Global Alliances for the Cairo Programme of Action

projekt beendet

ContextSustainable development goals such as eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, promoting resilient economies, conserving natural resources and mitigating climate change cannot be achieved unless demographic changes are taken into consideration. Population growth, aging, youth bulge, migration and urbanization are trends presenting many partner countries with increasing challenges, for instance with regard to providing health services and education, establishing social security systems, and employment. The consequences have the potential to adversely affect national development as a whole. Women, girls and young people are particularly vulnerable to their impacts.These issues were discussed i at the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo back in 1994. At the ICPD, the United Nations (UN) adopted the Cairo Programme of Action (PoA), which formulated objectives for sustainable, human rights-based and gender-sensitive policies. The right of every individual to sexual and reproductive health was recognized for the first time.However, key aspects of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) – including sexual self-determination, sex education and safe abortion – are still highly contentious issues within international negotiations. This impedes the implementation of the PoA and therefore, the realization of sexual and reproductive health and rights. .ObjectiveCross-regional networks and alliances contribute to advancing in particular the human rights-based and gender-sensitive objectives of the Cairo Programme of Action.ApproachThe project promotes the building of regional and cross-regional alliances and networks designed to provide policy support for the Cairo Programme of Action. To this end, it fosters dialogues and agenda setting within international processes including (such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the review of the ICPD and the Commission on the Status of Women) on issues concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as population dynamics. The project’s activities include:• Promoting dialogue on SRHR issues among like-minded governments in order to develop common positions and strategies for negotiations at EU and UN level;• Supporting dialogue and exchange forums for regional and cross-regional alliances of civil society and government stakeholders;• Cofinancing cross-regional multi-stakeholder platforms such as the High Level Task Force for the ICPD and the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights;• Strengthening regional networks of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women, European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development and International Planned Parenthood Federation.ResultsIn collaboration with its partners, the project helped to ensure that the issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights were enshrined within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In key international processes coordination of the partners was improved and a common strategic approach was adopted. As a result, the outcome documents of the corresponding United Nations functional commissions set out common positions on SRHR that are shared by Germany and other countries. Diplomatic consultations have increased stakeholder awareness of controversial issues such as comprehensive sex education. Cross-regional alliances of like-minded states have steadily expanded their scope via informal dialogue formats such as group chats.Conferences such as the annual International Dialogue on Population and Sustainable Development in Berlin, where experts from governments, civil society, the academic and research community and the private sector discuss SRHR and devise strategies for common action, have contributed to joint learning and the networking of stakeholders.Successful alliance building has also been promoted by the High Level Task Force for ICPD. This independent body of experts initiated multiple cross-regional joint statements by states on SRHR issues in preparation for the Sustainable Development Goals, with up to 58 governments participating.Activities financed by the project for African and Asian parliamentarians and non-governmental organisations have demonstrably enhanced their monitoring function and presence within international processes.

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