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UNFPA GLOBAL POPULATION POLICY UPDATE
Issue 13 - November 17 2003
On 11 and 12 November 2003, The Economic Commission for Latin America and
the Caribbean (ECLAC) held a meeting of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation
Committee (CDCC) in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, to review progress
in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference
on Population and Development (ICPD, 1994) in the Caribbean region. The twenty
Caribbean countries and territories that attended reaffirmed their commitment
to the ICPD and adopted a declaration.
Below is UNFPA's press release on the meeting.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, 12 November - Twenty Caribbean countries
and territories today reaffirmed their unequivocal commitment to the action
programme of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development
(ICPD). They also declared that implementation of the programme is
"essential for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals" including
the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger.
Meeting to assess their progress in carrying out the ICPD Programme of Action
nearly 10 years after its adoption, the countries pledged to ensure reproductive
rights and health, gender equality and the empowerment of women. They also
recognized the rights of adolescents to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive
health information, education and services.
Calling HIV/AIDS a major threat to the region's economic and social structures,
they vowed to fight the pandemic through prevention, treatment and care in
the context of reproductive health programmes.
Turning to broader issues, the Caribbean countries stated that their populations,
economies and societies had been hurt by structural adjustment programmes,
heavy debt repayments and inequitable trade practices. They called on international
donors to increase financial support for implementation of the ICPD programme.
At the start of the two-day meeting, Camille Robinson-Regis, Trinidad and
Tobago's Minister of Planning and Development, hailed the 1994 Cairo conference
as "revolutionary in its thinking and concepts".
"No longer was the issue of population only about numbers—it was and is about
living, breathing human beings facing life's daily challenges," she said.
"It is about gender equality and equity, and the rejection of all forms of
gender-based violence. It is about preparing for a wanted baby and providing
for its healthy childhood. It is about improving the quality of life of all
mankind."
Trinidad and Tobago's national policies on population and development are
guided by the Cairo programme and its objectives of sustained economic growth,
reduction of maternal and child death, and universal access to reproductive
health services, Ms. Robinson-Regis stated.
Marisela Padron, Director of the Latin America and the Caribbean Division
of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, commended Caribbean countries'
efforts to implement the ICPD programme despite limited financial resources.
While they have cut infant and maternal deaths, she said, much remains to
be done to ensure equal access to reproductive health services for all.
"UNFPA will remain at the side of Caribbean women as they seek to have healthy,
wanted babies and survive to raise them in a nurturing environment that looks
after their reproductive health and respects their reproductive rights. UNFPA
will remain at the side of Caribbean men as they engage in reproductive health
programmes. UNFPA will remain at the side of Caribbean societies as
they promote gender equality and combat gender violence," she declared.
The meeting was held at sub-regional headquarters of the Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean. The acting director, Daniel Blanchard,
said the commission is committed to helping Caribbean governments translate
global and regional commitments into national action plans.
The meeting's outcome will contribute to an assessment next year of the implementation
of the Cairo programme throughout the Latin America and the Caribbean region.
To see the CDCC’s declaration, visit: http://www.unfpa.org/news/related_docs/declaration_cdcc.doc
This newsletter is issued by the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA) in its capacity as secretariat for the biannual International
Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme
of Action (the first conference was held in November 2002, in Ottawa, Canada).
These dispatches are intended to highlight important developments taking
place around the world so that parliamentarians can be kept informed of and
learn from the successes, setbacks and challenges encountered by their fellow
parliamentarians in other countries and regions in their efforts to promote
the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference
on Population and Development (September 1994, Cairo, Egypt). It should be
noted that UNFPA does not necessarily endorse all of the policies described
in this newsletter.
Please send mailing list update information to Diego Hadis at hadis@unfpa.org. If you have any questions or
comments on the content of this newsletter, please contact Harumi Kodama
at kodama@unfpa.org or Stirling Scruggs at
scruggs@unfpa.org.
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