(4th meeting) 59th session of the Commission on Population and Development, CPD59

Good morning, dear colleagues. The fourth meeting of the 59th session of the Commission on Population and Development is called to order. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, as indicated in today's program of work, This meeting of the Commission will be in two parts. The first part will be a panel discussion under agenda item 3B. 30 a.m. will be the continuation of the general discussion of agenda item 3 as a whole. I now invite the Commission to turn to agenda item 3B, to hold a panel on population, technology and the research in the context of sustainable development, followed by an interactive discussion. I am pleased to chair this panel and welcome the distinguished panelists joining this morning on the podium. I am also pleased to welcome the moderator, Mr. Linton Chunu. Senior Advisor at the African Union Development Agency, who will conduct the discussion. Distinguished delegates, before turning the meeting over to the moderator, I would like to remind participants that there is no pre-established list of speakers for the panel discussions. Delegations wishing to make comments and pose questions during the subsequent interactive debate are invited to signify by pressing the microphone button. I also take the opportunity to remind participants that the time limit for interventions is three minutes or less. I now turn the meeting over to the moderator to conduct the panel discussion. I look forward to an open, constructive, and productive exchange of views. Mr. Mthunuw, you have the floor.

Well, thank you very much, Your Excellency and Chair, Ambassador Maniretanga, for your opening. And we look forward to having a very productive session this morning. Distinguished delegates, I am indeed pleased to moderate this high-level panel discussion on the special theme of the 59th session of the Commission on Population and Development. This morning, we have a distinguished panel which will reflect on how governments and other stakeholders are leveraging technology, innovation, and scientific research to advance the implementation of the program of action of the International Conference on Population and Development and accelerate progress towards sustainable development goals, whilst ensuring that no one is left behind. The objective of this panel is to highlight good practices, share experiences, and foster dialogue on how technology and research can strengthen population and development, strategies in an inclusive, rights-based and sustainable manner. The panel discussion will begin with a round of questions for the panelists, followed by an interactive, an interaction rather, from the lead discussant and an interactive discussion with the floor. At the end of the session, the panelists will be invited to respond to the comments, issues and/or questions raised by the audience, and we encourage you to raise questions and interact in the session. And we have a distinguished panel which covers the African continent, the Pacific island states, Southeast Europe, as well as the Caribbean. So let me introduce the panelists this morning. We have Your Excellency, Dr. Oale Otunuka, who is the Minister for Education and Training from Tonga. If you could kindly wave. Honourable Minister, thank you very much. Your Excellency, Dr. Suwaiba Said Ahmed, Minister of State of Education from Nigeria. Thank you, Your Excellency. Ms. Lisa Grace Basales, Executive Director of the Commission on Population and Development of the Philippines. Thank you very much. Your Excellency, Dr. Alba Elafy, Deputy Minister of Health and Population from Egypt. Thank you very much, Honorable Minister. And then, Your Excellency Lazar, State Secretary of the Ministry of Family, Welfare, and Demographic from Serbia. Thank you very much. And then, of course, my dear sister, Ms. Jada Maria Volson, who is the youth advocate from St. Lucia. Thank you very much. I'm also pleased to welcome our lead discussants, Excellency Ms. Mapaseka, Steve Letsika, Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities from the Republic of South Africa. I think she's on her way. And of course, the Vice Chair will conclude the session with brief closing remarks. So, we turn to questions to the panel. The first round of questions focuses on national experiences, achievements and challenges in harnessing technology, digital innovation and research for the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and sustainable development. I kindly ask the panellists to keep their responses to no longer than five minutes. if that's okay. And if panelists exceed the agreed time, I may ask you to wrap up your session politely. And of course, as necessary during the meeting, I may remind all panelists to keep to the agreed time limit as well. Okay, my first question is to Your Excellency, Dr. Moale, Minister of Education of Tonga. And so, Honourable Minister, Tonga's population and development strategies places strong emphasis on resilience, equitable access and the use of technology, particularly for the remote and outer island communities. How is Tonga using digital innovation and advances in research, including in education, to strengthen inclusion and build a more resilient society? What lessons from this experience may be relevant for other small island states, developing states. Over to you, honorable minister. Thank you.

Thank you, moderator, and good morning, all the audience. Thank you for the question. The experience, Tonga has a population of around 100,000 people, and we are among a very few countries in the South Pacific region where there are more Tongans outside our national boundary. So there are more Tongans in the diaspora than we have. So the challenge we have, I think, is common to all regions, and that is the human capacity in doing research. We still have a lot to develop in our research capabilities, but we managed to do what we can do and thank to our development partners who collaborate with us on a lot of the work that we have been doing. Our national census, we are able to collect the data locally using our own people. But in terms of analysis, we still, some of the data that we collected are analyzed from outside Tonga, especially the SPC. And I think I need to thank UNFPA for contributing to us and supporting us. in our analysis and our report writing of the medical parts in our census. We have a challenge, and I guess other countries are like that, in terms of reproductive health research. I think the main challenge for us is this is a taboo topic for us, and we don't discuss this. at home or even in our classrooms. So the challenge is for us is to change our mindset and realize the importance of collecting the data from this sector. We also have, as mentioned before, we need to develop and we need support in our social and economic research, but especially our capacity in doing our own research. We have very limited resources in my country, and we need to make the right decisions, the right policies. And for this to happen, we need to have a very strong research capacity to help us make the right policies and make the right decision. We have a national university, three years now that have been established, and that is something we are looking at, developing the research capability of our national university to help us do our research, to help our ministries. And we have Within our ministries, we don't have the capacity to do that. So we are looking at the National University to develop the research capability and for them to do the research that we need to help us make the policies and the right decision, because that is what we needed. From my ministry, the Ministry of Education, we have a lot of data. And the challenge is for us, we have a lot of islands that are very remote. Collecting data from these islands is a big challenge for us. And we need a very strong research unit to collect the data from these remote islands. And also to, in terms of disseminating the results of this, we also need the people to do that. So the challenge for us is the research capability and also the support in writing and in the analysis stage and writing the reports for us. That is a big challenge, but we are thankful that Our development partners are helping us in doing this, and we are looking forward to continue that collaboration with our development partners to ensure that we are capable of analyzing the data that we have collected. We have used technology now in our education system, we have used technology now where teachers will do the roll call inside the classrooms. And at the moment, the data is collected in the main office. But again, the challenge is for the outer islands, where they can still do the data collection manually. And it takes a while for those data to come to our main office. And again, when we make decisions, we have to rely on this delayed data to come through us and then we manually analyze those data and then to inform us on making our decisions. But we need that the, I think the challenge is connectivity in terms of internet and we are working very hard to improve the connectivity between us in the main islands and the rest of us who are in the remote islands in Tonga. Thank you, Mr. Rata.

Well, thank you very much, Honourable Minister, for those inputs. the importance of building research capabilities to ensure that we use data towards evidence-based policymaking. And thank you for sharing your experiences from Tonga. And I hope that with the level of participants in the room, we would be able to share other best practices where some countries have built systems that are very strongly driving evidence-based policymaking through various data and research and technology advancements that they've utilized. So thank you very much, Honorable Minister, for those very important inputs. Now, I turn to Her Excellency Dr. Sadiq Ahmed, the Minister of State for Education from Nigeria. So, Honorable Minister, Nigeria has been advancing digital learning and data-driven education reforms as part of your broader efforts to promote inclusion and human capital development. What have been the primary achievements and obstacles in expanding equitable access to quality education, strengthening skills for young people, and better supporting girls and learning in underserved communities? What lessons from Nigeria's experiences may be relevant for other countries to take a leaf from? Over to you, Honorable Minister.

