Under the auspices of the H.E Present Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, UNFPA and the Ministry of Youth launched the Youth Model International Conference on Population and Development on October 16.
The two-day conference is bringing together over 200 young people from 53 countries from around the world, giving them a chance to simulate the landmark ICPD that took place in Cairo in 1994. The ICPD saw the adoption of the Program of Action by 179 countries.
The conference aims to collect the unique insights of young people to advance the ICPD agenda, highlighting their role in working with their governments to ensure the full and accelerated implementation of the ICPD Program of Action within the overall context of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs. Ultimately, it will give young participants the opportunity to voice their opinions and exchange ideas.
The opening saw the attendance of Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Health and Population Dr. Hala Zayed, UNFPA Representative in Egypt Dr. Aleksandar Bodiroza, UN Resident Coordinator Richard Dictus and UNFPA Regional Director Dr. Louay Shabana.
Media personality and UNFPA ambassador Ramy Radwan gave the opening speech, saying “If we work together we can have the world that we want where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.”
In his opening remarks, UNFPA Representative Dr. Aleksandar Bodiroza welcomed young people to this remarkable conference, highlighting their role in advancing the ICPD agenda.
“We gathered today to look at the global progress [with regards to ICPD] and see how young people can help us do better to make sure 2030 within the scope of reality,” Bodiroza said.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Ashraf Sobhy also addressed young people, explaining why ICPD is relevant to them today.
“As a young person, you should live in safety, women should be equally represented in decision-making positions at all levels, your voice deserves to be heard. You need access to knowledge as you transition into adulthood to make informed choices about bodies and your lives,” he said.
Minister of Health and Population, Dr. Hala Zayed, also highlighted the importance of ICPD that took place in 1994 in shedding light on women’s reproductive health and rights.
UNFPA Regional Director Dr. Louay Shabana said that the commitments made at the Youth Model ICPD will make their way to Nairobi.
“We need to speak the language of the youth and present our ideas from a youth perspective,” he said.
UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt emphasized the opportunities ahead of Egypt.
“Egypt’s time is now and the opportunities are clear; they are young, they are educated and healthy, they understand technology, they are global and they are dynamic, creative and
daring. Young people - you are the world’s opportunity,” he said.
The two-day conference consists of an academic segment and a creative segment, eventually leading to youth commitments towards the full implementation of the Program of Action by 2030.
Day 2 will focus on creative learning, where participants will translate the recommendations into creative forms through five workshops on theatre, art, film, dance and social media.
The creative outcomes of the Youth Model ICPD will be presented at the Nairobi summit in November, which will commemorate the 25th anniversary of ICPD.
