Phnom Penh, 30 March 2022: A joint virtual conference on “Official Launch of the Special Committee for Accelerating the ICPD Programme of Action (SC-ICPD-PoA)”, is co-organized today by the General Secretariat for Population and Development, Ministry of Planning, and United Nations For Population  UNFPA, under the chairmanship of H.E. Kitti Settha Pandita CHHAY THAN, Senior Minister, Minister of Planning, aiming for the Sustainable Development Goal from commitment of various stakeholders to achieve the Three Zeros by 2030 (Zero violence or harmful practices against women and girls, Zero unmet needs for contraception, and Zero preventable maternal deaths).

The virtual conference presented the welcome and opening speech by H.E. Kitti Settha Pandita CHHAY THAN, also the Chair of SC-ICPD-PoA, briefing on the background of ICPD and the establishment of SC-ICPD-PoA by the Sub-Degree of Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) No: 212 ANK.BK on November 03, 2021. The Committee composition represents the collective commitments from various line ministries and organizations as the members to support the RGC in monitoring and accelerating the effective and efficient implementation of the ICPD-PoA in the context of the national development frameworks and the Cambodia Sustainable Development Goal aiming at improving people’s welfare, reproductive health, gender equality, access to education, poverty eradication and put an end to gender-based violence.

As a core-part of the launching of SC-ICPD-PoA virtual conference, prominent key players from relevant ministries, and civil society organizations, shared the on-going commitments in the open dialogues and discussion within the topic of “To Achieve Three Zeros by 2030”.

The open dialogue on the Government mechanism put in place and commitments was highly moderated by H.E. Kitti Settha Pandita CHHAY THAN, and was highly participated by H.E. Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister of Ministry of Women’s Affairs, a vice-chairperson of the SC-ICPD-PoA, ensuring the commitments from Ministry of Women’s Affairs in acknowledging to combat the unfinished commitment aiming to achieve Zero violence or harmful practices against women and girls, that is one among the three zeros in which the SC-ICPD-PoA set as the ultimate goal.

The discussion has also brought up the Ministry of Health’s commitment to achieve Zero unmet needs for family planning, and Zero preventable maternal deaths, highly participated in the today conference by H.E. Dr. Mam Bunheng, Minister, Ministry of Health, Vice-chairperson of the SC-ICPD-PoA. The Ministry of Health is taking very important role in implementing the providing of quality comprehensive preventative and response services to women and girls in need of protection and care; a way forward the commitment of SC-ICPD-PoA.

H.E. Dr. Nath Bunroeun, Secretary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, representative of H.E. Minister of MoEYS, a vice-chairperson of SC-ICPD-PoA, emphasized the commitments from MoEYs on how the Ministry ensures that more than 3.5 million young people including vulnerable youth have access to age-appropriate information on sexual & reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through the national curriculum, and capacitating more than 80,000 teachers both in and pre-service on Health and Sexuality Education.

H.E Leng Vy, Secretary of State, Ministry of Interior, a vice-chairperson of SC-ICPD-PoA, acknowledged in the open dialogue in this launching conference on the key contribution and commitment from the Ministry of Interiors in the contribution of the sub-national/local administration to achieve Three-Zeros by 2030.  As one of the articles of the Sub-Decree stated that SC-ICPD shall establish the Municipal-Provincial Committee(s) for population and development where the governors of the Municipality/Provinces are the chairpersons and accompanied by vice-chairperson(s) and members as deemed necessary, the Ministry of Interiors is playing a significance role in ensuring the efficiency of the committee’s management.

Mr. Björn Andersson, UNFPA Regional Director for the Asia and Pacific Regional Office, also commended the RGC and Committee for its important work in ensuring the Cambodia maintains the momentum generated by the landmark Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 in 2019 and delivers on the country’s Commitments made at the Nairobi Summit. He also offered UNFPA the further commitment of support to the country journey towards the achievement of the ICPD-25 which is in turn instrumental in attaining the Cambodia Sustainable Development Goals. While UNFPA Cambodia Country Office serves as a member of SC-ICPD-PoA, UNFPA together with the RGC, other stakeholders and partners, continue to commit to help localizing the SDGs to the Cambodian context to achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, particularly the PoA of ICDP. UNFPA stated it remains committed to continue supporting and encouraging acceleration in the implementation of the PoA and the enabling environment for the participation from the stakeholders both government agencies, development partners, CSOs and private sector.

Civil Society Organization and Non-Government Organization from Reproductive and Child Health Alliance (RACHA) and Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC), the members of the SC-ICPD-PoA, also shared their commitments during the open dialogue and discussion in strongly continuing activities in development plan and strategic framework concerning to population and development. 

The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has been very considerate and proactive in initiating national policies in line with the ICPD’s action plan which led to major achievements including the reduction of the poverty rate, reduction of maternal and child mortality rate to the lowest level the Kingdom has seen, a boost to education and health promotion, and the reduction of violence against women and children. Indeed, formulating this SC-ICPD-PoA for overseeing the implementation of the ICPD-PoA of the Post Nairobi Summit was one of the inter-ministerial mechanism, an initiative from the collaboration of UNFPA and relevant ministries from series of meeting and discussion on the inputs and mechanism to monitor and evaluate the implementation of the ICPD PoA align with RGC’s effort in tackling the common population in the country addressing to the population dynamics in development, migration, urbanization, birth, death; especially the promoting the girls and women status.

The pandemic has undoubtedly set back progress towards our collective goal of a better, more equal future for all women and girls, but that gives every reason for the RGC to up the ante by ramping up effort to accelerate the implementation of ICPD25, focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender, adolescents and youth backed by political will and continued investments that are inclusive and responsive to the needs of all women and girls, is how we can ensure that all women and girls can access the health care and resources they need to claim their bodies and futures.