Thank you very much. Once again, I'm Professor Saba Said Ahmed. Good morning, everyone. Let me start, as mentioned, Nigeria right now, we have what we call the education sector in our initiative which has six key priority areas. Part of those six key priority areas are the data and digitization and also access to quality education. Uh we've been working because I don't know how familiar you are with the data in terms of Nigeria. We have a very large population. About 220 million and 60% of that population on that 25 So we have a very young population. At the same time, we also have a high rate of out of school children, about 10.2. But then when you look at the data available, you realize that there are different data. For instance, when we talk about the out of school children, depending on the data you consult, some will say 10.5, some will say 13 million, some will even say 15, 18 million. So part of what we want to do now is to ensure that we have we have a data source that is credible, that is reliable for planning, because without data you cannot plan appropriately. So for us, it's not just about the availability of the data, but how do we integrate the data into planning. So part of the data and digitization priority area, we have what we refer to as Nigerian Education Data Initiative, NEDI platform, where we are actually working with different partners to ensure that we have reliable source of data. A valid source of data. Uh so and it cuts across not only education but other sister agencies. For instance, we are working closely with National Population Commission. We have an API with them. We want to see how do we use the data in education planning. You special distribution of schools where you need more schools. So we have that. At the same time we also are using AI tool to ensure that people location that do not have access can now have access using different digital platforms. Let me start, one of the key things we did is in terms of girls' education. The 10.5 million I referred to as out of school children, a high percentage of them are actually girls, girls that do not have access to education for different reasons. Some of them drop out of school, some of them were never enrolled, and then the conventional schooling will not accommodate them in terms of over age, And then apart from that also, some of these girls, they are located in rural locations where the nearest school is like 15 kilometers away. And therefore, walking that distance is very difficult for those girls. So we designed a program. That program, we call it the Lumina 2030. Lumina is from the term illuminate, illuminating her path through education and economic empowerment. It's a program specifically designed for the girl child in terms of not giving, only giving her access to education, but ensures that she's also economically empowered in terms of giving her a skill. As she goes through the school, she's also given a skill that will help her in becoming economically empowered. At the same time, the program is designed in such a way that we give stipends to the caregivers because most of these girls are out of school because they are used as an economic vehicle for the family. Some of them are engaged in trading, some of them are serving as house helps, so you can't stop from doing that if they don't have an alternative source of income and that is why we designed the Lumina 2030 and the Lumina is designed in such a way that is a digital platform learning platform for these girls which they can do in a group in a community with just a facilitator the whole curriculum is an accelerated basic education curriculum that was also developed instead of a 12-year basic education now we have an accelerated pathway the accelerated pathway the 12 years is now summarized into four years so the learning cycle of 1 2 3 is summarize into one. So these girls now have opportunity. A girl that is 16 year old that has never attended any form of schooling can now be able to obtain the basic education within a limited time frame. And also the skills is also there. Just to give an example. So we are using AI technology to ensure that we give access to quality education to these girls. That's just one example. Another example that I can talk about is also in terms of ensuring quality education through the teachers. We have a huge population, we have a large number of teachers, that some of these teachers have been employed for a number of years, 15, 20 or even more, but do not have any opportunity for capacity building. We realize that the funding we are given for teacher capacity training is only able to serve less than 10% of the teachers. Not every teacher now have access to capacity building, and that is why we also design a digital platform for teacher capacity building. We call it the educational revamp. Edu revamp platform. Where every teacher regardless of your location. Where there you are in a rural location or urban location. Or even a private school teacher. You have access to that digital platform. And the digital platform we identify different kinds of training needs of the teachers whether at basic level whether at offer basic level whether a science teacher or a teacher or basic foundational teachers, literacy, numeracy. There are specific training designed for those teachers. And we also, right now we are working on ensuring that it's also zero rated data because the teachers, most of them complain in terms of curse of data and internet connectivity. So we make it mobile friendly. If you have an Android phone, you can be able to access this training. So every teacher now can simply log in and do this training. And at the end of the training, we also have a small token for the teachers just to incentivize teachers engagement in this platform. Right now we have about 60, 000 teachers that have registered. We have about 40, 000 teachers that are actively participating in this program and by the end of this month, some of these teachers will be completing this cycle. Uh as I said, for now, it's optional but we are moving towards making it compulsory as we complete the designing of this training platforms. And then another aspect of it is the out of school children that I mentioned, that we have 10.5 out of school children. Some of them are not really out of school. They are what we refer to as Almajiri. They are in an educational Islamic religion school, but does that equip them to get a job in the country? No. So what we are trying to do right now is also to make use of that accelerated education program for the Almajiri schools. So we are trying to now widen the curriculum for those Almajiri we are working with different state governments, we are piloting now in four states where we are widening the curriculum opportunity for these girls using the accelerated education platform in the Almajiri school so that any child now that goes through the Almajiri school have a more wider curriculum that they can be able to write WAEC, NECO which are the terminal examination at the basic level to enable them to now fit into any tertiary level school that they want. So basically that is what we are doing with regard to to the education. Uh to giving them this access to a wider curriculum that they can be functional members of the society. I think in a summary that's about it. I don't know whether I have time to add more.

Well, I have, perhaps, honorable minister, we will take it from the floor and we'll be able to build from that. Is that okay?

That's fine. It's okay.

Wonderful. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much, honorable minister. Can we give the honorable minister a round of applause? I think Thank you very much. I think that you've highlighted some very important aspects, particularly in terms of your integrated platforms using digital technology and artificial intelligence, but also working across various sectors within and outside of government, but also with government departments to help you drive your development approach. And of course, some of the catalytic programs that you've mentioned around women and girls' empowerment, I think that's very useful. So thank you once again, Honorable Minister, for those very important inputs. Now, I would like to turn to Her Excellency Ms. Grace Basalis, Executive Director of the Commission on Population and Development of the Philippines. And, Your Excellency, given your experience, your present and past leadership roles in the Philippines Commission on Population and Development and the National Statistics Office, How is the Philippines using digital technology and innovation, data systems and population research to strengthen evidence-based policy making for sustainable development? What lessons from the Philippines experience may help other countries build stronger population data systems and an improved evidence base for population policies to respond effectively to demographic change? Over to you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Moderator. First of all, I would like to emphasize the importance of laws that promote research and innovation. The laws provide clarity on what the aspiration is all about. We have the Philippine Innovation Act of 2019 that adopts innovation as a core national development strategy to promote inclusive growth and competitiveness with a 10-year strategy for innovation, fostering public-private partnerships, enhancing education, and reducing bureaucratic hurdles. A key component, a very important one of this Innovation Act is the Innovation Fund. It is a dedicated fund to support programs, projects, and services that drive innovation. Using its legal mandate, our Department of Science and Technology developed the Philippines Harmonized National Research Agenda for 2022 to 2028 that directs all science, technology, and innovation efforts in the country to pursue maximum economic and well-being for all. This unifies the cross-cutting agenda across relevant agencies including universities and research institutions. So this is very important if universities want to access funds for research, they can do so by doing research within the research agenda. We also have the Jobs for the Nation Act of 2023, which created a 10-year master plan to future-proof the workforce through investments in digital transformation, green jobs, and innovation-driven industries, ensuring that technological advancements translate into productive and decent employment opportunities. These laws have been used in building stronger population data systems, but the law that provided the significant push for a resilient and agile national statistical system is the Philippine Statistical Act of 2014 that provides legal basis for strengthening the national statistical system and our national statistics office, the Philippine Statistics Authority, including modernization and innovation. This act institutionalized the crafting of the Philippines National Strategy for the Development of Statistics, which is crafted every time we have a new administration, which has a Philippine development plan. So this national strategy for the development of statistics is like a parallel to the Philippine development plan, because this is where the data that are needed will be listed. Following the plan, the Philippines has institutionalized complementary national and local data systems from censuses, civil registration, sectoral surveys, migration registers, community-based data, and integrated administrative platforms. These are important as the Philippines is committed to the ICPD. Other lessons I share. are developing data systems from the national level to the subnational level hastens development gains. So the Philippines' recent efforts focus on our community-based monitoring system at the municipal and city level with the aim of providing information for poverty alleviation. latest and updated data should be used in crafting, monitoring, and updating national development frameworks. The Philippine Development Plan of 2023 to 2028 and our Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action for the same period are both anchored in the latest national population situation. This provides the push for the Statistics Office to provide more timely and granular data. Government financing will sustain the generation of the country's statistical data systems. For example, the government fully funds the country's censuses and surveys, as well as administrative systems and registers. note however that the NDH as a national demographic and health survey 2025 was data collection was funded by the government needed technical assistance in generating the indicators which we usually get from you USAID for this wave UNFPA provided the assistance for us. Public private partnership hastens innovation and digitalization. The Philippines has digitalized its civil registration vital statistical system with a private partner. Consequently, the Philippine Statistics Authority is able to release faster and more granular vital statistics. The importance of academia and professional societies are very, what I would also like to highlight. In the Philippines, official statistics are augmented by longitudinal studies of our academic institutions. We have, for example, the University of the Philippines Population Institute's Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study, which has been done for five rounds from 1982 to 2022, and the University of San Carlos Office of Population Studies, Longitudinal Cohort Study on the Young Filipino Child, done annually since 2016, even COVID, they did data collection. And now my office, the Commission on Population Development of Philippines, uses mainly censuses of population, national demographic and health survey, and civil registration and vital statistics system to monitor demographic trends and provide alerts. My office is tasked to do policy and program planning for the Philippines to reap demographic dividend. I would like to share that the Philippines not only does the usual all census of population housing ending in the year zero we also do a mid-decade census it's just census of population every year ending in five to update our population count our National demographic and Health Survey which has been done every five years in the past is now every three years our Vital Statistics are also updated monthly with the preliminary results from our statistics office and final results on an annual Thank you very much, Mr. Moderator.

