Commitment title:

Speech at Arab and Asian Parliamentarians’ Meeting on Population and Development for ICPD+25 “Moving Forward the Unfinished Business of the ICPD”, 18 Septmber 2019, Rabbat, Morocco

Commitment description:

We parliamentarians have a responsibility to the future of society through the development of necessary policies and legislation. From that perspective, I believe the answer to this question is clear.

By reaffirming the 1994 ICPPD Declaration and the ICPD PoA, the answer is to devote our energies to creating the best conditions possible to realize the human rights and reproductive rights that were identified at the ICPD.

From the perspective of the SDGs, the completion of the ICPD’s unfinished business involves two central challenges:

i. Ensuring women’s choice and universal access to RH services so that women can prevent unwanted pregnancies, and making these services the core of the UHC system.

ii. Recognizing that a sustainable society is no less possible in countries with an extremely low fertility rate, such as Japan and other developed countries.

iii. To counter this phenomenon, it is important to fulfill the aspirations of all couples who want children by creating a society where any birth that is wanted can be possible.

As a prerequisite for meeting these challenges, we need to reaffirm the ICPD agenda, such as environmental protection, food security, job security, and education for both men and women. Population issues should be placed within this broad perspective, and this is precisely what only we parliamentarians can do.

Mode of engagement:

• Policy and guidance
  Calling for more action, among parliamentarians, on population related issues