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Statement Delivered by Hans van de Broek No one has expressed better the importance of ICPD than Secretary General Kofi Annan when he said: "The Millennium Development Goals, particularly the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, cannot be achieved if questions of population and reproductive health are not squarely addressed. And that means stronger efforts to promote women's rights, and greater investment in education and health, including reproductive health and family planning". In the past 18 months, government officials from countries from around the world have unanimously reaffirmed Programme of Action of the ICPD; in the Commission on Population and Development and in the Regional Commissions of the United Nations. The World Leaders Statement represents an important addition to the intergovernmental reaffirmation of ICPD: the support for the ICPD agenda from individuals and institutions from all walks of life - NGOs, Leaders in Development, Religious Leaders, Nobel Laureates, Scientists, Youth Organisations. The Cairo-consensus was forged in an extraordinary meeting of government delegations, hundreds of NGOs and over a thousand young people. If we want to achieve international development goals, it is absolutely critical that we make a stronger case for sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as DECISIVE factors for development and poverty reduction. It is imperative to build even stronger partnerships with NGOs and other civil society organisations during the next ten years. Only by working together we can bring about change. The World Leaders Statement has forged precisely that alliance, and it sends a strong signal to the world community about the importance of ICPD. |
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The World Leaders Supporting
the ICPD Statement is a project of the Summit For more information, contact us at leadersstatement@qwest.net |
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