Well, thank you very much for sharing those fantastic experiences from the Philippines. And I think you highlighted a number of very important aspects. Firstly, the importance of laws and policies, and that is the first step towards ensuring that we commit to driving development. You've also spoken quite extensively around the importance of academia, particularly in terms of research and evidence-based policymaking, and I think the very important thing I pulled out from that conversation is the importance of community-based systems and I suppose using a bottom-up approach. So I think those are fantastic lessons from the Philippines and we thank you very much for sharing those experiences with us. We now move on to the Deputy Minister of Health and Population from Egypt, Your Excellency Dr. Alaa Elafly. And we've spoken a number of times about some of these topics actually. And so Egypt has placed, of course, digital health at the center of its efforts in strengthening your health systems and expanding access to services. From your perspectives, what has been the most effective ways in ensuring that these efforts reach underserved communities, particularly women and children in rural areas in the main? And what lessons can Egypt share in terms of digital health and technology innovation that could inform other countries by way of best practices, particularly in advancing the ICPD agenda? Over to you, Honourable Deputy Minister.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Good morning, everyone. In Egypt's experience with population of 120 million, including citizens and the guests from refugee and the immigrants, we learned a central lesson. Technology alone does not create close inequality and that reaching underdeveloped and underserved communities, especially girls and women, is a huge challenge with so many lessons learned. First, wide expansion is mandatory through digitalization of primary healthcare units, strengthening the health system efficacy and optimizing the impact of trained health professional, family counselors, and community health workers to be able to reach to every mother and the girl in the rural areas with absolute equity. Through task sharing with extra number of health professionals, we could sustain the job of family counselors among our Ministry of Health. We also use the culturally tailored approach based on the huge variation in social norms between governments. Actually, even within the same governorate, we have different social norms and to support a deeper understanding of its value, tradition, and the socioeconomic realities that shaped health behavior and access to rural communities. The designed digital intervention align with the local cultural norms, communication preference, and the trust. dynamics. The third point was focusing on the red zones. And in Egypt, we divided all the governorates into three zones. The green was indicator composite above 70, the yellow, 70 to 50, and the red, below 50. And we focused on the red zones with composite below 50, digitalization, optimized decentralization, and outreach to these underserved women and girls. Also, to reach the newly married girls and women, we electronically linked premarital investigation and the counselling to electronic issuing of marital documents. They don't get the documents before getting the investigation and listening to the counselling. This ensures full coverage of couples before marriage, including the girls and women in the rural areas. telehealth services, provider-to-provider consultation, and follow-up care without the need for long-distance travel, which is particularly beneficial for mothers and girls in rural areas. AI-driven digital healthcare avatars were utilized to support family counselors. They received the questions, provided health guidance tailored to the patient's literacy level, culture, and linguistic context. We launched social media campaigns to be able to reach to remote areas and take care of the social norms like her childhood is her right to work on child marriage, safe start to promote safe normal labor. We will change to promote informed decision in reproductive health, malnutrition and stunting. Public-private partnership and non-governmental organization linked electronically added to our success. Here, some lessons learned from Egypt experience. First, please, equity at the center of digital transformation. Use digital healthcare equity framework as a comprehensive tool, helping us to assess and address equity across all stages of digital healthcare life cycle, ensuring adaptation to local needs and lessons learned. Second, invest in interoperability, not fragmented platforms. Third, connect the digital system to primary healthcare and the frontline workers. Data verification at the frontline is mandatory. We had very bad experience with data delivered centrally and is not verified and you can't do anything with it once you have it to the central level. So work on it on the peripheral level and it should be adequately designed through complete business analysis and the training. Use data front side and the better policy, not only for reporting, prepare your financial plan in advance. And in stages, secure domestic funding in parallel to other resources to be able to sustain your plan. Governance is crucial. Start from the district. the governmental, then the central level to detect gaps, assess reach, and the challenges. Egypt has developed an integrated digital monitoring and evaluation platform supported by smart dashboard and advanced analytics to monitor implementation across governorate. Shift as soon as possible from paper documents to electronic system so don't keep both paper and electronic for long time. This creates create rejection among women and girls and they don't respond. Build trust through safeguarding for privacy, quality and inclusion. To enhance quality, digital transformation must serve a broader vision of a family well-being, human dignity, and sustainable development, where better data leads to better service and improved outcome and keep the digital tool anchored to the trusted human interface. To optimize inclusion, use social media and community health workers to raise awareness of the communities for the long-term positive impact of digitalization, what is in it for them, to create community cooperation and uptake. In conclusion, Egypt believes that digitalization is not an end in itself. It is a key enabler of more inclusive system, which aligns with life course, people centric, right based approach and the strong public system. It can protect human health, family development and promote the dignity and rights of all people, which are central to the ICPD agenda and the plan of action. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister. Can we give Deputy Minister a hand? Thank you for sharing Egypt's experiences, particularly in your AI driven healthcare technologies at rural areas in the main. And I think you spoke at length about telemedicine as some of the experiences that you've had campaigns, but also analytics, how you utilize that and how you've moved from paper based systems to electronic systems which help you build efficiencies in your system. So I think those are very useful inputs from Egypt and thank you very much for sharing those with us. And we look forward to an interactive session to try and build on some of those important inputs. I'd like to now turn the floor to Your Excellency Lazar Petrovic, the State Security, State Secretary, rather, at the Ministry of Family Welfare and Demography in Serbia. And I'd like you to talk to us briefly about how, as technology innovation and research partnerships, supporting Serbia's response to demographic realities, including the strengthening of family policies in an inclusive, rights-based, and sustainable way. Over to you.

Thank you, Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. It will be quite challenging for me to talk after great panelists and a lot of good practices we heard, but I need to emphasize that Serbia can really offer a lot of good practices in field you ask. So for us, it is an honor to contribute to this discussion on critical links between population, technology, and research in advancing sustainable development. Population dynamics shape every dimension of our societies and economies. At the same time, technology and research provide us the tools to better understand these dynamics. and their often complex interplay with other megatrends like climate change and inequalities, and strengthen our capacities to respond effectively. Serbia is strongly committed to evidence-based policymaking. We continue to invest in data systems, knowledge, research, and digital transformation to strengthen the ability to anticipate, adapt, and harness demographic shifts for the well-being of current and future generations. Our statistical office plays a key role in providing reliable, disaggregated data, including through the 2022 population census. In addition, the statistical office is currently working on the development of a statistical population register, SPR, to ensure more timely and comprehensive population data to support evidence-based policymaking. At the same time, Serbia benefits from a strong scientific and institutional base for demographic research, bringing together academia and national institutions to support long-term analysis and informed policymaking. A key example of this commitment is the development of Serbia's first comprehensive demographic development strategy for 2026 to 2036 with projections to 2050. being prepared with the support of UNFPA in Serbia. The strategy places a strong focus on strengthening data systems and research. It includes the development of population registers, standardized surveys and strengthened capacities at local level. It also promotes cooperation between government, academia and civil society. In parallel, Serbia is introducing analytical units with key ministries, including the Ministry of Family Welfare and Demography. Distinguished delegates, as we move forward, it is essential that we continue to invest in data, research, and innovation. but always with a clear focus on people. Serbia remains committed to strengthening partnership, particularly with UNFPA, whose leadership and support remain indispensable in advancing rights-based and evidence-based demographic policies. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Can we give a hand to our participants in sharing the experiences from Serbia? and again highlighting the focus on people. Everything that we do is about the advancement and development of people and really focusing on evidence-based policymaking. So thank you for sharing those experiences from Serbia. Now, we will turn to a younger, from inputs rather from the younger generation, like myself. and I will ask my dear sister Ms. Jada Valson, who of course is a youth advocate from Saint Lucia. And I'd like to ask you, Ms. Jada, from a youth perspective, how can technology expand access to information, education, skills, and opportunities for young people whilst protecting privacy, narrowing digital divides, and ensuring that young people, young women in particular, and the marginalized youth are not left behind? What should policymakers prioritize to make digital to make sexual and reproductive health and innovation more inclusive, safe, and rights-based. Over to you.

