UNFPA constituted a global High-Level Commission (HLC) for accelerated implementation of 1,250 commitments made voluntarily by the Governments and other related stakeholders at Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 aimed at accelerating the promise of the ICPD. The PPD Board Secretary Ms. Lindiwe Zulu MP, Hon. South African Minister of Social Development (DSD), as one of the leading members of the Commission and on behalf of PPD Board Members, made a visionary Statement at the First Session of High-Level Commission (HLC) on the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, held virtually on 17 September 2020.
The Hon. PPD Board Secretary commenced her brief statement by thanking Dr. Natalia Kanem for leading the process and H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, Former President of Tanzania, Co-Chair of the High-Level Commission (HLC).
She committed the Government of South Africa through her Ministry as well as the Department of Social Development (DSD) to make the utmost contribution to the activities of the Commission and strongly emphasized that South Africa would appreciate if the Commission make deeper focus for promoting South-South Cooperation (SSC) for accelerated implementation of Nairobi Commitments, specially empowerment of women, gender equity and equality, sexual and reproductive health, youth and demographic dividend. She added that developing countries can learn a lot from each other as they face similar challenges and reiterated that the mechanism of South-South Cooperation (SSC) as led by PPD should be strengthened to accelerate achievement of Nairobi Commitments. She added that the South African President, as the current Chair of African Union, is promoting the demographic dividend as the youths are the potential forces for changes in the future.
She concluded her statement by saying that the ongoing Pandemic proved the fragility of our systems indicating inadequate health systems, structural inequalities and environmental degradation.