In 2012, AIDS Accountability International (AAI) and The African Union Commission (AUC) recognised the need for greater African civil society organisation (CSO) representation in the International Conference on Population Development (ICPD) process.

It was decided to create The African Common Position Paper (ACP) on ICPD to reflect and include the perspectives, recommendations and expertise of African stakeholders.

The African Common Position on ICPD contains a set of recommendations which are aimed at national governments so as to address population and development issues.  It will form part of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in September in Addis Ababa, where Ministers in charge of Population will adopt the continental report on ICPD @ 20 African Common Position once reviewed by the AUC and the African Union Ministers in charge of population.

Upon approval the final version of the ACP will be taken to the General Assembly in 2014 at the ICPD Review as the principal document that reflects the African position on ICPD as we go forward.

This project is supported by Ford Foundation South Africa.

The structure and language of the document

Expert input

This document is the result of widespread E-consultation during which feedback was garnered and incorporated into the document from experts across Africa. AAI and the AUC also held two face-to face community consultation meetings in late 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa and in Dakar, Senegal to gain input.

Framework

The ACP Paper is based on a human rights lens, and thus uses the following framework:

The main objective of all development policies and programmes and their implementation is to fulfil human rights.

Both rights-holders and duty-bearers are identified throughout the document, as a means to better identify the needs and entitlements of the former, and the obligations and duties of the latter. It also speaks to where capacity is lacking in order to empower the former to hold the latter accountable.

Commitments

More than 20 declarations, charters, action plans and protocols exist which address gaps in the rights and welfare of the child, rights of women, sexual and reproductive rights, human rights, civil and political Rights; economic, social and cultural rights; infectious diseases, discrimination against women, population and development, gender and development, gender mainstreaming, peace and security, maternal mortality etc. (A list can be found attached as Annex 1.) This document is cognisant of these commitments but speaks principally to the ICPD Plan of Action.

DOWNLOAD THE AFRICAN COMMON POSITION PAPER HERE:AAI AUC Ford Civil Society African Common Position Paper on ICPD 2013 April

We are deeply grateful to Ford Foundation South Africa for their support of this work.

SIGN-ON

To sign on and endorse the Civil Society African Common Position please send an email to phillipa[at]aidsaccountability.org

Endorsements from around the world will be included, however individuals and organisations from Africa will be placed on a separate list from those from non-African countries.

Name:

Position/Job title:

Organisation:

Nationality:

Country:

Email:

Website:

Telephone:

Many thanks to all of you who contributed to making this a true reflection of African voices!

Please note: Minor errors and omissions can still be included. Please send to phillipa[at]aidsaccountability.org

Warmest regards,

Phillipa Tucker

ED at AAI