Five years after the regional ICPD Beyond 2014 review process and the adoption of the 2013 Chair’s summary, UNECE and UNFPA have collaborated to report on the achievements and challenges faced by member States in the implementation of the recommendations contained in that outcome document. This report highlights key population and development trends affecting the UNECE region since the adoption of the 2013 Chair’s summary, outlines replicable solutions to common issues, and puts forward action‐oriented recommendations to further advance the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action in the region.
The UNECE region is at the forefront of a global demographic transformation from population growth to population ageing, coupled with increasing and complex international migration flows. In this context, UNECE countries have made some progress in the implementation of the 2013 Chair’s summary recommendations. This is evidenced by improvements in individual social and economic outcomes at the regional level. However, progress has been uneven across and within subregions and countries, and multiple and overlapping forms of inequality and discrimination continue to impede individuals from realizing their full potential, even in the most advanced countries.
Therefore, protecting and promoting human rights across generations without distinction, including sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality, remains central to ensure inclusive and sustainable societies across the region.
In response to the 2013 Chair’s summary recommendation to create a mechanism for continuous followup of implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, this report presents the UNECE Monitoring Framework for the ICPD Programme of Action. The Monitoring Framework is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, has served to take stock of progress towards implementing the 2013 Chair’s summary recommendations and can be further tailored to national realities.
As efforts in the UNECE region are accelerated to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the report articulates the conceptual linkages and synergies between the ICPD Programme of Action and the Sustainable Development Goals, which in turn need to be reflected in policy processes at the national and local level to maximize impact and available resources.
This report was prepared to inform the UNECE Regional Conference ‘Enabling Choices: Population Dynamics and Sustainable Development’ (1–2 October 2018, Geneva), which marks the 25th anniversary of the ICPD held in Cairo in 1994. Both the report and the outcome of the conference discussions have the potential to contribute towards more equitable development and prosperity for generations and societies across the UNECE region.
