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.
As they adressed the stalled peace process and “creeping annexation” by Israel of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, delegates, activists and policymakers participating in a high-level forum on the question of Palestine considered a variety of solutions ranging from full Palestinian statehood recognition to a bill in Ireland’s parliament to ban imported goods produced in the illegal settlements.
The Intergovernmental Conference tasked with drafting a legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity continued its work on cross-cutting issues today, with delegates outlining whether the new treaty should establish a clearing house mechanism, and if so, for what purpose.
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.
Noting some advances since the inauguration in September 2018 of re-elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, the Security Council today urged the Government of Mali and the Plateforme and Coordination armed groups to continue expediting implementation of their peace accord while urging all parties to refrain from actions undermining progress.
Delegates today grappled with the issue of funding sources for capacity‑building and the transfer of marine technology — as well as the most suitable monitoring and review processes in that arena — along with the matter of establishing subsidiary bodies, as the Intergovernmental Conference, tasked with drafting a legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity, continued its work.
As a United Nations justice support operation in Haiti prepares to end its mandate, the Security Council today discussed the best path forward over the next six months to foster stability and craft a new political mission amid political uncertainty and urgent humanitarian needs.
The Intergovernmental Conference drafting the first‑ever legally binding instrument on marine biodiversity continued negotiations today, with delegates concluding discussions on the obligation to conduct environmental impact assessments of activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction and then focusing on how the new treaty should handle capacity-building and the transfer of marine technology among States parties.
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.
