The Economic and Social Council opened its eighth annual Youth Forum today under the theme “Empowered, Included and Equal”, with youth delegates and Governments alike sharing ideas for ensuring that the benefits of a globalized world — from technological advancement and better connectivity to increased flows of people, finance and goods — unleash the potential of its 1.2 billion young people.
The Commission on Population and Development concluded its fifty‑second session at Headquarters today with speakers calling for hard work and urgent action to fulfil the promises of the Programme of Action that emerged from the landmark 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo.
Representatives from civil society today advocated for a rights-based approach to demographic issues, urging Governments to scale up their support for education and health, as the Commission on Population and Development concluded its general debate.
Sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the role of the family in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, came under the spotlight today as delegates to the Commission on Population and Development continued to reflect on the progress the world has made in the 25 years since the landmark International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo and the adoption of its Programme of Action.
Sexual and reproductive health policies are vital to empowering women and the youth, thus constituting a cornerstone of sustainable development, speakers said today as the Commission on Population and Development continued its general debate.
In efforts to address the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, which hit Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe in March, the Economic and Social Council held a special meeting today on the international response, with the Deputy-Secretary General underscoring that additional emergency funding is desperately needed to contain the ongoing crisis and help mitigate similar events in the future.
The Commission on Population and Development opened its fifty-second session at Headquarters today with the adoption by consensus of a political declaration underscoring the critical role of population-related measures and policies in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Commission on the Status of Women, concluding its sixty‑third session today, approved a set of agreed conclusions aimed at empowering women and girls by building greater social protection systems and access to public services and sustainable infrastructure.
Data collection must represent the lived realities of all women and girls, the Commission on the Status of Women heard today, with an interactive discussion highlighting the importance of data disaggregation to ensure visibility and access for marginalized groups.
Pay for care work, adequate funding for health care, cash transfers free of conditionalities, and safe public transport are essential for advancing the rights of women and girls, the Commission on the Status of Women heard today.
