Madam Chair,

On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the Holy See welcomes the opportunity to assess the state of implementation of the ICPD’s Programme of Action (PoA) in the context of the 2030 Agenda and our efforts towards sustainable development for all.

Much has changed since the international community gathered in Cairo. Today, significant development gains have been made. Yet, amidst these achievements, substantial challenges remain. Foremost among these is the eradication of poverty in all its forms, including extreme poverty. The Holy See reiterates that the persistence of poverty is an affront to the inherent dignity of the person, as reaffirmed in the first principle of the ICPD PoA.

Madam Chair,

Current global population dynamics are at a crossroads. Ageing populations, low fertility rates, international migration, growing youth populations, and huge disparities in birth rates between countries have fundamentally altered population patterns compared to thirty years ago. Such drastic changes, which are still underway today, present both opportunities and challenges for development.

For example, population growth is often erroneously cited as a major cause of the increasing number of people experiencing food insecurity, leading to the conclusion that fertility rate reduction strategies could be the answer. Recent decades have shown that this is not the case. Rather, population growth has gone hand in hand with significant increases in food production, demonstrating that it is fully compatible with shared prosperity and the achievement of integral human development for all.

Consequently, the real challenge before us is not the growing world population, which is a great resource, but rather inequality, poverty and lack of development. The remedy should be sought in genuine, integral and sustainable development efforts, and in particular in policies and programmes that promote employment, ensure investment in basic public services for all, foster good stewardship of resources, including natural resources, and, above all, support the family.

Madam Chair,

The thirtieth anniversary of the ICPD coincides with the thirtieth anniversary of the International Day of the Family. In this context, the Holy See wishes to recall that the ICPD PoA recognises that “the family is the basic unit of society and as such should be strengthened”.[1] Any discussion of the implementation of the PoA, or indeed, of any development policy, should heed this call to ensure that the family is given due consideration and that it is provided with comprehensive protection and support.

As we move towards the implementation of the ICPD PoA within the remaining years of the 2030 Agenda, Pope Francis affirms that “every human being has the right to live with dignity and to develop integrally.”[2] This requires the promotion of a vision of development that not only respects but actively safeguards the God-given dignity of every human person. It is therefore necessary to cultivate a culture of solidarity and fraternity in which each person is seen not as mere statistic, but as a unique and irreplaceable member of the human family.

Thank you.

[1] Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5–13 September 1994. Principle 9.

[2] Pope Francis, Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti on Fraternity and Social Friendship, 3 October 2020, No. 107.