Two decades after the adoption of the landmark Cairo Programme of Action by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), and a year before the expiration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, a wealth of material is available in Eastern Europe and Central Asia on the progress that has been made and the gaps that still exist in putting the ICPD agenda and the MDG goals into practice.
The EECA region is facing a number of far-reaching demographic changes. Birth rates remain at low levels in many countries of the region, influenced by factors such as high unemployment, uncertain economic prospects, high costs for housing and childcare, and the increasing age of parents at the birth of their first child. At the same time, the number of elderly people is rapidly increasing, affecting the age structure of societies. Life expectancy in the region is increasing for women, but remains stagnant for men, mostly due to lifestyle-related diseases. Family structures are changing, with the size of households decreasing and family support options diminishing. The changing nature of migration has far-reaching effects on societies, both in the sending and receiving countries. For many young people, in particular, transition from one life stage to the next has become ever more complex, as traditional life course planning is complicated by changing societies and economies.
National-level policy-makers must respond and adapt rapidly to these trends in order to meet societies’ development expectations and ensure future prosperity and competitiveness. In some countries of the region this process has already become a priority; in others it is still in its infancy.
That is why UNFPA initiated the regional conference to bring together ministers, high-level officials and experts from the region and to take place on 11-13 June 2014 in Prague, Czech Republic, with the support of MoFA of Czech Republic.
The purpose of the event is to initiate a dialogue among high-level policy-makers and experts aimed at gaining a better understanding of the impact of current demographic changes on societies in the region, and identifying ways to respond through national policies reflecting the principles enshrined in the ICPD Programme of Action and other relevant international documents and instruments.
The event is aimed to focus on two broad areas of critical importance in the region to kick off the dialogue process: (1) adolescents and youth, and (2) family, gender equality and fertility.
The outcome document will include a regional situation analysis based on research completed prior to the event, a summary of interventions by policy-makers and experts, and a list of recommendations made during the meeting, as well as a section on development scenarios. The report will be issued after the event.
The event is also expected to lead to the establishment of a core group of policy-makers willing to act as champions of the dialogue process.
The delegation of Ukraine to participate in the conference is headed by Deputy Minister of Social Policy Ms. Natalia Fedorovych.
InterTV - http://podrobnosti.ua/videoarchive/2014/06/11/7972.html (timing from 20:00)
