With only a few weeks left before the start of the regional conference “Enabling Choices: Population Priorities for the 21st Century” in Geneva on 1-2 July, preparations for the event are in full swing across the region.

 

The conference, organised by UNFPA and UNECE, is the culmination of the ICPD Beyond 2014 process in the region. It will take stock of what has been achieved, 20 years after the adoption of the 1994 ICPD Programme of Action, and will identify priorities for the future. More than 200 representatives from governments, parliaments, civil society, academia and youth networks are expected to attend.

 

Some 40 youth activists from Europe, Central Asia and North America participated in a meeting in Istanbul on 30-31 May to develop youth-specific recommendations for the Geneva conference.

 

On 29 May, UNFPA’s Regional Director, Werner Haug, together with partners from UNECE and UNFPA's Geneva office, briefed representatives of UN Member States in Geneva on the status of preparations for the conference. The briefing was attended by diplomats from 24 countries.

 

On 6-7 June, a parliamentary forum will be held in Almaty, aimed at gathering input from parliamentarians from Central Asia, with a special focus on young people.

 

The closing date for registration for the conference is June 10.

 

For more on the conference, including registration information, see the ICPD Beyond 2014 website.