Thank you so much for the excellent question, moderator. Good morning, distinguished panelists, colleagues, and fellow young people. My name is Jada Volsen and I am a 19-year-old youth advocate from the Saint Lucia Planned Parenthood Association in the Caribbean and a volunteer at the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Accra Youth Network. I speak today as part of a generation that is not only growing up in a digital world, we are growing up through it. From a youth perspective, technology is not neutral. It is a gateway to information, education, skills and opportunity, but also a space where inequality, exclusion and harm can be amplified. For many young people in the Caribbean and across the global south, digital spaces are our primary entry point to information on health, rights, and sexuality. This is especially true for sexual and reproductive health and rights, where stigma often pushes young people online first before any clinic or classroom. However, what we find online is uneven, unsafe, and incomplete. This is why the Cotonou Youth Action Agenda, developed through the ICPD Global Youth Dialogue, is so important. It reminds us that inclusive digital transformation must be grounded in rights, ethics, and youth participation. One of its key priorities is strengthening inclusive and ethically governed population data systems. Today, SRHR data is often collected only for women of reproductive age, typically 15 to 49. This means that younger adolescents, those under 15, who are the most vulnerable to child marriage, sexual violence, and lack of access to services, are often invisible in data systems. When data does not exist, we do not exist in policy. This invisibility reinforces silence, stigma, and the denial of adolescent-friendly health services, including contraception, safe abortion care, and protection from gender-based violence. At the same time, expanding digital and population data systems must come with strong safeguards. We must protect privacy, uphold digital rights, and prevent exploitative data practices. This is a growing risk of what young people are calling data colonialism, where data from the global south communities is extracted, monetized, and governed without equitable benefit sharing or meaningful consent. We also need to talk about the governance of digital data systems and environments themselves. Young persons today face technology-facilitated gender-based violence on a daily basis. This includes online harassment, hate speech, doxing, and non-consensual sharing of intimate images. In many countries, we are still waiting for laws that reflect the realities of our digital lives. We need stronger legal frameworks, including laws similar to the Ley Olimpia in Mexico that criminalize the sharing of intimate images without consent and protect young people, especially young women, from digital sexual violence. But governance is not only about consent. It is also about algorithms. Recommendation systems and search engines shape what we see and what we do not see. In some cases, even when SRHR information is legal, it is suppressed, deprioritized, or hidden by opaque systems. This limits access to evidence-based information and reinforces stigma. This is why the Cotonou Youth Action Agenda also calls for stronger evidence-based knowledge systems. We need digital environments where scientific information on gender equality, sexuality and health is not silenced, but amplified to challenge stigma and harmful norms. Finally, emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, must be governed with human rights at the center. This means privacy, safety and well-being must come before profit and control. So what should policymakers prioritize? First, Universal access to affordable and safe digital connectivity. Second, age-disaggregated, ethical, and inclusive data systems that make young people visible without exposing them to harm. Third, strong protections against online gender-based violence, including legal frameworks that address non-consensual image sharing. Fourth, transparency in algorithms and accountability for how information, especially SRHR information, is distributed online. And finally, meaningful youth participation in all digital governance spaces, not as a token voice, but as co-creators of policy. As a young Caribbean woman, I know what it means to come from a region that is often left out of global data systems and digital governance debates. But we, as the IPPF Aquaruth Network, also know that when young people are included, we do not just participate, we transform systems. Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much, Yada. I want to let you know that this is Yada's maiden remarks at a global platform like the United Nations, and I think she did well, so we could give her another round of applause. power to the young people. Thank you very much Yada for those very important remarks and I think reminding us about the Cotonou Youth Agenda but also really highlighting that AI governance must or rather AI governed with human rights at the center. I think that was quite critical and I think the key message that you put forward again is nothing about youth without youth. Young people want to be active participants in policy making. They don't want to be their voices to be just tokens, if you like, but they want to be active participants in the policy-making process. So thank you very much once again, Yada, for those very interesting remarks. I'd like to thank all the panelists for their very informative interventions and sharing your best practices, your experiences, but also being honest enough to share some of the challenges and areas where you require some assistance. So I would now like to turn to Her Excellency Ms. Paseka Steve-Letsika, the Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, who is our discussant today. And Honorable Steve-Letsika, given both the opportunities and challenges that technology and research present for population and sustainable development, What priority policy actions should member states take to ensure that technology and research strengthens national capacities, upholds human rights, and leaves no one behind? Over to you, Deputy Minister.

There we are. Chairperson, South Africa thanks you. From our perspective, technology and research must remain firmly anchored in the service of people, development and dignity. South Africa's position is that technological progress can make an important contribution to the implementation of the ICBD programme of action and the achievement of the sustainable development goals. It can strengthen policy making, improve service delivery, and expand access to information, and support more responsive public institution. At the same time, we must be clear that technology is not neutral in its effect. Where there are existing inequalities in income, geography, gender, age, disability, skills, and connectivity, technological change can deepen exclusion rather than reduce it. For that reason, South Africa attaches importance not only to innovation itself, but to the equitable access, affordability, capability, capacity building, and public oversight. We believe three issues are especially important. First, developing countries must be supported to strengthen national data and research systems so that the policy is informed by reliable, disaggregated, and context-responsive evidence. This is essential if technology is to assist governments in planning effectively and responding to the demographic realities. Second, access to technology must be inclusive and responsive to the needs of diverse communities. That means ensuring that women and girls, young people, older persons, persons with disability, and those in rural and underserved communities are not left behind. Technology should help close development gaps, not reproduce them in new forms. Thirdly, South Africa underscores the importance of digital governance As digital tools, artificial intelligence and data systems become more influential in public life, there is a growing need for ethical standards, accountability, privacy protection and safeguards against misinformation, discrimination and online harms. In our view, the international community must therefore approach this issue in a balanced way, guided by the UN Global Digital Compact. We must encourage innovation and research, but we must also address the structural divides that limits who benefits from them. For the, for the developing countries, this includes supporting for financial infrastructure, develop, uh, digital inclusion, skills development, technology cooperation, and stronger research capacity. South Africa remains committed to a person-centered, right-based, development-oriented approach. We believe technology and research should serve as tools to advance equality, expand opportunity, and strengthen sustainable development for all. Thank you so much, Chair.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Deputy Minister, for those very insightful inputs and really sounding up or harnessing some of the interventions that we've heard from the floor today and putting them into perspective and, of course, also highlighting South Africa's very own position. So we have heard from small island states, we've heard from African countries, we've heard experiences from Europe, from the Caribbean, the Pacific, but also from youth. And at this point in time, before I'd like, before I open the floor, I just wanted to highlight that some of the interventions really covered the importance of putting laws and policies in place to drive sustainable development, but also utilizing technology and artificial intelligence to drive development practices. We spoke about the importance of partnerships, particularly private PPPs, academia, the role of academia, the role of private sector, but also the importance of evidence policy making and research. You also highlighted a number of very important areas around the work that various institutions play to enhance your development agenda, like the UNFPA. And I think one of the most important things that really came out is the importance of the empowerment of women and girls. So thank you very much for those fantastic inputs. I'd like to now invite interventions from the floor. And I'd like to remind participants that there's no pre-established list of from the audience. Delegations wishing to make comments and pose questions to the panelists are invited to use their microphones. And I would also like to remind participants that interventions from the floor should be limited only to three minutes. So we would then take interventions and interventions would be in the form of inputs, questions and comments. And immediately after those interventions, I will ask the distinguished panel to make some comments and responses. So, we would like to now open the list by a show of hands. I see El Salvador. El Salvador, you have the floor, followed by Indonesia and Colombia. Over to you, El Salvador.

Gracias.

Thank you. El Salvador is grateful for this opportunity to participate in this interactive dialogue. For our state, our country. This meeting is extremely important because advances in technology and research are not ends in and of themselves, but they are powerful tools for consolidating a programme of action of the ICPD under a new vision of sustainable development. We value the fact that the report of the SG recognises the impact of science on healthcare, education and public planning. In El Salvador, we understand that in order for policies to be effective, they should be based on a true understanding of reality. This is why we value the relationship between population and technology at a strategic level. This can help us guide more timely, effective and more human responses. Under this framework of transformation, our census in 2020 represented a key milestone, being 100% digital and it allowed us to precisely identify the needs of our people over the course of their lives and to eliminate invisible barriers in statistical understanding. We have opted for modernization in a comprehensive way. We are driving digital transformation in key areas as well as protecting it with a cutting-edge legal system to ensure that privacy is respected and the security of the data of each citizen is also protected. In this debate, we have seen an opportunity to reaffirm that the digital era should be an era of inclusion. We are building a model where technology and research are drivers So to allow us to see who has been left behind, to ensure that in progress, we have a real guarantee of well-being and dignity for the entire population. And so we would like to ask the panelists, what are the most promising opportunities in the short and long term for AI and digital technologies so that they can drive the goals of the ICPD, what resources and alliances are necessary to help us make the most of these opportunities. Thank you.

Thank you very much, El Salvador, for those inputs and the question posed to the panel, and they will respond accordingly. I'd like to give the floor to Indonesia at this point.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Indonesia appreciates the insightful experiences from distinguished panelists. Building on these discussions, we would like to highlight the importance of a lifecycle approach in addressing population dynamic and advancing sustainable development. Investing in human capital from early childhood through productive age to older persons is essential to ensure resilience and inclusive societies. In this regard, Indonesia place strong emphasis on quality families as a foundation of development, as reflected in our national long term development plan. Key efforts including enhancing readiness for marriage and family life, strengthening parenting capacities, improving maternal and child health, and expanding access to quality family planning and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights services through a continuum of care approach. We also underscore the importance of gender equality and women empowerment as critical enablers of development. These include ensuring equitable access to education and health, particularly in underserved regions, promoting women leaderships, ensuring protection from violence, expanding women's participation in the workforce, and strengthening institutional frameworks through gender mainstreaming in every stage of development. In line with the discussion today, we believe that data, technology and research are enablers of inclusive development. We continue to advance the use of disaggregated data, strengthen research policy linkages and leverage digital innovations to improve policy effectiveness and service delivery, ensuring that interventions are responsive to population dynamics and reach those in vulnerable situations. At the same time, we underscore that digital transformation must remain inclusive, bridging rather than widening inequalities, and must be aligned with national context and priorities. We believe that stronger collaborations among stakeholders, including through South-South and triangular corporations, remains essential to share knowledge, build capacity, and ensure that no country is left behind in harnessing the benefits of populations, technology, and research. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Indonesia, for those inputs. And I would like to now call on Colombia.

