World Population Day 2019 was commemorated on 11 July 2019 under the theme 25 years of the ICPD: Accelerating the Promise. The World Population Day was marked by a high level ceremony held in the courtyard of the National Pilot Institute of Health Sciences (NPIHS) used as the venue for the World Population Day Celebration 2019. The ceremony had three key moments: the speech of his H.E. the Minister of Planning, Mr. Pierre Kangudia, the statement by UNFPA Representative in the DR Congo, Dr Sennen Hounton and the presentation on the ICPD @25: Progress and Challenges made by Professor Bernard Lututala.
His Excellency the Minister of Planning Pierre Kangudia said that progress has been made in the DRC. There is recognizable progress although progress has been timid. There is still a long way to go. That is why, he called on all development actors to invest in family planning in order combat maternal mortality and prevent sexual and gender-based violence. He added that investment in family planning can lower the fertility rate and accelerate the demographic transition in order to consolidate human capital in accordance with the 2050 Vision and the National Strategic Development Plan.
UNFPA Representative Dr Sennen Hounton acknowledged that despite the significant gains achieved over the last 25 years, there are still many more ways to keep the promise of Cairo. Too many people continue to be left behind. Too many people still cannot enjoy their rights, he said, arguing that more than 200 million women and girls want to delay or prevent a pregnancy but cannot afford it. It is the poorest women and girls, members of indigenous, rural and marginalized communities and people with disabilities who face the highest risk where there are major gaps in sexual and reproductive health service delivery. Dr. Sennen Hounton added that UNFPA is working with countries and partners to achieve a world envisioned 25 years ago in order to attain three transformative outcomes by 2030, namely Zero Unmet Need for Family Planning; Zero preventable maternal deaths; and Eliminate gender-based violence and harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.
Professor Bernard Lututala gave a presentation on ICPD + 25: Progress and Challenges. UNFPA will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Nairobi Kenya from 12 to 14 November 2019. This conference is considered to be one of the largest ever organized globally, transforming the way countries have begun to address population and sustainable development issues by placing the needs and aspirations of every human being in the world at the center of sustainable development. Universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights has become the cornerstone of new population programs around the world. And the ICPD Program of Action has reaffirmed that all couples and individuals have the fundamental right to freely and responsibly decide the number and spacing of their children and to have access to information, education and information. and the necessary means to do so.
Apart from the official guests, the ceremony was well attended by members of several youth networks. Young people are key stakeholders in the ICPD program. The ICPD Program of Action is at the root of the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted in 2015. Members from AfriYAN DRC will carry out activities during two major events celebrating the 25th anniversary of the ICPD in Nairobi.
