Recognising that the size, structure and distribution of the world’s population has profound implications for the global effort to promote sustainable development, countries will assess the latest population trends, policies and programmes at the Commission on Population and Development from April 1 to 5 at UN Headquarters in New York.
The Commission will examine the gains that have been made in implementing the Programme of Action adopted at the landmark International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo 25 years ago, as well as the gaps and shortfalls in achieving its goals and objectives. The full implementation of the Programme of Action is critical for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
According to the United Nations, the world’s population, estimated at 7.7 billion in 2019, is projected to increase to around 9.7 billion in 2050. By the 2060s, fertility is projected to reach 2.1 births per woman, the rate required for populations to stabilise in the long run. While life expectancy has increased in all world regions, the current gap in life expectancy between the more and least developed regions is 15 years.
While child mortality rates have fallen by half since 1994, the under-five mortality rate of a child born in the more developed regions is 15 times higher than that of a child born in sub-Saharan Africa. By 2050, the proportion of persons aged 65 years or over is projected to reach 28 per cent in Europe and to 23 per cent in Northern America. During the next 20 years, 90 per cent of urban growth will take place in Africa and Asia.
Government policies to expand access to sexual and reproductive health care services, including family planning, and policies to improve education quality and access amplify the potential gains from the demographic dividend and support a virtuous cycle of development.
Ensuring sustainable patterns of consumption and production is critical to meet the demand for resources from growing and more prosperous future generations.
The event will be graced by Ms. Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General; Ms. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director; Ms. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs; and Ms. Ashley Judd, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador.