Chair, Colombia is grateful for the panelists' statements. Sharing their experiences has showed how difficult it is to integrate population dynamics in a context of accelerating technological advances. their shared experiences reinforce the need to address this from the perspective of a person's lifespan. Risks associated with technology are not distributed evenly across generations or territories or gender. And so any approach to new technology should include gender and structural issues that disproportionately affect women, girls and other populations in situations of vulnerability. In line with this, Colombia highlights that strengthening national data ecosystems and research systems should contribute to reducing inequalities and guide more inclusive public policies. As has been indicated, the availability of disaggregated data and their effective use in decision making is essential to foresee demographic trends and to respond to them in an equitable and balanced way. So we emphasize that the adoption of technology in the area of health, including sexual and reproductive health, should include equitable access to information, services and capability, recognizing individuals' autonomy and the need to reduce barriers that limit this. Colombia also feels that it's a priority to prevent and address the forms of violence and discrimination that can be amplified or distributed through technology. We should use governance frameworks that ensure accountability and equity. We also highlight the international cooperation and multi-stakeholder alliances will be essential to reduce gaps in terms of capacity, financing, and access to ensure that technological transformation effectively contributes to sustainable development and gender equality. In this context, Colombia, therefore, wishes to ask how the panelists feel that public policies can more effectively integrate the gender focus in the design and use of technologies, ensuring actual impact in the reduction of inequalities. Once again, thank you very much for this very enlightening panel.

I thank the distinguished guests from Colombia and for those inputs and questions. I would like to now turn to the Asia Pacific Resource Center for Women, AROW.

Thank you, Chair. I deliver this statement on behalf of ARROW, a regional organization working to advance gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights of women, girls, and young people in Asia and the Pacific region. For us, the question is no longer if technology can transform health, but who it is leaving behind. While digital innovation make sexual and reproductive health information and services more accessible, Women in rural and lower socioeconomic backgrounds, women with disabilities and older women often lack the literacy, data or agency to access them safely. Furthermore, critical disruptions in data collection have created massive gaps in national health statistics. Research data and digital tools are also being used for surveillance and the manipulation of data. Digital transformations that ignore human rights and gender responsive principles actively harm the most vulnerable. For technology and research to drive progress towards achieving the SDGs, including for achieving Goal 3 with its ability to expand access to sexual and reproductive information and services, we urge Member States to invest in digital health infrastructure and innovations that are right-based, gender-transformative, and reach rural and marginalized communities. And for strict laws against technology-facilitated gender-based violence, establish robust data protection frameworks to prevent unauthorized surveillance and disclosure of sensitive health information. Ensure all platforms are fully accessible to persons with disabilities and invest in affordable, locally relevant digital health solutions. Ensure agency upon women and young people in all their diversity in digital systems of health services by focusing on decolonial and community-owned approaches to design and governance. collect health data disaggregated by age, gender, disability, and location to create more targeted, effective policies. I thank you.

Thank you very much for that intervention from ARO. I would now like to hand the floor over to Population Matters.

Thank you, Chair and delegates, for the opportunity to contribute. Population Matters, together with our global partners, some who are here today from Nigeria and Ethiopia, champions human rights and sustainable development for the well-being of people and planet. The Commission's focus on population, technology and research comes at a moment when the world desperately needs evidence-based solutions. The evidence is clear. In its 2022 report, the Nobel Prize-winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that population growth remained one of the strongest drivers of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion in the last decade. This is not opinion but scientific consensus. Yet ensuring the integration of population trends and shifts within policy agendas centered on human rights still remains taboo. The Cairo Program of Action must be our beacon of hope. 179 member states agreed the pathway to sustainable development is to advance human rights and planetary health simultaneously. The inclusion of reproductive rights leaves no doubt. When individuals and couples can make informed choices about whether and when to have children or not, when women and girls have the power over their own bodies and futures, fertility choices naturally and voluntarily align with sustainability. Yet, over 30 years on, approximately 121 million, or almost half of all pregnancies, are unintended. One in four women cannot say no to a husband or partner who wants sex. Gender-based violence and intersectional inequality traps millions of women and girls in cycles of unintended and coerced pregnancies. Many are made to feel like criminals when denied essential health care their governments should provide but instead have criminalized. These bitter truths can and must change, as these injustices fuel both colossal human suffering and environmental destruction. Preventing them costs a fraction of what the world spends managing the consequences. Technology offers solutions. Digital health, telemedicine, AI-assisted support can reach the most underserved communities, those already experiencing the worst impacts of climate change. But technology must amplify choice, not replace it. Tackle inequality, not deepen it. Member states and delegates, the evidence demands three urgent actions. First, invest in integrated population, sustainable development, and environmental research, and mainstream findings across policy agendas. The harm caused by silo thinking must end. Second, Scale investment to deliver on reproductive rights commitments, including but not limited to universal access to voluntary family planning. Third, ensure technological innovation serves historically marginalized communities, those facing the greatest inequality, denial of reproductive rights, and climate crisis. Either we act on the evidence or the evidence acts on us. In conclusion, how will you act on these three urgent actions to prevent and further human suffering and environmental devastation? I invite you to join our session tomorrow at 1 o'clock to discuss this further. Thank you.

Thank you very much to the representative from Population Matters. I'd like to give the floor to the representatives from Suriname. The representatives from Suriname. I'd like to move then to hand the floor over to the representative from Albania.

Chair, Excellency, distinguished colleagues. Albania welcomes this important discussion on the role of technology and research in advancing the ICPD program of action and the sustainable development goals. We believe that technology innovation, particularly big data and artificial intelligence, can significantly strengthen population data systems. These tools allow for more timely, disaggregated, and accurate data, enabling governments to better understand demographic trends and design targeted evidence-based policies. In the health sector, Emerging technologies such as digital health platforms, telemedicine, and AI-supported diagnostics hold great potential, including for expanding access to sexual and reproductive health services. However, ensuring equitable access remains essential. This requires investment in infrastructure and strong safeguards to protect privacy, ensure informed consent, and uphold human rights. Across the life course, technology can play a transformative role from improving access to quality education and employment opportunities for young people to supporting active and healthy aging through digital health and social services. Looking ahead, we see strong near-term opportunities in using AI and digital tools to enhance public services delivery and strengthen data-driven decision-making. To leverage these opportunities, we must invest in national data systems, foster innovation, and strengthen partnerships across governments, academia, the private sector, and international organizations. In conclusion, Albania remains committed to ensuring that technology and research are harnessed in an inclusive, rights-based and sustainable manner so that no one is left behind. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Albania, and I would like to hand the floor over to the last speaker, which is the International Relations Students Association of McGill University.

Thank you, Chair. My name is Lena Deitch, and I'm delivering the statement on behalf of the McGill Youth Advisory Delegation. Today, we have discussed the importance of medical health and advancements in areas of sexual and reproductive research. This technology is growing every day and has allowed for extensive initiatives by UN Women and WHO. However, we present to you that this issue is not being addressed to the extent that it should be. endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, and many more. These are all issues that women face, and these are all issues that are underfunded. For example, endometriosis is a chronic medical condition that affects 10% of women in the world, 190 million of us. It often begins forming in the early teenage years, takes nine to 11 years to diagnose, and has serious impacts on mental health. Increased funding and research could transform treatment options, reducing reliance on invasive surgery. I know this firsthand. I underwent surgery myself because we believed I had endometriosis. Thankfully, I didn't, but because there is no other way to detect this disease, I still carry the scars from this procedure, as do many others. However, my experience is absolutely nothing compared to what those who do receive that diagnosis must face. For them, surgery is often not the final solution as the disease comes back and they have to go through it all over again. Right now, we have no better solution and the same reality is true for many other underfunded gynecological issues. Recent estimates show that women's health receives only 1% of global funding for non-oncological issues. At the same time, studies show that diseases affecting women are underfunded relative to their burden, while those affecting men are overfunded. Our funding needs to be increased. Instead, it is being decreased. This is not only a women's health issue, it is a youth issue. Conditions such as these often begin forming in the early teenage years, leaving girls with unmanaged pain and unanswered questions. Early detection and intervention in addressing these issues is critical to improving long-term health outcomes and quality of life. Now, while we have made significant advances in this field of gynecology and issues that disproportionately affect women, it is just not enough. So I ask the panelists, given the fact that UN is facing budget cuts, how can member states and organizations such as UN Women and WHO better harness developing technologies to resolve this issue of persistent underfunding in women's health? Thank you.

Thank you very much. I thank the representatives from the International Relations Students Association of McGill University for your inputs. I now invite the panelists to respond to any question or comments from the floor. You may take up to two minutes each for your responses. And there were a number of questions that were asked, the last being the implications of the UN budget cuts and how agencies can better harness resources, and also There was a question around opportunities for AI and technology in development, but also what resources and alliances are required to drive sustainable development, and how can public policy better integrate gender mainstreaming. We'll start with Your Excellency, Minister of Education and Training from Tonga. Your floor is yours.

Thank you. moderator. I think we would like to comment on the issue of that is common to the region where I come from. And it's about the isolation and connectivity. This is a big challenge for us because in order to collect data in a better way so that we will be able to analyze the data and to disseminate the data again. The problem of isolation is a really big challenge for us. And because of isolation, the problem of connectivity is also related to being isolated. And we also have in Tonga and Pacific regions, we have a lot of natural disasters where we have volcanic eruptions. And this challenges sort of the step, the connectivity that we have. And that is a very big problem about three or four years ago. There was an eruption that sort of dismantled the connectivity that we have. And we have a lot of cyclones and earthquakes that are very challenging to us in the work that we are trying to improve. So for us, the challenges for us is connectivity, and that's because of the isolation that we have with our islands. We are able to establish web, for example, in education. We have developed a website where we have a hub that we put all the resources that our teachers and our education system needs. But of course, the problem is having access to that. And if you are on an island very far from our centers and you don't have the connections, then the good idea of having a resource hub for teachers and students are not fully utilized because of this problem. Thank you, Mr. Rader.

