- Session 1: Thursday, 19 November 2020 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. GMT
- Session 2: Friday, 27 November 2020, 1:30 p.m. – 03:00 p.m. GMT
- Session 3: Tuesday, 8 December 2020 , 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. GMT
Introduction
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Partners in Population and Development (PPD), and the National Health Commission of China are jointly organizing the 17th International Inter-Ministerial Conference on South-South Cooperation in Population and Development. The Conference, entitled “Nairobi Commitments and the 2030 Agenda: Taking stock and looking ahead in post COVID-19 crisis”, will offer the participants a dynamic debate with southern experts, policy makers, researchers, national partner-agencies, collaborating UN agencies, INGOs/NGOs, civil society organizations, media and academia.
Session 1
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
Target Audience
National partner-agencies, collaborating UN agencies, INGOs/NGOs, civil society organizations, the media and the academia
Language
Simultaneous interpretation for both English and French languages will be available.
Agenda
1- Opening Remarks by Mr. Adnene Ben Haj Aissa, Executive Director, PPD
2- Panel Discussion Moderated by Mr. Tarik Iziraren, Deputy Director for Policy and Strategic Partnerships, UNOSSC.
- Panelist 1: Keynote remarks by Mr. Mabingue Ngom, Regional Director, UNFPA, West and Central Africa Regional Office, Senegal.
- Panelist 2: Ms. Gabriela Rodríguez Ramírez, Board Member of PPD, and Secretary-General, Consejo Nacional de Población (CONAPO, Mexico), Secretaría de Gobernación Technical, Mexico.
- Panelist 3: Prof. Dr. Muhammad Rizal Martua Damanik, Deputy for Training, Research and Development, National Population and Family Planning Board (NPFPB-BKKBN), Indonesia.
- Panelist 4: Dr. Letitia Adelaide Appiah, Board Member of PPD, and Executive Director, National Population Council, Ghana. (10 minutes)
Session 2
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.
Target Audience
Youth leaders and groups, national partner-agencies, collaborating UN agencies, INGOs/NGOs, civil society organizations, media and academia.
Language
Simultaneous interpretation for both English and French languages will be available.
Agenda
1- Welcoming remarks
- Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, Secretary General’s Youth Envoy
2- Panel Discussion – Moderated by Mr. Gaoshan Junjian, UNFPA China
- Panelist 1: Keynote remarks by H.E. Ms. Lindiwe Zulu, MP, Honourable Minister for Social Development, Government South Africa, and Secretary, PPD Board
- Panelist 2: Ms Michele Belfor, Youth Activist, Suriname
- Panelist 3: Mr. Aktaruzzaman Khan Kabir, Director General, Directorate of Youth and Development, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Bangladesh
- Panelist 4: Mr. Weng Xuanchen, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China
- Panelist 5: Mr. Ramanou Djawad, UNFPA Benin – Tech4Youth
3. Interactive session / Q&A
Session 3
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.
Target Audience
National partner-agencies, collaborating UN agencies, INGOs/NGOs, civil society organizations, media and academia
Language
Simultaneous interpretation for both English and French languages will be available.
Agenda
1- Introductory Remarks:
- Mr. Adnene Ben Haj Aissa, Executive Director, PPD
2- Opening Remarks:
- H.E. Dr. Yu Xuejun, Vice Minister, National Health Commission, Government of China (PPD Chair-Country)
3- Statement by:
- H.E. Mr. Harsh Vardhan, Vice-Chair, PPD Board and Honorable Minister, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
4- Keynote Address:
- H.E. Dr. Natalia Kanem, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and UNFPA Executive Director
5- Panel Discussion: Moderated by H.E. Ms. Lindiwe Zulu, MP, Secretary, PPD Board and Honourable Minister for Social Development, Government South Africa
- Panelist 1: H.E. Dr. Isatou Touray, Board Member of PPD, and Honorable Vice President, Government of the Gambia.
- Panelist 2: H.E. Mr. Zahid Maleque, Board Member of PPD, and Honorable Minister, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh.
- Panelist 3: H.E. Professor Benjamin I. B. Hounkpatin, Board Member of PPD, and Honorable Minister of Health, Government of Benin.
- Panelist 4: H.E. Hala Mustafa El Sayed Zayed, Board Member of PPD and Honorable Minister, Ministry of Health and Population, Government of Egypt.
- Panelist 5: H.E. Ms. Zainab S. Ahmed, Honourable Minister for Budget and National Planning, Government of Nigeria.
- Panelist 6: H.E. Mr. David Bahati, Member, PPD Board, Honourable Minister of State for Finance (Planning), Government of Uganda.
- Panelist 7: Dr. Habib Ghedira, President, Director-General and Treasurer of PPD Board, National Board for Family and Population, Ministry of Health, Government of Tunisia.
- Panelist 8: Dr. Mohamed A. Sheikh, Honorable Member, PPD Board and Director General National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), Government of Kenya.
6- Call of Action
- Adoption of the Call for Action: Moderator: Adnene Ben Haj Aissa, Executive Director
- Presentation of the Call for the Action: Dr. Hu Hongtao, Senior Advisor to PPD
7- Closing Remarks:
- H.E. Dr. C. Chiwenga, Board Member of PPD, and Hon. Vice President, Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe