Two decades after the adoption of the landmark Cairo Programme of Action by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), and a year before the expiration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, a wealth of material is available in Eastern Europe and Central Asia on the progress that has been made and the gaps that still exist in putting the ICPD agenda and the MDG goals into practice.

This is the result of the comprehensive ICPD Beyond 2014 review process and a series of consultations on the post-2015 development agenda, both carried out at the national, regional and global levels. The ICPD Beyond 2014 review process culminated, at the regional level, in a high-level conference, "Enabling Choices: Population Priorities for the 21^st Century", organised by UNFPA and UNECE in Geneva in July 2013.

These processes and events have not only provided a better understanding of existing implementation gaps and emerging issues of concern in the region, but also resulted in a host of recommendations on how to build on the progress made and address the remaining challenges.

With the goal of supporting national authorities in implementing these recommendations and further the ICPD agenda in their countries, UNFPA is initiating and fostering a dialogue among high-level policy-makers and experts on how to respond to the population challenges faced in the region. The initiative will take into account the outcome of the above-mentioned review processes, and serve as a platform to discuss current population trends and how they can be addressed in line with international standards to ensure the development of more competitive and prosperous societies.

The regional conference that will host the first dialogue event will bring together ministers, high-level officials and experts from the region and will take place on 11-13 June 2014 in Prague, Czech Republic. The Regional Conference is organised by UNFPA with the support of MoFA of Czech Republic. The event will focus on two broad areas of critical importance in the region to kick off the dialogue process: adolescents and youth; and family, gender equality and fertility.

The meeting will be held at the Corinthia Hotel in Prague.