Thank you very much, Honorable Minister. I now turn to Professor Ahmed from the State Minister of Education of Nigeria.

Thank you very much. I would like to add a bit more in terms of opportunities in utilization of AI to address inequalities. Initially, I mentioned the Lumina program. We are developing digital platform to give access to quality education to girls' education. But apart from that also, we also have what we refer to as committee of practice. It's for teachers also. It's also designed in such a way that members in that committee of practice now have access to different resources in terms of what they need in teaching and also opportunity to learn from mentors. Experienced teachers now can mentor less experienced teachers through that platform. And apart from that also, I would like to mention that right now we are doing school grading. The school grading is designed in such a way that data is collected from all the schools in terms of specific needs and we are addressing those specific needs based on the school grading. We have four grading for each of the schools, grade A, B, C, D. The plan is to move the schools that are grade D to C, those from grade C to B, those from grade B now to A. The design also align with through a drastic policy change with it in terms of funding. Uh initially, we have a structure in such a way that the fair government is supporting the subnationals with funding. Uh but it's very strict in terms of utilization. Uh we have a percentage dedicated for building new schools, renovation. So, it's not targeting specifically the problems based on school level problem but with the school grading now, each school has an opportunity to address specific problems it is infrastructure, if it is renovation, if it is wash facilities, it's very clear now for planning through the dashboard, but at the federal level and also at the subnational level, we can be able to understand what really the problem is. Also with regard to the Almajiri issue we have in Nigeria, right now we are doing mapping, this Almajiri mapping, including not only NIN, which is the unique identifier, national identity. We are given this Almajiri national identity. We are using iris scan also so that is unique. And the data we are collecting for this Almajiri, we can be able to place them not only in the local government but even the addresses of their family so that we know from where they are coming, how do we plan for them. All these are opportunities that we are utilizing digital technology and AI platform to ensure that we address these key challenges and key issues that we have in the country. This Just to mention a few of them. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Honourable Minister. I now turn the floor to the representative from Philippines, the Executive Director of the Commission of Population and Development.

Thank you very much. I would like to address the question on how do we incorporate policies or develop policies that incorporate gender issues to reduce inequalities. Just to share, in the Philippines, we actually have a law, the Magna Carta of Women, that was enacted in 2009. This provided a lot of instructions that generate programs and policies that address women or gender and development issues. One very important feature of this is that all government agencies, national down to local level, are required to provide 5% of their total budget for gender and development issues. So this is very important because it forces all government entities to think of reducing inequalities and addressing gender and development issues. I would like to share also that because of this Magna Carta of women, there are some benefits for women having gynecological problems. For example, for women that have to undergo gynecological procedures, they have additional two months leave with pay on top of the usual leaves for them to do the procedure and recuperate well. So again, I go back to my first comment earlier, the importance of enacting laws that will provide budgets for very good initiatives. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency. I now turn the floor to Dr. Elifli, Deputy Minister of Health from Egypt.

Actually, I would like to comment on the inequity for women and the girls in underdeveloped areas because of really reaching them with electronic system is really very difficult. There is high percentage of literacy among them and even level of poverty make them unable to learn these methods or make use of them. And that's why planning digitalization among the remote areas and reaching to girls and women in these remote areas make a differentiation on the funding level that we need to capitalize more funding in these zones. to be able to focus on them and also to use more human resources to help them and train them on how to make use of the digitalization in these areas, especially through the primary health care centers and the family counseling rooms or facilities which we created especially for these women and girls to be able to sit in complete privacy, deal with their limitation and help them, taking time with them to help them to be able to make benefits of the digitalization facilities, which we supported their awareness and their help through the digitalization among our system. Really, we didn't reach yet to all over Egypt, especially also that we have a lot of people from different nationalities, through our guests, from immigrants and refugees. And they have different level of awareness, different level of health, public health habits, and to be able to study the variation and be able to support them while they are in our home. Really, we created a system of family counselors who are from their nationalities to be trained how they can counsel their own people and support them. And when they go back home again, they can be with them, supporting them. And we feel this is a very extra mile we have done for our guests in Egypt. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Honorable Minister. And I'll turn to Your Excellency Lazar Petrovic.

Thank you. I would like to answer to question from distinguished delegate from El Salvador about AI opportunities. From Serbian perspective, we recognize the importance of all AI-driven things at the very beginning and started the investments on this field. So we invested in data centers, science, technological parks, also by a four campus and we have a very strong IT office which helps ministries to implement all AI things all new things into their into their work so especially for my Ministry of family care and demography first thing in the first phase we implemented the one chatbot about Ali money fund which was a new fund in Serbia that chatbot us a lot, reduced so many calls on our call center and answered to the questions in a very good, in a very good way. Also, we are now working, Serbia is now working on its own AI language model, which will help us, which will be made specifically for our needs and Serbian government needs. So I think it's very important to invest in these new technologicals and to work with young people on that field. Thank you.

Thank you, and that's a good segue to then ask Jada to come in and respond to some questions and perhaps put some points on the floor. Thank you very much.

I would like to respond to the statement and questions posed by Indonesia and the McGill youth delegation. Women's health should not be viewed as a special interest and it should be seen as a foundation for sustainable development. In regards to mitigating the funding gap, it should be noted that we should be leveraging technology and research, which was discussed throughout the CPD 59, and we should move from a charity-based model to an investment-based model. Using digital health tools and better data collection, we should be lowering the cost of care and prove the massive economic return that comes when women are healthy and empowered. This also contributes to supporting the advancement of comprehensive sexual education and life cycle considerations. The use of this technology, technological shift to de-risk investments in women's health. We don't just need more money, we need to have more smarter, technologically driven financing that ensures reproductive rights and maternal health are never sidelined in the pursuit of progress.

Thank you very much, Yada, for your inputs. And thank you very much to the panel. And before I invite the vice chair, Ms. Sasha K. Watson from Jamaica, to make closing remarks, I would like to thank the panelists, the discussant from South Africa, and, of course, the contributions that would have come from the floor. And I think this was a very interesting and insightful panel. I'd like you to please appreciate them by giving them a round of applause. Thank you very much. And I think today's discussion really highlighted that the ICPD program of action remains highly relevant to the achievement of sustainable development and the technology and research if harnessed in an inclusive, rights-based and equitable manner can make an important contribution to addressing current and emerging population challenges. I'd like to at this point invite the Vice Chair, Jamaica, Sasha K. Watson, to make closing remarks. Immediately after the Vice Chair has made remarks, the panel will pose for a quick photo. Over to you.

Thank you, Mr. Mchunu. I'll be quite brief in this wrap up. I'd just like to thank all the distinguished panelists for their insights, as well as all the delegations and the civil society, or rather organizations for their interest and contribution. I also thank you, Mr. Mchunu, for guiding this discussion. So this concludes the panel discussion. The commission will momentarily continue with statements in the general discussion under item three. I will briefly pause here for the meeting to allow the podium to be rearranged. Please remain seated in the meantime. Thank you. I now invite all the distinguished representatives to take their seat. We will now resume with the remaining of the session. I now invite the commission to resume its general discussion on the agenda item three entitled general debate and its sub items A and B. Once more, I do invite distinguished delegates who are standing to please take your seat as we will now resume the session. Thank you. Before giving the floor to the first speaker, I would like to remind delegations that the deadline for inscription on the list of speakers for the general discussion is this afternoon at 1:00 PM. I also kindly urge delegations to respect the agreed time limit of five minutes for member states speaking in their national capacity. The microphone will be automatically muted when the allotted speaking time has elapsed. Please also note that the light on the microphone will start blinking at the one-minute mark before the time limit is up. I thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation. I kindly request that statements be delivered at a normal speed to ensure proper interpretation. Longer versions of statements may be sent for posting in the Journal of the United Nations to e-statements@un.org. Once again, distinguished delegates, I will only start to give the floor to the first speaker on the list when our representatives are seated and there is some good amount of silence in the room to allow the first speaker to deliver their statement. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Gambia. You have the floor, please, madam.

Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, the Gambia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Republic of Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and wishes to make the following remarks in its national capacity. We commend the Secretary-General for the comprehensive and insightful reports prepared for this session, which highlight the critical role of science and technology in the full implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and the SDGs. Madam Chair, The Gambia welcomes the convening of this session and is honoured to contribute to the dialogue on population, technology and research in the context of sustainable development. This theme underscores the increasing importance of innovation and scientific evidence in shaping development policy and advancing the implementation of the ICPD program of action and the SGDs. We underscore the demographic change and digital transformation are mutually reinforcing forces that can drive inclusive growth, strengthen resilience, and advance human development. In the context of The Gambia, we're actively integrating population dynamics, technology and research into national development planning, through our national development plan, which is the green recovery focused national development plan. We believe that effective policy making must be grounded in reliable data systems, robust institutions, and the capacity to translate evidence into actionable development outcomes. To this end, the government is advancing a comprehensive digital transformation agenda aimed at modernizing public systems and enhancing the use of real-time population data in planning and decision making. A significant milestone in this endeavor has been the successful execution of a fully digital population and housing census, which has improved the quality timelines and accessibility of national statistical information. Building on this foundation, efforts are underway to strengthen the integration of population and demographic dynamics into national development planning processes for more data-driven, evidence-based interventions. The government is also enhancing civil registration and vital statistics as part of its broader effort to ensure continuous, reliable, and interoperable population data beyond census cycles. This includes improved registration of births to support effective planning and service delivery. Simultaneously, ongoing digital transformation efforts are contributing to the strengthening of digital public infrastructure thereby improving the efficiency of government systems, enhancing service delivery, and fostering more integrated and responsive governance across sectors. Moreover, technical and vocational education and training institutions are playing a pivotal role in this transformation by equipping young people with skills that align with technological advancements and evolving labor market needs. These institutions are increasingly reinforcing the connection between demographic trends, skills development, and economic participation in the context of an emerging digital economy. Notwithstanding these efforts, Madam Chair, significant challenges remain. These include limited research financing, capacity constraints within national institutions, and gaps in the systematic use of research evidence in policy formulation and implementation. Addressing these challenges is essential to ensure that development decisions are consistently informed by national evidence and realities. Additionally, persistent digital divides continue to restrict equitable access to technology and information systems, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Bridging these disparities is critical to realizing the commitment of the ICPD Programme of Action and the Sustainable Development Goals, and to ensure the benefits of digital transformation are shared broadly, leaving no one behind. Madam Chair, The Gambia recognizes that population outcomes are increasingly influenced by the robustness of systems that link data, technology and service delivery. In this regard, Strengthening research capacity is essential for better anticipating demographic and socio-economic changes, for informing forward-looking development planning. The convergence of population dynamics, technology and research presents a clear pathway for more inclusive and sustainable development, particularly when embedded within national decision-making systems. In this regard, The Gambia places a strong emphasis on technology and innovation transfer as a means of bolstering national capacity. Through collaboration with international partners, including North-South and South-South cooperation frameworks, the country continues to benefit from knowledge exchange, technical support, and access to digital solutions that enhance institutional capacity and foster domestic innovation. We call for strengthened global and regional partnership.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Gambia for her statement, and I now turn the floor to the distinguished representative of Chad, who can now deliver their statement. You have the floor, please.

Madame la President.

Madam Chair, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Chad, Marshal Mahamad Medidna, I would like to thank the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the invitation to participate in this session. The issues of population and development, and more specifically the topic of this session, are of key importance for the development of Chad, which is a developing country with a population of around 18 million. We find ourselves at a major demographic and social crossroads. The implementation of the plan of action of the ICPD requires impartial and disaggregated reliable data resulting from regular census and in-depth social research. This data is a must and the basis for effective public policy. We have just issued our Chad Connection 2030 National Development Plan, it shows a clear ambition to accelerate the development of my country, double the GDP, and make sure that our citizens are at the center of progress. We are trying to lift 2.7 million Chadians out of poverty and reduce the level of poverty to 28 percent. all the while making sure that there's equitable development. This plan is fully in alignment with the SDGs and with the Nairobi Plan on Population. This plan can only be effectively implemented if we have reliable population and infrastructure data. And that is why we launched the third phase of the general census of our population and agriculture. This is 18 years after the first one. This is an internal digital census, despite the energy and digital restrictions we have. And the outcome will help us plan public policy so as to improve the living conditions of our people. Decisions will be proof-based. Disaggregated information will enable us to anticipate with precision our decisions on education, health, water, sanitation, housing, and food policies, and provide the decision-making with a solid basis to guide policies towards equity, the expression of our people's potential, and resilience. This benefited from the support of World Bank on the harmonization of statistics project. This project is there to improve the national statistics capacity by providing them fellowships in statistical schools and providing infrastructure to improve the working conditions and therefore reliability of data. We've already used the technological data to geolocalize our schools, our general resources throughout the territory, so as to make sure that they're placed throughout the country realistically. We're also moving forward in other areas. This will bring together all of the households, including the refugees living in Chad, to make sure that there is targeted social services provided. Using AI and digital tools will allow us not only to improve our data, but also to transform the data into a strategic tool for decision making. For the first time, Chad organized a national competition in science, technology and engineering to encourage girls to become interested in this. To conclude, data revolution in data is a must for us to make sure to implement the ICPD plan of action. The country must ensure that the next generation has a better life despite our challenges. We call our national decision makers and our partners to support this approach of ours, so as to transform the data into a tool for demographic and social change. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Chad for his statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sudan. You have the floor, please.

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished members of the Commission, representatives of states and international organizations. It is a pleasure to deliver this national statement at the 59th session of the Commission for Population and Development. We are fully committed to the theme of this session, population, technology, and research in the context of sustainable development. In the Sudan, the government of hope is leading resilience efforts since the devastating conflict of April 2023. Technology is our hope to address the crisis affecting millions of IDPs and those who migrated of the country and refugees. We are delivering this statement in line with the program of action of the ICPD while calling for international support. We are going to highlight national initiatives and we condemn the crimes against civilians. We would like to applaud the efforts of the UNFPA in in Sudan in integrating population dynamics and population data in the development agenda supporting the achievement of the SDGs. Ladies and gentlemen, we are happy to participate in this important session. in the Commission as the most important platform of the UN to address the ICPD Programme of Action. Today, we're focusing on population, technology and research in the context of sustainable development and the linkages between advanced technology and the ICPD Programme of Action in areas such as reproductive health, sexual health based on evidence, family planning, violence against women, youth programs and social protection to close existing gaps. In addition to generating population data and improving the average life expectancy and determining technological trends that are related to migration, the Sudan is committed to the program of action of the ICPT and the national commitments announced during the Nairobi summit. Ladies and gentlemen. We condemn the crimes of militias that led to mass displacement, mass killings, systematic rapes, and the burning of villages in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, and Al-Jazirah. The Government of Hope calls for clear condemnation and immediate sanctions and international investigations in these war crimes. We also call for providing assistance to Sudanese refugees in Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, and Uganda to achieve justice. The Sudan is going through an unprecedented demographic transformation. The majority are young people who therefore need programs based on evidence supported by technology, focusing on population to increase our flexibility to reach different parts of the country and to harness demographic evidence. This is highly important to achieve the SDGs. We also must address the ability of the country to harness demographic dividends. We are now in a situation of conflict, and this is manifested in high employment rates, mass migration, displacement, and brain drains. We support, registering 2.5 million refugees through embassies and electronic applications. Ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, we highly value the efforts of humanitarian partners, and especially UNFP, in continuing its support to Sudan to provide reproductive health and helping men, women, and young people that are affected by conflict. We call for and we look forward to integrating population dimensions in the response and in decision making, while giving special attention to refugees, IDPs, men, women, and young people that are affected by conflict. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Sudan for her statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of El Salvador. You have the floor, please. Senior

Chair, the delegation of El Salvador welcomes the work of this Commission and we reaffirm our commitment to public policies that are evidence-based and that put people at the core using technology to address the demographic challenges of our time. The theme that brings us here today invites us to reflect collectively as to how technology is addressing or failing to address the realities that are transforming our societies. The report of the Secretary General on population, technology and research is quite clear. Technological progress has a real impact when it is connected to dynamics such as aging, human mobility, urbanization or gaps in access to services, we agree that the technological transition is not an end in and of itself. It is an enabler of development. For El Salvador, innovation should guide our progress in technology to ensure that it acts as a driver of inclusion rather than a new form of exclusion. Under this renewed vision of the government of President Bukele, El Salvador is moving towards a governance model where technology is put at the service of the well-being of individuals. In this context, I'd like to highlight three key milestones. The, uh, housing and population, the census of 2024 was our first complete. completely digital census together with the support of the UNFPA. This allowed us to have more accurate and disaggregated data in order to have a better understanding of our people and to reveal and bring to light those who have been left behind and to underpin public policy with real evidence and a clear equity focus. We have also reinforced our normative framework aimed at ensuring safeguards. We have strategic frameworks such as the law on the development of AI, the law on cybersecurity, the law on data privacy, and the law on developing technology and innovation. All of this ensures that progress occurs with transparency and legal certainty. Technological progress in El Salvador also has a tangible human face. Our healthcare platform has democratized access. Using AI, this free tool provides continuous healthcare medical guidance, overcoming timing and distance barriers. We have a strategic alliance for implementing this personalized medicine that is based on AI and in more than 5,000 schools for education. is how we are going for a technology, a knowledge economy of the future in a responsible way. Chair, El Salvador believes that the convergence between populations and technology should be addressed from a comprehensive vision of well-being. In this context, the CPD has a critical role to play in guiding how technology can lead to better policies in light of challenges. We hope that we will have clear guidelines and concrete results that help us to strengthen our population data systems, to reduce gaps in access to technology, and to provide frameworks to ensure the use of technology is responsible, inclusive, and human-centered. My delegation wishes to express our thanks to the UN Population Fund in El Salvador for their continued support to the country and their technical and programmatic support in implementing our programs for population and development. We look forward to participating in the, so we participated in the regional conference and we are promoting an inclusive strategy that is focused on the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. Based on our experience, we reiterate our intention to continue contributing to this collective effort to ensure that innovation translates into real wellbeing for our peoples. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of El Salvador for her statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Japan.

