We, the members of an alliance of developing countries, Partners in Population and Development, accounting for more than half of the population of the world, and many other developing countries attended the 2005 International Forum on Population and Development. The meeting took place in Agra, India on the banks of the River Jamuna, where the Great Taj Mahal stands as a testimony to the artistic glory of the Mogul Empire. The Forum was convened in order to exchange the experiences on integrating the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), based on the implementation in our countries of the ICPD Programme of Action and of the MDGs. At the end of two days of deliberation, we adopted this Declaration. We commit ourselves to honour, promote, respect and implement this Declaration for the cause of peace, cooperation, poverty reduction and sustainable development everywhere. We therefore:

PREAMBLE

1. Reaffirm our strong commitment to the principles, objectives and actions contained in the ICPD Programme of Action as strategic to attaining the MDGs.

2. Welcome the commitment of Heads of State and Government at their largest ever gathering in adopting the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document to:

“Achieving universal access to reproductive health by 2015, as set out at the International Conference on Population and Development.”

3. Reaffirm the importance of integrating this goal of universal access into strategies to attain the internationally agreed development goals, including those aimed at reducing maternal mortality, improving maternal health, reducing child mortality, promoting gender equality, combating HIV/AIDS and eradicating poverty.

4. Reaffirm our commitment to use effectively external resources made available to us to achieve the ICPD goals and the MDGs.

5. Recognize that population-poverty dynamics are subtle and complex. In poor families and under-served communities, the dynamics combine to create conditions that are likely to perpetuate poverty, ignorance, ill health, poor reproductive health, high fertility, high infant and maternal mortality and a host of other negative population and gender imbalances, and further recognize that empowering women, supporting reproductive choices and providing appropriate reproductive health services to poor individuals and households will break the population-poverty vicious cycle.

6. Recognize that key to achieving the ICPD goals and MDGs is empowering people and community for better knowledge, attitude, and full participation. Putting people first with a focus on a healthy life, education, and improvement of income, with special attention to the poor is likely to achieve these goals.

7. Recognize with concern that the reduction of stigma, using all approaches including cultural and religious approaches, is a critical element for the promotion of integrated reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programmes.

8. Recognize the responsibility of Governments to ensure the availability of quality, affordable and essential drugs and commodities, particularly those required for reproductive health.

9. Recognize that in some of the poorest communities the unmet need for contraception continues to rise, while excess manufacturing capacity exists for contraceptive production in several developing countries.

10. Recognize that information systems in our countries require strengthening to meet the demands of formulating, implementing and monitoring MDGs.

COMMITMENTS

1. Commit to implement universal access to reproductive health by 2015 and to include it in comprehensive national development strategies to attain the agreed international development goals including the MDGs and to report on it in MDG monitoring.

2. Commit ourselves to do our utmost to mobilize our own domestic resources for attaining the ICPD goals and the MDGs.

3. Urge developed countries to increase their Official Development Assistance (ODA) so as to reach the internally agreed target of 0.7 per cent of GDP of OECD countries by 2015, while acknowledging our appreciation to those countries that have already reached the target and to those that have recently agreed to reach it in the near future.

4. Further urge the developed countries to cancel or provide greater relief to debt owed by the poorest countries.

5. Request multilateral and bilateral donors to continue funding HIV/AIDS programmes and to support initiatives that promote linkages between reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.

6. Appreciate the continued support and assistance provided by UNFPA to all our countries, and request the Fund to further increase its support to South-South cooperation activities inn our countries as also to the Partners in Population and Development.

7. Urge international donors to provide support to PPD Secretariat for launching programmes to build the capacity of programme professionals of Member Countries in line with ICPD.

8. Urge Governments, the multilateral and bilateral donors, civil society organizations and other partners to promote stronger linkages between reproductive health and HIV/AIDS to:

(i) enhance synergy;
(ii) improve resource efficiency;
(iii) expand access to and improve the quality of services.

9. Call on Governments and their development partners to facilitate stronger linkages and integration through strengthened health systems by:

(i) improving human resource capacity and availability;
(ii) developing institutional capacities and availability;
(iii) strengthening the coordination of planning and management cycles for reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programmes.

10. Urge stakeholders to take all possible measures to eliminate stigma and discriminatory attitudes against persons infected with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS.

11. Call on PPD to build the evidence base and to commit to the integration of reproductive health and HIV/AIDS and Operational research should be strengthened.

12. Call on governments and international donors, as a matter of urgency, to secure firm political commitment for ensuring the availability and accessibility of affordable and quality reproductive health commodities, especially for the poor, the disadvantaged and underserved groups.

13. Encourage the use of quality generic drugs, to help address the commodity supply and security needs of lower and middle income countries, provided that the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and production facilities conform to internationally accepted Good Manufacturing Practices; that data are available to comply with regulatory requirements; and their cost remains significantly lower than other branded products.

14. Urge South-South collaboration to maximize economic advantages, while ensuring that government tenders include quality criteria. In this context, we urge the rapid development of prequalification criteria and their implementation for reproductive health commodities and particularly hormonal contraceptives.

15. Encourage South-south collaboration in the transfer of manufacturing technology of appropriate reproductive health commodities particularly to Africa

PPD FOLLOW UP

1. Commit ourselves to share with each other lessons learned and experiences gained in our countries through high-level policy dialogues in key areas of significance to achieve the ICPD goals and MDGs.

2. Commit ourselves to address the capacity development issues through effective global and other partnerships.

3. Commit ourselves to further promote South-South cooperation by incorporating it in our national strategies and national projects.

4. Commit ourselves to develop a concrete action plan for projects on South-South programmes

5. Seek commitment by larger and more developed countries of the PPD Alliance to strengthen the capacities of needy member countries particularly least developed countries of alliance in areas that are vital to them.

6. Urge follow up action by WHO on various recommendations contained in this Declaration.

7. Strongly commit ourselves to promote, execute, follow up and monitor the implementation of this Agra Declaration that will immensely contribute to the attainment of ICPD goals and MDGs, particularly in low income and the least developed countries.

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