BY PRUDENCE WANZA- Nairobi will host the high profiled ICPD25 summit from 12th November 2019.
The Summit will be a watershed moment for women and girls everywhere. Taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 12-14 November 2019, it will bring together governments, civil society, academic institutions the private sector and others.
Participants will be encouraged to announce commitments to help the world finally and fully realize the visionary Programme of Action agreed to by 179 governments in 1994 at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
The Programme of Action recognized that reproductive health and rights, as well as women’s empowerment and gender equality, are cornerstones of population and development programmes.
An inclusive forum
The Nairobi Summit will be an inclusive forum, welcoming heads of state, ministers, parliamentarians, thought-leaders, technical experts, civil society organizations, grassroots organizations, young people, business and community leaders, faith-based organizations, indigenous peoples, international financial institutions, people with disabilities, academics and many others working towards the pursuit of sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Representatives of the Governments of Kenya and Denmark, two co-conveners of the Summit, were among the first to register at a celebratory event today at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
Ambassador Benson Ogutu of Kenya and Mette Knudsen, the ambassador of Denmark to Kenya, were among the high-level attendees. Both encouraged interested parties to register to attend.
“The Government of Kenya will do its best to make sure that the Summit is seamlessly done,” Ambassador Ogutu said.
“On behalf of Denmark we’re happy that we’ve been given the opportunity to co-convene this very important summit. We all now need to lobby for high-level representation as this conference is also the basis for achieving SDGs,” said Ambassador Knudsen, referring to the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNFPA Chief of Staff, Pio Smith added that the opening of registration is an important milestone as the world looks forward to the Summit. “It is the day we have been waiting for,” he said.
