Photo caption: Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo (center), Permanent Representative and Chair of the 55^th Session of the Commission on Population and Development, presides the opening segment of the meeting. In photo (L-R): Ms. Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ms. Cherith Norman Chalet, Assistant Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM), and keynote speaker Professor Jayati Gosh from the Department of Economics of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.  (Photo Credit: New York PM)

 

UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 29 April 2022 – The 55^th Session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD55), chaired by Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations, successfully concluded with the adoption by consensus of an action-oriented resolution on its special theme: “Population and sustainable development, in particular sustained and inclusive economic growth.” 

After more than three weeks of intergovernmental negotiations, Member States reached an agreement on a resolution that recognizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on societies and economies, including on employment and working conditions, education, health, trade, travel and agriculture. The document also recognizes key elements of inclusive and sustained economic growth, which includes full and productive employment and decent work for all without discrimination, social protection, equal pay for work of equal value, and ending child labor and eradicating forced labor. It also includes the role of women and girls as agents of change and for development, international trade as an engine for inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction, the role of MSMEs in social and economic development, and the need for inclusive and equitable education and lifelong learning.

“By focusing on Chapter III of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the Commission has undertaken, for the first time in 28 years, a comprehensive assessment of critical linkages between population and sustainable development, with particular attention to sustained and inclusive economic growth,” Ambassador Manalo said in his closing remarks.

The 55^th Session of the Commission was held from 25-29 April 2022 through a mix of in-person and hybrid meetings.

At the sidelines of the session, the Philippines also organized events to exchange best practices and experiences on issues related to the special theme. The Philippines partnered with Indonesia for the side event on “Economic development and demographic dividend among ASEAN countries” which included a discussion on strategies to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the economy, education and health. The Philippines and Hungary, as co-chairs of the Group of Friends in support of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities, also held a side event to highlight the importance of increased investments in WASH services in healthcare facilities. END

 

Photo caption: Ambassador Enrique Manalo presides over the closing segment of the 55^th Session of the Commission on Population and Development. The Commission adopted by consensus the resolution on the special theme “Population and sustainable development, in particular sustained and inclusive economic growth. (Photo Credit: New York PM)

 

Photo Caption: CPD55 Chair Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo (center), with his Bureau Members (L-R) Ms. Mayra Lisseth Sorto (El Salvador), Vice Chair for the Group of Latin America and Caribbean Countries, Mr. Antonin Bieke (Côte d’Ivoire), Vice Chair for the African Group, Ms. Sara Offermans (Netherlands), Vice Chair for the Western European and Others Group, and Mr. Andrei Nicolenco (Moldova), Vice Chair for the Eastern European Group. (Photo Credit: New York PM)