The Commission on Population and Development emerged from the UN General Assembly resolution 49/128 of December 1994 following the first commission on population in 1946 under resolution 3 (III) of UN ECOSOC. It is a three-tiered intergovernmental mechanism that plays the primary role in the follow-up to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and that the Commission, as a functional commission assisting the Council, would monitor, review and assess the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national, regional and international levels and advise the Council thereon as quoted by the official UN web sources.

Executive Director SM Shaikat speaks at the CPD56 session at UN HQ

SERAC-Bangladesh, being an active member of civil society stakeholders in the Asia-Pacific region, and a UN Ecosoc Special Consultative organization, representing Bangladesh, has joined this year’s 56th Commission on Population and Development at the UN Headquarters in New York. Over this one week from 10th of April, 2023 we have engaged with representatives of regional and international bodies, CSOs, networks, and member states including Bangladesh permanent mission to the UN. SERAC was represented by our Executive Director SM Shaikat and he was invited to deliver a statement at one of the sessions on 12th of April in which he highlighted the challenges combined with data on what children and young people are facing in Bangladesh, and the Asia-Pacific, especially around.

ED meets the Bangladesh delegation including the Deputy Head of Mission at CPD56

The statement focused on comprehensive sexuality education, employment, and universal healthcare, and quality education, which were core to the theme of this year CPD56- Population, Education and Sustainable Development.

CPD56 side event

Additionally, SERAC-Bangladesh co-hosted a side event on CSE in the Asia-Pacific region on 11th of April at the UN Church Center in Manhattan, NY together with the Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APA), Permanent Mission of Australia to the UN, WOREC Nepal, Family Planning NSW Australia, Global Partnership Forum for CSE to influence the policy discussions around the topic at CPD proceedings.

CPD56 has experienced a great set of conversations among the member states where some crucial and positive inputs by Sweden, Denmark, Ghana, Finland, The Netherlands remain leading the vocals to adopt a positive statement around CSE and inclusive education.