On 2 March, 2023, the High-Level Commission on the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 Follow-up held a meeting to discuss its work plan for its final year of operation and reflect on key advocacy moments since the launch of its 2022 report.
“The work does not stop when we reach our full term in September this year. While we have reported progress in achieving some of the ICPD25 commitments, the evidence we presented in our reports demonstrates the need to continue our political advocacy efforts and feed into the ICPD30 our efforts.” said co-Chair, H.E. Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada. The commissioners remain committed to their political advocacy role, providing leadership and guidance for monitoring, reporting and advocating for the further implementation of the global commitments of the Nairobi Statement on ICPD25. During their deliberations, they reached a consensus on the proposed draft workplan for this final stretch of the commission’s critical mandate, while identifying key opportunities and events where they can bring forward their joint messages. The commission also found agreement on the collective effort to seek to ensure the continuation and visualization of the global commitments monitoring framework to track global Nairobi commitments and the development of country profiles to demonstrate sexual and reproductive justice at the country level.
Commissioners also shared updates on their diverse advocacy efforts since the launch of the High Level Commission’s 2022 report, Sexual and Reproductive Justice as the vehicle to deliver the Nairobi Summit commitments, which took place in Zanzibar, Tanzania in November last year. “We expressed our desire to see enhanced support from and collaboration with UNFPA, as our convening entity, to advance the recommendations of and give increased visibility to the reports of the High-Level Commission.” said the co-chair, H.E. Dr. Jakaya Kikwete, former president of Tanzania while recalling the programme in Zanzibar, as the Commission received an update from the secretariat on the various planned activities that UNFPA regional offices and other business units will be undertaking to support the showcasing of the commission’s important work and its authoritative reports.
Back-to-back with the commission’s meeting, its latest report saw a Geneva-based launch during the official side event on the sidelines of the high level segment of the 52th session of the Human Rights Council. During the event, challenges and opportunities to further advance the Nairobi commitments through a sexual and reproductive justice framework in global, regional and country contexts were highlighted. The event was co-organized by UNFPA, with RFSU, Inter-Parliamentary Union and ACTAlliance, and co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva of Kenya and Denmark, the two countries that along with UNFPA hosted the Nairobi Summit in 2019. Speakers included H.E. Cleopa Kilonzo Mailu, Ambassador of Kenya to the UN in Geneva and H.E Erik Rasmussen, Ambassador of Denmark to the UN in Geneva.
Ms. Diene Keita, Assistant Secretary-General & UNFPA Deputy Executive Director-Programme commended the High Level Commission for its important report and for keeping the world accountable to delivering on the promises made in Nairobi. Ms. Saskia Schellekens, Global Coordinator ICPD25 Follow-up & Lead of the Commission’s Secretariat, presented the reports key findings and recommendations, while Commissioners Mr. Martin Chungong, Secretary-General, Inter-Parliamentary Union, Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, Secretary-General ACT Alliance, and Mr. Hans Linde, President RFSU highlighted particular concepts and issues in the report from different angles related to their specific stakeholder groups and constituencies, generating further awareness and political will in front of over 50 Member States that attended the event, which was moderated by Ms. Monica Ferro, Chief of the UNFPA Geneva Office.
In the next months, the commissioners plan to participate in various activities to continue to advocate for the rights and choices for all and will regroup in June before continuing their work through September 2023, as the High Level Commission marches forward to ICPD30.
The High Level Commission, established on 17 September 2020, is charged with keeping the global commitments of the Nairobi Statement on ICPD25 on stack, as the overarching framework to the 1300 commitments put forward by diverse stakeholders during the historic Nairobi Summit of November 2019. Its two reports to date have been well received and seen high acclaim: namely 2021 report, No Exceptions, No Exclusions: Realizing sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice for all, and the 2022 report Sexual and Reproductive Justice as the vehicle to deliver the Nairobi Summit commitments. The reports solidly shine a light on the path forward towards achieving the goals of ICPD and Nairobi, with at the center the three transformative results of zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices, all key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
