United Nations Fund for Population Activities celebrates three milestones
The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) last week launched the 2019 State of World Population (SWOP) Report at the Safari Court Hotel and Conference Centre.
The launch also witnessed the celebratration of 25 years of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) as well as the 50th Anniversary in Africa.
Deputy Mayor, Councillor Loide Kaiyamo said the State of World Population Report for 2019, is titled ‘Unfinished business the pursuit of rights and choices’, describing issues and information about population worldwide.
“We are grateful for the powerful information that is presented in the report that reproductive rights and choices have become a reality for more women than ever and how we are called on to address the issues affecting the vast number of women and girls and to ensure that they are empowered to make fundamental decisions about their own life with emphasis on choices,” she added.
UNFPA Representative Dennia Gayle said the ICPD25 and UNFPA@50 are historic milestones offering an opportunity to reflect on the world’s progress towards ensuring rights and choices for all, and to redouble our efforts to reach those still left behind 25 years later.
“This years SWOP report traces advances in reproductive health on the anniversaries of two important milestones highlighted, it has been 50 years since UNFPA began operations in 1969 as the first United Nations agency to address population growth and reproductive health need and 25th anniversary of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development,” she emphasised.
She said the ICPD held in Cairo in 1994, which is frequently referred to as the Cairo Conference, remains the largest intergovernmental conference on population and development ever held.
“We firmly believe that with the experience of 50 years as a UN organisation and the progress we have seen in the last 25 years, attaining the Promise of Cairo is doable, challenging as it may sometimes seem, but doable,” she explained.
The country’s Vice President, H.E Nangolo Mbumba, officially launched the SWOP Report. He congratulated UNFPA and said the report will serve as the needed platform and impetus to increase the awareness of all stakeholders on the critical issues required toward investing and supporting the future of women and young people.
“We are pleased that we have the commitment from UNFP and partners as strong proponents of the ‘the triple threat Es’, which states that our people need, Education, Employment and Empowerment, to make informed decisions and choices about their health, participation and leadership,” he concluded.
