Nairobi Commitments and the 2030 Agenda: Taking stock and looking ahead in post COVID-19 crisis
Session 1: Implementation of the Nairobi Commitments through South-South Cooperation in the post-COVID-19 era which will take place on Thursday, 19 November 2020 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. GMT.
Session 2: Youth Engagement through South-South Cooperation in Advocacy and Innovative Programming which will take place on Friday, 27 November 2020, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. GMT.
Ministerial Session: Promoting South-South Cooperation for Attaining Nairobi Commitments and the Agenda 2030 which will take place on Tuesday, 8 December 2020 , 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. GMT.
Background
This technical session is jointly organized by PPD, the National Health Commission of China (NHC) and UNFPA on how countries in the South will be able to work together during the post-COVID-19 period in implementing the Nairobi Summit commitments through South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSC) and multilateralism. These agencies recognize the urgent need to identify the solutions in population and development and reproductive health for countries in the South post-COVID-19. The pandemic has had a profound impact in particular on women, adolescents and elderly population in how they access and utilize SRH services including unmet needs for family planning and maternal and child health. COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated gender-based violence and created additional challenges everywhere in the world that hindered the advance towards the achievement of the Nairobi Summit Commitments, particularly the Three Zeros. In order to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and addressing the COVID-19 impact, it is important for developing countries to adopt or strengthen national policies to advance South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation, and to enhance the capacity of national and sub-national coordination mechanisms, as appropriate, in order to improve policy coordination, the sharing of knowledge, lessons learned and good practices, and the adaptation of such practices as recommended in the outcome document of the BAPA+40 UN Conference held in March 2019 in Buenos Aires. This session will bring technical experts, political leaders and policymakers together to innovate and establish action-driven solutions to address the critical challenges that countries of the South are faced with in working to attain the Three Zeros through South-South cooperation. It will highlight the following:
- What thus far is the progress towards the Commitments, and challenges ahead?
- How has the pandemic affected the drive to achieve the ICPD PoA?
- How can we strengthen the capacity of health systems in post-COVID-19 using the knowledge, lessons learned and technical partnerships through SSC?
- How to enhance the capacity of national and sub-national coordination mechanisms for stepping up South-South and triangular cooperation
Objective
Momentum renewed towards the achievement of the Nairobi Commitments through South-South Cooperation in a post-COVID-19 context
Resources
- Opening Remarks by Mr. Adnene Ben Haj Aissa, Executive Director, PPD [VIDEO]
- Remarks by the Moderator Mr. Tarik Iziraren, Deputy Director for Policy and Strategic Partnerships, UNOSSC [VIDEO]
- Keynote remarks by Mr. Mabingue Ngom, Regional Director, UNFPA, West and Central Africa Regional Office, Senegal [VIDEO] [Statement]
- Presentation by Ms. Gabriela Rodríguez Ramírez, Board Member of PPD, and Secretary-General, Consejo Nacional de Población (CONAPO, Mexico), Secretaría de Gobernación Technical, Mexico [VIDEO] [Presentation]
- Presentation by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Rizal Martua Damanik, Deputy for Training, Research and Development, National Population and Family Planning Board (NPFPB-BKKBN), Indonesia [VIDEO] [Statement]
- Presentation by Dr. Letitia Adelaide Appiah, Board Member of PPD, and Executive Director, National Population Council, Ghana [VIDEO]
- Download Flyer [PDF]
Background
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its recovery efforts have to mainstream young peoples’ voices, actions and initiatives, capitalizing on their creativity and enthusiasm to build back better and stronger. From the onset of the pandemic, young people started to meaningfully engage as service providers, educators and change agents among their peers, communities and their countries. Policy makers need to provide more opportunities for young people to contribute as young professionals, mobilizers and activists. They should include them in key consultations and decision-making processes, listening to and integrating their views and suggestions when planning for and implementing the collective response to COVID-19. The engagement of youth in formal political mechanisms contributes to more effective and sustainable policies, whilst at the same time helping to restore young people’s trust in governance mechanisms and processes during these trying times.
The challenges humanity currently faces due to the COVID-19 pandemic require concerted action, global solidarity and meaningful engagement of young people to be addressed. The power of new technologies and modes of communication have been crucial dimensions in transforming young people’s engagement and how their voices are much more easily expressed and amplified in countries of the South. Since these countries host a large proportion of the world’s youth, involving young people in the region will be critical to advance progress to achieve sustainable development and ensure no one is left behind.
