The United Nations 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994, set a bold new vision of the relationships between population, development, and individual rights and well-being. It recognized that population was not about numbers, but about people, and that social, economic, and political equality, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, was the basis for individual well-being and sustainable development.

Since its adoption, five-year periodic reviews have assessed progress towards the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action at national, regional and global levels.

As the international community prepares to mark 30 years of ICPD, the UNECE region remains at the forefront of global demographic transformation. The lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging challenges across the region underline the need for a holistic, rights-based approach to population dynamics and sustainable development.

On 19-20 October 2023, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the United Nations Population Fund Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia will hold a Regional Conference on ICPD30 titled “Population and Development: Ensuring Rights and Choices” to acknowledge progress, identify emerging trends, and highlight priorities for the way forward. The Conference will take place in person at the Palais des Nations, Salle XVIII, Geneva, Switzerland.

The Conference outcomes will inform the global review of the ICPD, which will take place at the 57th Session of the Commission on Population and Development in April 2024.