Vientiane (Lao PDR), Lao PDR will be represented by Honourable Professor Doctor Phonethep Pholsena, Chairman of the National Assembly's Social and Cultural Affairs Committee and Honourable Ms. Chanthaboun Phothirath, a Parliamentarian at the Vientiane Province Constituency and President of Lao Women's Union in Vientiane Province, at the 2012 International Parliamentarians' Conference on the Implementation (IPCI) of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (PoA) to be held in Istanbul, Turkey on 24 -25 May, 2012 with the support of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) and the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA.
In a meeting with UNFPA staff before his departure, Professor Dr. Pholsena said "Under the light of ICPD we should place young people's reproductive health as a national priority and ensure they have access to the right information and services. For this, we must involve young people and work closely with them"
"This conference is a great opportunity for Lao Parliamentarians to show to the world that Lao PDR is committed to implementing the ICPD program of action and there are some tangible gains made for her people" said UNFPA's Representative, Dr. Esther Muia.
The ICPD was a global meeting held in Cairo, Egypt in 1994, where 179 countries, including Lao PDR, agreed on concrete strategies to advance gender equality and eliminating violence against women, ensure universal access to reproductive health care, including family planning, assisted childbirth and prevention of sexually transmitted infections including HIV, respond to the needs and interest of adolescents and youth; reduce infant, child and maternal mortality and focus on issues relating to population and protecting the environment. As the programme's twenty year anniversary approaches, the world's nations are getting together again to review the implementation of its programme of action and reaffirm their commitments.
The upcoming conference of parliamentarians in Turkey, provides a platform for dialogue among parliamentarians from all regions of the world once more, on the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action in the past 2 decades, gains made, challenges and exploring how best to move beyond 2014 with enhanced commitment to collective action for increased resource mobilization and creation of an enabling policy environment to respond to concerns of population and development in their respective countries. Lao PDR stands to benefit, from not only sharing their experience but also learning from others, and coming up with innovation towards sustainable development.
Media Contact:
UNFPA: Diego De La Rosa. drosa@unfpa.org / +856-21-315547 ext.116
