On 14 March 2018, member states convened at the Africa Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in New York under the auspices of the AU Bureau to prepare for the 51st session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD). One of the recommendations from that meeting was that Africa develops a Common Position of Population and Development issues. Later, the 2019 status of Africa’s Population purposed to have a Common African Position on Population and Development report that will deal with issues related to advancing Agenda 2063 and the population related sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Africa.
Against this background, the Department of social affairs of the African Union Commission (AUC), under the leadership of the African Population Experts Committee (APEC) has undertaken five (5) regional consultations and consultive meetings with the island states and the civil society towards the development of the Common African Position on Population and Development. The virtual consultative meetings with various member states representatives were held from September 2019 and more consultations convened from September to October 2020.
The consultative meetings provided a platform for civil society and key regional population representatives on the continent to exchange their experiences and share challenges. This is with the view of identifying population and development issues that are of concern and existing approaches towards advancing Africa’s population and development agenda.
Recalling the Constitutive Act of the African Union the consultations aimed to advance the Heads of State and Government, commitment in emphasizing Africa’s place in the world. They endeavored to have Africa take her rightful place in political, security, economic and social systems of global governance towards the realization of its renaissance and establishing Africa as a leading continent.
The meetings further provided member states the chance to identify contentious and diverging issues aligned to population and development within their regions and establish possible solutions and recommendations to address them. Member states aim to use the CAP on Population and Development to facilitate the building of consensus on matters of population and development in order to ‘speak with one voice’ on Population and Development issues at national, regional, and global fora.
Furthermore, the Commission has undertaken the development of a Common Africa Position on Population and Development under the theme ‘Status of Africa’s Population: A Common African Position on Population and Development’. The CAP will be guided by policy frameworks linked to population and development issues, shared values and the various commitments both at continental and international forums.
The final draft Common African Position on Population and Development shall go through a validation process in 2021 by the fourth Specialized Technical Committee on Health, Population and Drug Control (STC-HPDC-4) before its onward adoption by the Assembly.
