Regional Population and Development Conference for Arab States
By International Conference on Population and Development Beyond 2014
June 25, 2013

“Development Challenges and Population Dynamics in a Changing Arab World”

CAIRO, Egypt, 16 June 2013 — With the 20th anniversary of the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, approaching, governments, civil society organizations, academia, youth and women groups, development partners and leading experts from across the Arab region will gather in the Egyptian capital again to review the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (ICPD/PoA) in the region and to shape the population and development agenda beyond 2014 for the post-­‐2015 framework.

This review will be at the heart of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in the Arab States with the theme “Development Challenges and Population Dynamics in a Changing Arab World.” The conference is jointly organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia ESCWA), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the League of Arab States (LAS), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Cairo from 24 to 26 June 2013.

In a changing Arab region that is facing new and evolving demographic, socio-­‐economic and political realities, the Conference provides a platformn at an opportune time, to renew political commitment to a more equal and sustainable context for the region’s 370 million people. National delegations at the Conference are expected to adopt a declaration representing the consensus on the region’s population and development prospects beyond 2014.

The Regional Conference on Population and Development in the Arab States will once again place Cairo in the world’s limelight, as it will be the first of a series of regional preparatory meetings leading up to the United Nations ICPD Beyond 2014 Review. This Review is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly, which requested UNFPA to undertake it in consultation with Member States and in cooperation with all relevant partners.

To this effect, a global survey has been designed to capture the highest-­‐quality data and analysis in a systematic and consistent approach that enables comparability at global, regional and country levels. The survey was launched in the 22 member states of the League of Arab States in August 2012 and involved different national stakeholders. The regional trends that emerge from the survey data will be presented at the Conference.

In addition, the findings of a set of assessments of the region’s key population and development issues, namely (1) Ageing; (2) Demographic and democratic transitions; (3) Family formation; (4) Fertility; (5) Women’s empowerment and gender-­‐based violence; (6) Maternal health; (7) Migration; (8) Population, environment and climate change; and (9) Youth, will complement the regional survey review.

The combination of these assessments, the regional findings of the global survey and the Conference deliberations will contribute towards a better understanding of the current state of the Arab population. That will identify policy options to accelerate the implementation of the ICPD/PoA beyond 2014, and feed into the post-­‐2015 development framework, voicing the renewed vision from the Arab region for the future we want for all.

For more information on ICPD Beyond 2014 visit http://icpdbeyond2014.org

The conference website is accessible through http://www.arabicpdbeyond2014.org

Media accreditation and liaison:

Ms. Nagat Marbi, League of Arab States
Email: nougim@hotmail.com, Mobile: +201001210663

Fethi Debbabi, United Nations Information Centre
Email: fethi.debbabi@unic-­‐eg.org, Mobile: +201006147530

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