African Experts Meet to Strengthen Efforts Related to Population, Poverty, HIV/AIDS and Maternal Deaths

DAKAR—More than 400 African experts today began a four-day meeting in Dakar, with the aim of strengthening the implementation of the 1992 Dakar/Ngor Declaration and the Programme of Action of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development.

The meeting, organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, paves the way for a one-day ministerial conference on Friday, 11 June.

“For the few days the conference will last, we shall look into the problems and constraints inhibiting the implementation of the DND and the ICPD Programme of Action and identify the decisive factors facilitating the implementation of activities,” said Josue Dione, the Director of ECA’s Sustainable Development Division, at the opening session.

United Nations figures show that Africa’s population rose from 622.4 million in 1990 to 795 million in 2000, and could reach 1.08 billion in 2015 and 1.29 billion in 2025.

Highlighting the achievements of Africa in population and development, Fama Hane Ba, Director of UNFPA’s Africa Division, said: “We have definitely come a long way since 1994. We now know how to address the many challenges facing the continent; we know what needs to be done. In many areas we know what works. There is a wealth of practices that only need to be scaled up. Governments are showing more commitment and the civil society is getting more involved. New partnerships are emerging, including with the private sector.” [see statement]

Despite the progress, a report prepared for the meeting lists a number of constraints related to poverty reduction, sustainable development, gender equality, the family, youth, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and lack of resources for population programmes. The report, prepared by ECA, is based on a survey covering 43 African States.

The global consensus of Cairo marked a significant shift in the field of population and development, after the adoption by 179 countries of the Cairo Programme of Action. The Programme highlighted the strong links between population and development and shifted the focus of population towards the fulfilment of the needs of men and women, rather than on the pursuit of quantitative demographic goals.

H.E. Mr. Mamadou Sidibe, Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development in Senegal, also addressed the opening session of the meeting.

The Dakar meeting, which ends with Friday’s ministerial session, is part of regional conferences that mark the 10th anniversary of the Cairo Conference. Similar events have already been held in Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Americas.

Contact Information:

Abubakar Dungus
Temp. Phone : +221 521 0975
Email: dungus@unfpa.org