The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has expressed its continuous commitment and support to ensure that the implementation of the agenda of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) 1994 progress beyond 2014.

“It is very essential and we will ensure that the Cairo agenda is not neglected because if we do so, we will be jeopardising not only the lives of young people but the entire population.”

ICPD 1994 was held in Cairo where 179 countries met to discuss comprehensively and recognised that every person counts, and that population was not about numbers but about people and their quality of life.

Governments also agreed that all human beings were entitled to a healthy and productive life without discrimination, and that promoting individual rights and dignity were paramount to economic growth and sustainable development.

As the programme’s 20 year’s anniversary approaches, the General Assembly of the United Nations has mandated UNFPA through Resolution 65/234 to undertake an operational review of the implementation of the Programme of Action.

It is a follow-up to the ICPD beyond 2014 in cooperation with relevant organisations of the UN System, international organisations and experts.

Dr Richmond Tiemoko, Regional Technical Advisor on Population and Development at the UNFPA Regional Office said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the just ended Second Dialogue and Retreat in Global Health meeting in Ghana, on the theme: “Access, Effectiveness, Results and Accountability: Deepening Southern Civil Society in Global Health.”

He explained that issues such as improving the lives of all people, promoting human rights and dignity, supporting family planning, ensuring sexual and reproductive health rights as well as gender equality and equity could not just be ignored.

The meeting co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria with participants from Africa, Middle East and the Mediterranean, Latin America, South East Asia and the Pacific as well as Central and Eastern Europe, reviewed the progress on the establishment of the alliance of southern civil society in global health, people in the ICPD beyond 2014.

Dr Tiemoko noted that numerous works had gone into working towards achieving the successes chalked out so far and commended various governments, civil society and partners for the effort.

“Despite all the hard work, there is more to be done to move beyond 2014 and even meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals”, he added.

At the regional level, UNFPA will among others ensure the inclusion of the outcome of civil society organization regional population conferences which will be held in 2013 identify region specific issues for optional module and align work plan and work with regional commissions and partners to ensure alignment with agreed global process.

He explained that UNFPA will be working with governments, civil society and involve young people since they were a vital segment of the world’s population and urged agencies whose mandates did not have a portion for young people to do so.

Mr Kwabena Osei-Danquah ICPD Beyond 2014 Executive Coordinator, UNFPA Headquarters speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency lauded the achievements made for the past 18 years in the areas of maternal mortality reduction, infant mortality, family planning, girls’ education, environment and improvement in the quality of life.

He said it was unfortunate there were still challenges in the areas of female genital mutilation, selections of sex and killings, adding sensitization of women were being intensified whilst assessment of ICPD progress and its relation to the MDGs were ongoing.

He noted that UNPFA would support key issues such as unmet needs of family planning since 250 million women wanted contraceptives but had no access adding, such interventions would save governments the huge spending on contraceptives.

“We are collaborating with partners in the United Kingdom to fill in the gap of unmet needs and engage young people to empower them to take meaningful decisions on their lives”, Mr Osei-Danquah added.

Dr Bernard Coquelin, UNFPA Country Representative to Ghana called for the intensification of the discussions and reiterated the need to keep the momentum.

Ms Claire Gasamagera of Rwanda, Mr Darlington Muyaabwa of Zimbabwe and Mr Samuel Kissi of Ghana sharing their experience commended UNFPA and its partners for recognizing the role of young people and pledged their commitment in ensuring the sustainability of the agenda of ICPD beyond 2014.