growth in sub-Saharan Africa and a slowdown or decline in population growth in much of Asia, Europe and North America, and subsequently in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Missed the target
She said that despite the tremendous progress made over the past three decades, many countries are still behind life expectancy targets and many developing countries face major challenges in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals target on child mortality.
In addition, 164 million women of childbearing age worldwide do not have access to family planning services.
"While all countries are moving towards longevity and small families, some still face the challenge of rapid population growth," she said. Other countries are grappling with the consequences of population aging, sometimes declining populations. We see the health system struggling. ”
Counter-boycott of boycotts
Amina Mohammed stressed the need for countries to fully recognize the megatrends that are transforming the world today – such as climate change, demographic change and urbanization – and their important linkages to the Sustainable Development Goals.
"We must remain vigilant and continue to respond to regressions in sexual and reproductive health and rights," she said. When women's rights are eroded, when migrants and other vulnerable groups are abused, we must respond and fight back. ”
She urged the international community to "continue to uphold the dignity of all people and ensure that no one is left behind" and "support our rights-based approach to population and development policy."
