Asia Commitments to the ICPD Agenda

This statement is by ARROW on behalf of the Asia Pacific CSOs. A full list of endorsees is on arrow.org.my
2019 marks the 25th year in which 179 governments adopted the landmark Programme of Action at the ICPD in Cairo. The PoA was revolutionary in putting women’s empowerment & autonomy at the centre of development & shifted the paradigm from demographically driven population-control goals to a human rights based approach & defined reproductive health for the first time in an international policy document.
The ICPD PoA has been an integral cornerstone in the development agenda. However as we reflect on the 25 years of ICPD, we have noticed that the momentum towards these commitments has waned in recent years. Governments have become cavalier with their responsibilities towards this agenda by becoming divided on ideological differences instead of coming together on shared goals to solve these complex development issues.
In an era beset by climate change, inequality, rise of fundamentalism & attacks against bodily autonomy, respecting, protecting & fulfilling human rights is central to the ICPD agenda & the transformative promise of the SDG aim to leave no one behind. We NGOs are working on this agenda in the AP region & we commit to working on the human rights of women & young people, which includes fulfilling their SRHR, fundamental to achieving sustainable equality in society. We also commit to working towards the inclusivity of all marginalised groups to ensure full decision making from those who struggle to have their voices heard.
We commit towards zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable deaths & zero GBV & harmful practises against women, girls & youth. Shifting the needle on these issues requires an integrated health & rights approach, universal access to SRHR & increasing the ability of women and young people to claim these rights for themselves. We call upon governments to be our partners in this quest.
We will not wait another 25 years.