The United Nations has, over the last few of years, been
working to establish the basis of the next phase of its development agenda as
many of its earlier programmes are coming to an end. The International
Conference on Population and Development (otherwise known as ICPD or Cairo)
which commenced in 1994 will end in December 2014, the Women’s Conference
(known as Beijing) and the Millennium Development Goals end a year later in
December 2015.
A series of meetings and conferences have been held in
different parts of the world to try to establish the different regional
priorities. Needless to say this process is targeted by ideologues who are
determined to ensure that the final outcome documents contain their deadly
anti-life and family agenda.
One such process known as the ICPD Beyond 2014 Review, is
according to a UN website ‘an opportunity to influence the future of global
population and development policy at national, regional and global levels,
providing a once in a generation chance to define what needs to be done to
deliver a more equal, more sustainable world for the 7 billion people - and
more - who share it.’
The process is geared to identify progress and achievements
towards the goals set out in the Cairo International Conference on Population
and Development.
One significant attempt to include this agenda was rejected
last year in the Rio + 20 Conference.
Another attempt was made during the most recent UNECA African
regional conference, which took place in Addis Ababa from Sept 30th
to October 4th, the purpose of which was to conclude a draft development
agenda for the African region. A major controversy erupted as a result of
attempts by sexual rights activists to include issues such as abortion and
sexual orientation in the text. This resulted in 17 of the African Nations in
attendance issuing strong reservations to the text which has been called the Addis
Ababa Declaration but which has not yet been published in its final form.
In a press release, the United Nations Economic Commission
for Africa (UNECA) noted that 17 countries expressed reservations on three of
the commitments in the final document and one the Delegate from Chad told the
meeting “It must be put on record that Chad is not party to this declaration,”
which he described as being “a subtle way of introducing something which may
catch some countries unawares.”. The Zambia Daily Mail reported that “the
majority delegates shot down a clause that would seek to promote gay and
lesbian rights,” adding that this was “a clear reflection of the position of
most African countries on homosexuality.”
The African
conference was the last in a series of 4 regional conferences and discussions
now move back to UN headquarters in New York
