A high-level delegation from Partners in Population and Development (PPD) held a bilateral meeting with Ms. Diene Keita, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on 17 April 2025 at UNFPA Headquarters in New York, on the margins of the 59th session of the Commission on Population and Development.
The meeting provided an important platform for reaffirming the longstanding partnership between PPD and UNFPA and for advancing a shared commitment to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Discussions were held under the theme, “Reinvigorating South-South Cooperation and Catalytic Financing for the ICPD Agenda Beyond 2030.”
The PPD delegation was led by Professor Joseph Akinkugbe Adelegan, Executive Director of PPD, and included H.E. Dr. Muhammad B.S. Jallow, PPD Board and Executive Committee Member and Honorable Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia; H.E. Lamin B. Dibba serving as Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of The Gambia to the United Nations in New York; Ms. Angelina Kodua Nyanor, Member of the PPD Board and Acting Executive Director of the National Population Council of Ghana; and other distinguished delegates.
The exchange focused on strengthening strategic alignment between the forthcoming PPD Strategic Plan 2026–2030 and the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026–2029, with particular emphasis on accelerating progress in sexual and reproductive health and rights, reducing preventable maternal deaths, responding to demographic change, and advancing resilience through country-led and rights-based approaches. Both sides underscored the continued relevance of South-South and triangular cooperation as a practical instrument for sharing policy innovation, technical expertise and tested solutions across the Global South.
The discussion also addressed the growing financing constraints affecting population and development programmes, including declining official development assistance for reproductive health. In this context, the meeting explored opportunities for closer collaboration on joint resource mobilization and innovative financing mechanisms to support sustainable investments in family planning, maternal health, healthy ageing and broader population dynamics. The dialogue reflected a shared recognition that catalytic financing and strengthened domestic ownership will be essential to sustaining progress on the ICPD agenda in the years ahead.
During the meeting, the PPD delegation also extended an invitation to Ms. Keita to participate in the 23rd International Inter-Ministerial Conference (IIMC 2026), to be hosted by the Government of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing in October 2026. The conference remains a key platform for political leadership, policy dialogue and international solidarity in support of South-South cooperation on population and development.
Another important area of discussion was the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between PPD and UNFPA, with both sides reflecting on the value of updating the partnership framework in line with emerging global priorities, new strategic cycles and the evolving financing landscape. The meeting further highlighted the importance of developing practical implementation arrangements that can translate institutional commitment into measurable country-level results.
The bilateral engagement concluded with a strong spirit of partnership and mutual resolve. The meeting reaffirmed the determination of PPD and UNFPA to work closely in support of equitable, inclusive and sustainable development outcomes, while strengthening collective action to ensure that the ICPD agenda remains central to global development efforts beyond 2030.
