A high-level delegation from the Lao PDR, composed of representatives from the Ministries of Health and Planning and Investments and the Permanent Mission in New York led by H.E Minister of Health, Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, attended the 57th Session of Commission on Population and Development (57th CPD) on 29 April -3 May 2024 at the Headquarter of the United Nations (UN) in New York, United States of America.
The session was attended by representatives of state members of the Commission. Observers for other States Members of the United Nations, non-member States and intergovernmental organizations, and representatives of the United Nations organizations as well as non-governmental organizations.
The CPD57, under the theme of “Assessing the status of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development” represent a centerpiece of the intergovernmental review of the ICPD Programme of Action on its 30th anniversary, bringing together the nationals, regional and global reviews.
On the first day of the CPD57, the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the ICPD Programme of Actions was successfully held, convened by the President of the General Assembly (PGA). featured high level UN officials, Ministerial speakers and interactive discussion focusing on various themes related to the ICPD agenda.
On behalf of the Lao government, Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health delivered a national statement in line with the key recommendations of the National Conference on Population and Development and in support of the Lao Socio-Economic Development Plan and National Population and Development Policy. He highlighted the nation progress in increasing family planning uptake, skilled birth attendance and primary school enrolment, as well as achieving a decline in maternal mortality ratio, reaffirming the national commitment to accelerating the implementation of the ICPD PoA and SDGs on the way to zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero gender-based violence, harmful practices and child marriages. In addition, special attention was given to the demographic transition and harnessing the demographic dividend, empowering the people of Lao PDR, especially focusing on young and future generations. The Lao government will continue its efforts to attain the 2030 agenda in the remaining period. The national statement focused on reaffirming and prioritizing the following areas:
First, harnessing the demographic dividend by:
Developing a multi-sectoral roadmap to accelerate the implementation of the National Population and Development Policy through integration into the National Socio-Economic Development Plan, sectoral plans, and sub-national frameworks.
Scaling up comprehensive sexuality education and reinvigorating the “Noi framework” and “Noi ecosystem” to empower adolescent girls and boys in partnership with regional and global development partners.
Prioritizing and integrating population dynamics and mega-trends, such as the demographic transition, disparities, digitalization, and climate change in the next 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan and,
Establishing a National Coordination Committee on Population and Development.
Second, addressing climate challenges faced by the health sector and other social sectors by:
Increasing investments for building a resilient healthcare system, including life-saving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) response services.
Generating robust evidence and data focusing on the social and gender dimensions of climate change, including SRH and GBV to inform national strategies and other action plans.
Establishing a dedicated network of actors on climate change and women’s and girls’ rights, comprising government institutions, private sector and civil society.
Third, improving people’s health and well-being, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights by:
Increasing investments in family planning and mobilizing partnerships and resources for national family planning programmes through developing a comprehensive family planning strategy and cost-implementation plan.
Increasing investments in midwifery regulations, associations and education through developing a national midwifery strategy and cost-implementation plan.
Investing in youth-friendly health services inclusive of vulnerable groups.
Fourth, strengthening the population data governance system and national monitoring frameworks for socio-economic development by:
Prioritizing and ensuring the use of the 2025 Population and Housing Census and surveys to inform the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan.
Investing in evidence generation on mega-trends, such as climate change, demographic transition, disparities and digitalization for strategic policy-making and programming
Reinforcing the national administrative data governance system, including civil registration and vital statistics, and
Fifth, harnessing and ensuring the use of all domestic resources and actors, including the private sector and civil society in support of policy implementation by:
Using new technologies, science and technology innovations, promoting entrepreneurship and job creation to Leave No One Behind.
In addition to the above statement, the Lao delegation led by the Minister of Health jointly organized a side event with two other ASEAN countries: the Kingdom of Cambodia and Vietnam in partnership with UNFPA and with support of the Government of Australia through DFAT, under the theme: Advancing the ICPD POA – demonstrating how the ICPD PoA contributes to sustainable development in the Mekong: Sub-themes National mechanisms and commitment, family planning, reducing maternal mortality, comprehensive sexuality education. More than 40 participants attended the discussions. The three countries will keep the momentum to continue further discussion on strengthening the joint efforts through south-south and triangulation cooperation frameworks to accelerate the ICPD POA implementation in the region.
It was also noted that as the Lao PDR assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship, the Government will continue to build upon the past achievements of the ASEAN community in advancing sustainable development and strengthening the ASEAN connectivity, resilience and South-South cooperation, including in the framework of the ICPD PoA and SDGs.
At the CPD57 all member and non-member states adopted key documents as follows: 1) Draft proposed programme plan for 2025; 2) Declaration on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development; 3) The provisional agenda of the fifty-eighth session of the Commission and 4) Report of the Commission on its fifty-seventh session to implement the unfinished agenda of ICPD POA through national, regional and global cooperation and processes with encouraging all key stakeholders including private sectors, CSOs and development partners.
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UNFPA, the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, works in over 150 countries, including Lao PDR, to achieve zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based violence.
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