Partners in Population and Development (PPD), National Health Commission of China (NHC) and UNFPA are jointly organizing this technical session to facilitate an exchange among Southern countries to support and accelerate proactive youth engagement to advocate for and implement innovative programs for the full achievement of the ICPD unfinished business during the post-COVID-19 period. This session will be dedicated to discuss experiences, share successful examples of engaging youth in advocacy, program implementation, and leveraging innovation to move forward the ICPD agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the Decade of Action, in the COVID-19 context. The session will include:
- Provide a platform for young people to advocate for the ICPD and share the main achievements and the challenges remaining;
- Discussions on the importance of investing in youth to achieve sustainable development;
- Mainstream young peoples’ voices, and showcase their actions and initiatives for people-centered, equitable and innovative engagement and contributions, including during the COVID-19;
- Discussion on the role of innovation, technology, creativity, data, youth voices and collective action in amplifying results and scaling up progress through South-South cooperation to deliver on the promises of Cairo and the SDGs.
Objective
Reinvigorate and expand meaningful youth engagement and leadership through South-South cooperation to push forward the ICPD agenda on all fronts.
Resources
- Remarks by the Moderator Mr. Gaoshan Junjian, UNFPA China [VIDEO]
- Welcoming remarks Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, Secretary General’s Youth Envoy [VIDEO]
- Keynote remarks by H.E. Ms. Lindiwe Zulu, MP, Honourable Minister for Social Development, Government South Africa, and Secretary, PPD Board [VIDEO] [Statement]
- Remarks by: Ms Michele Belfor, Youth Activist, Suriname [VIDEO]
- Presentation by Mr. Aktaruzzaman Khan Kabir, Director General, Directorate of Youth and Development, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Bangladesh [VIDEO] [Presentation]
- Remarks by Mr. Weng Xuanchen, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China [VIDEO] [Statement]
- Presentation by Mr. Ramanou Djawad, UNFPA Benin – Tech4Youth [VIDEO] [Presentation]
- Download Flyer [PDF]
Background
High-level political reconfirmation is essential for realizing Nairobi Commitments to end all maternal deaths, unmet need for family planning and gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls by 2030. Governments made commitments during the Nairobi Summit so we need to understand now how far countries have included their commitments into the national development plans along with specific budget lines. This ministerial session is jointly organised by PPD, National Health Commission of China (NHC) and UNFPA. This discussion is particularly important for leveraging South-South cooperation to achieve the Commitment within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The session discussion would include:
- Integrating Nairobi Summit commitments into national development plan to achieve the Three Zeros and the 2030 Agenda
- Impact of COVID-19 on health system, particularly on SRH services
- Analysis of needs around domestic investments in response to COVID-19 crisis
- Promote SSC for global advocacy, sharing knowledge, technical cooperation and capacity development towards achieving Three Zeros
The ministerial session will conclude with the adoption of a Call of Action by the ministers and the participants. The Call for Action will be drafted through consultation among PPD member countries and UNFPA.
Objective
Advocate and ensure political support and investment to address the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in the achievement of the Three Zeros by 2030 through promoting South-South and triangular cooperation.
Resources
Introductory Remarks: Mr. Adnene Ben Haj Aissa, Executive Director, PPD [VIDEO]
Statement by H.E. Ms. Lindiwe Zulu, MP, Secretary, PPD Board and Honourable Minister for Social Development, Government South Africa [VIDEO]
Opening Remarks: H.E. Dr. Yu Xuejun, Vice Minister, National Health Commission, Government of China [VIDEO]
Statement By H.E. Dr. Isatou Touray, Board Member of PPD, and Honorable Vice President, Government of the Gambia [VIDEO] [Statement]
Statement By H.E. Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Vice-Chair, PPD Board and Honorable Minister, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India [VIDEO]
Keynote Address: Dr. Natalia Kanem, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNFPA Executive Director [VIDEO]
Panelist: Dr. Habib Ghedira, President, Director-General and Treasurer of PPD Board, National Board for Family and Population, Ministry of Health, Government of Tunisia [VIDEO] [Statement]
Panelist: Ms. Gabriela Rodríguez Ramírez, Board Member of PPD, and Secretary-General, Consejo Nacional de Población (CONAPO, Mexico), Secretaría de Gobernación Technical, Mexico [VIDEO]
Panelist: Dr. Mohamed A. Sheikh, Honorable Member, PPD Board and Director General National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), Government of Kenya [VIDEO]
Closing remarks by H.E. Dr. Shah Faisal Sultan, Honorable Minister Federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Government of Pakistan [VIDEO] [Statement]
Call for Action – [ENGLISH] [FRENCH]
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