Regional review conference on population and development opens in Dakar

By Yinka Adeyemi, Communication Officer,SDD, ECA 28 May 2004

An ECA regional conference which will review the extent to which African countries have implemented the recommendations of the Dakar/Ngor Declaration (DND) and the programme of action adopted in 1994 in Cairo at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) opens today in Dakar.

DND emerged out of the 3rd African Population Conference which was held in Dakar in 1992 and formed the basis of an African common position presented to ICPD in 1994, the year that a 20-year programme of action was adopted which, among others, urged African countries to integrate population issues in their development strategies.

That 20-year programme has since guided the implementation of health, population, environment and other development policies in Africa.

The 10-year review conference which opens in Dakar today will feature various presentations on the role of the family, gender equality, HIV/AIDS and crisis situations.

ECA's Deputy Executive Secretary, Lalla Ben-Barka will on Friday address the ministerial segment of the conference on behalf of Executive Secretary K.Y. Amoako. The segment, which will be attended by African ministers, will also be addressed by the Executive Director of UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Thoraya Ahmed Obaid and AU Commissioner Bience Gawanas. It will be declared open by President Abdulaye Wade of Senegal.

The ministers are expected to issue a Declaration on the 10th anniversary of the ICPDS and consider for adoption, the 90-page regional review report prepared by ECA with the financial assistance of UNFPA.