ICPD30 High Level Celebration

2024 marks the 30 year anniversary of the groundbreaking ICPD Programme of Action, which placed human rights solidly at the center of the population and development discourse.

Since then, the world has moved towards a reduction in unmet need for contraception, towards fewer maternal deaths and lower levels of child marriage and female genital mutilation.

But not fast enough.

We need to accelerate efforts significantly if we want to reach SDG targets on
achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights,
reducing global maternal death rates,ending of all forms of gender-based discrimination, and eliminating harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM).

In addition, the world has changed significantly since 1994. This is true whether we focus on broad, global trends as linked to demography, climate change, and AI / our online presence, or whether the focus is on individual lives where rights and choices are now framed both within discussions of diversity, bodily autonomy, and reproductive justice and within discussions of the role of family, norms, and culture – with tensions between opposing viewpoints.

To commemorate the significance of the ICPD and to bring the discussion up to date, UNFPA Nordic Representation office has invited the torch bearers of the ICPD to share their views on the state of affairs of the ICPD agenda.