The 51st UN Commission on Population and Development* (CPD 51) ended on Friday with negotiations at an impasse. The main point of tension between states remains sexual rights, to which the issue of migration was added this year. This setback strengthens Equipop's determination to work towards the adoption of ambitious language on SRHR at the United Nations, in particular by facilitating the participation of African civil society in UN processes.
For several years now, negotiations at the CPD have been tense around the concept of "sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights," as the concept of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) – which includes sexual rights – is not part of the language agreed upon by the UN. This year again, it was this issue that crystallized tensions, as the views of very conservative countries (the United States, the Vatican, the African Group) differed greatly from those of progressive countries, particularly in Europe. The theme of this 51st commission, "Sustainable Cities, Urban Mobility, and International Migration," further complicated the debate. Indeed, the issue of migration has divided, among others, the countries of the European Union, which are usually in agreement.
During the closing ceremony, the United States and the African Group delivered speeches in which they attempted to blame European countries for the failure of the negotiations, as the latter had rejected a paragraph on state sovereignty. The reality is quite different: it was the United States that did not accept the language agreed upon at the United Nations on sexual and reproductive health, notably at the62nd Commission on the Status of Women, which took place last March.
The failure of negotiations is a direct consequence of the change in the US administration, and makes advocacy for SRHR even more important at all levels. Equipop will continue to push for increasingly progressive international texts in the years to come.
Furthermore, for the second consecutive year, Equipop participated in an initiative to support West African civil society at the UN, with the participation of Equipop's West Africa advocacy hub, SOS/JD, and members of Ivorian civil society. We believe these initiatives are essential to making the voices of African societies heard, as they are too often overlooked in international forums.
*This Commission is responsible for reviewing the progress made since the adoption in 1994 of the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, which established the importance of sexual and reproductive health and well-being for populations.