Madam Chairperson, esteemed delegates, I welcome the theme of this year's session, Population, Technology and Research in the Context of Sustainable Development. As information systems, including the internet, remain indispensable global infrastructure, and given the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, AI, this discussion is both timely and essential. As highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General, the landscape of population data has transformed drastically since the 1994 ICPD Programme of Action. In Japan's most recent population census conducted last year, online respondents reached nearly 50%, reflecting the successful digitization of government statistics. Moreover, private sector online monitoring surveys now provide diverse population insights with greater speed and cost efficiency. Online dissemination of governmental statistics and survey results are now becoming the norm. Through the e-Stat portal, the Japanese government provides not only reports, but also detailed data tables. By releasing small area data alongside boundary information, we have enabled sophisticated geospatial and regional analysis. Digital information systems are also being developed in the field of health. Japan has a single system of payment for both health and long-term care insurance, And the insurance claim data are compiled in databases, allowing researchers and policymakers to analyze the cost and effectiveness of the services. A national ID system called My Number was established in Japan in 2015. In order to protect data privacy, matching different data using My Number is not legally permitted. However, the utilization of My Number to administrative data is expanding and now covers 137 types in such fields as tax, social security, and disaster management. In the health sector, the My Number card replaced the use of conventional health insurance cards in 2024, allowing for the secure sharing of medical records with patient consent, facilitating better clinical outcomes. My Number is also used for the management of resident registration for both Japanese and foreign nationals living in Japan, facilitating smooth administrative procedures. Technology affects population issues in many different aspects. For example, as higher education and career opportunities for women lead to later marriages, the demand for assisted reproductive technology, ART, has risen. In 2023, ART accounted for 11.7% of all births in Japan. To ensure accessibility for all who need it, the government has covered the cost of ART under public health insurance since 2022. The information technology is widely used for the long-term care of older persons. The integrated community care support system implemented since 2005, which is centered around long-term care recipients and involves all parties from doctors, nurses, caregivers, to municipal officers in charge, ensures that the information necessary to provide care is shared efficiently through the information network. Now the challenges are how to upgrade the network and to integrate it with the My Number-based health information system. Japan's population decline, especially in rural areas, inherently raised the necessity of online health services. In addition to insurance payment entries for online health services started in 2018, electronic medical information systems are being expanded and care providers being provided with capacity development support. The digital transformation DX is a strategic pillar of Japan's official development assistance. For example, in the health sector, Japan supports projects for the better utilization of health data in Bhutan, digital prenatal examinations in Democratic Republic of Congo, and the use of drones and AI for malaria control in Ghana, to name a few. Technology continues to reshape human existence. While it offers immense benefits, it also presents challenges that require agile responses. Our core philosophy remains steadfast. Data utilization must be human centered. We must ensure that personal information is rigorously protected and that individual retain control over their own data. Such human centered data systems are consistent with the promotion of human security to which Japan has been committed and contribute to ensuring human dignity. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Japan for her statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Albania. You have the floor, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues. At a time of profound global transformation, Albania welcomes this session's focus on population, technology, and research in the context of sustainable development, which is both timely and essential. Demographic shifts accelerating, technological change is reshaping our societies, and the importance of evidence-based policymaking continues to grow. For Albania, population dynamics are not abstract; they are lived realities shaping our development path. Like many countries, we are navigating declining fertility, outward migration, and a steadily aging population. These trends present both challenges and opportunities. They compel us to rethink labor markets, strengthen social protection systems, and plan more strategically for the future, while also encouraging innovation and adaptation. In this context, Albania considers technology and research as essential enablers of effective policy. Strong data systems fundamental to understanding demographic change and designing targeted responses. Ensuring access to reliable, timely, and disaggregated data is critical to leaving no one behind. At the same time, digital transformation must be inclusive. While technology offers significant opportunities to improve access to services and empower individuals, it also risks widening inequalities if not carefully managed. Bridging digital divides, particularly for women, older persons, and vulnerable groups, must remain a priority. Albania's approach is guided by three key priorities. First, investing in data and research capacity. Sustainable development policies must be grounded in robust demographic analysis. This includes strengthening civil registration and vital statistics systems, improving population projects, and ensuring that data reflects evolving realities, including migration, aging, and unexpected shocks such as pandemics and environmental crisis. Second, harnessing technology for inclusion. Digital tools can enhance governance, expand access to services, and support participation across the life course. To realize this, potential technology must be people centered, rights based and aligned with international frameworks, including the global digital compact. And third and last, adopting a life course approach to population policies. From youth to older persons, policies must promote dignity, participation and opportunity at every stage of life. We emphasize that population aging should be viewed not as a burden, but as a reflection of progress. Older persons are active contributors to societies and should be supported through inclusive healthcare, social protection and age-friendly environments. Excellencies, Albania remains firmly committed to the fully effective and accelerated implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. In our capacity as Vice Chair, we are committed to facilitating an open, transparent and balanced process. We'll work closely with the Chair, Bureau members and all delegation to ensure inclusive and respectful dialogue leading to practical and forward results. Let me conclude by emphasizing that demographic trends are not destiny. They are shaped by the policies we choose and the investment we make. By leveraging technology responsibly, strengthening research capacities, and placing people at the center of our efforts, we can turn today's challenges into tomorrow's opportunities. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Albania for her statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Lao People's Democratic Republic. You have the floor, please.

Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it is an honor to address the 59th 95th session of Commission on Population and Development on behalf of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The Lao PDR reaffirms its strong commitment to the programme of actions of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. population dynamics, sexual and reproductive health and rights. Gender equality and women empowerment remain the central to our national development agenda and are reflected in our policy and the 10-9 social economic development plan from the year 2026-2030. Seen the previous session of ICPD, We have taken important steps to accelerate implementation. We have developed our first demographic dividend roadmap, established a high-level national population and development committee, and conducted our first fully digital population and housing census in the year 2025, with the government, UNFPA, and other development partners' support. We have also advanced national action plans on violence against women and gender equality, and adopted new strategies for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, as well as the midwifery. Madam Chair, The outcome of our second national conference on populations and development provide a clear way forward, which reflect in the call for action comprised of nine strategies, priority areas as follow. First, investing in young people. Second, ensuring the access to sexual and reproductive health and right. Third, preventing the gender-based violent and harmful practices. Fourth, transforming the social norm and priority inclusions. Fifth, the strengthen data system to better support evidence-based policies. Sixth, advancing digital transformations. And seven, integrating climate climate resilience with the gender equality and vulnerable group of populations. And eight is enhancing the financial innovative and sustainable mobilization. And finally, it enhancing the regional corporations. in particularly cooperation in the ASEAN and Mekong sub-region. Madam Chairs, this year remark 50 years of partnership between Lao PDR and the UNFPA. We deeply value this long-lasting cooperation and its contribution to family planning, data system, gender equality, and women empowerment. Looking ahead, the Lao PDR remain committed to ending preventable maternal death, reducing unmet need for family planning, and eliminating gender-based violence and harmful practices. Achieving this goal will require stronger partnerships, continued international support, and investment that help us harness digital transformation and technological innovation and deliver the result for all. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Lao People's Democratic Republic for her statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malawi. You have the floor, please.

Chairperson, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, it is an honor for Malawi to address this esteemed Commission at its 59th session. Malawi would like to align with the statement made by Lebanon on behalf of a cross-section region group of countries, and the statement made by South Africa, representing Global Leaders Correlation Network for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health. Malawi remains fully committed to the ICPD Programme of Action and continues to register progress in improving the health and well-being of its people. Over the past decade, life expectancy stands at 64.8 years for males and 70.5 years for females. This is an improvement from 58.8 for males and 63.6 years for females in 2028. Total fertility rate has declined from 4.4 children per woman in 2015 to 3.7 children per woman in 2024. Contraceptive use has improved from 58% in 2015 to 66% in 2024. But this is the case that in 1992, the same was 13%. Maternal mortality ratio has reduced from 439 per 100,000 live births in 2015 to 224 per 100,000 live births in 224. The under-five mortality rate has declined from 64 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2015 to 48 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024. However, Malawi remains concerned of the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, which now account for approximately 40% of all deaths in Malawi. Madam Chairperson, in response to these challenges, Malawi has undertaken several strategic interventions. First, expanding of integrated health service delivery through the construction of over 900 health posts, improving access in remote and underserved areas. Strengthening digital health systems. with nearly 75% of health facilities now utilizing electronic health records to enhance efficiency, data quality, and service delivery. Enhanced partnership with United Nations agencies and other stakeholders to build resilient and responsive health systems. Madam Chairperson, to ensure sustainability of these gains, Malawi is mobilizing domestic and external resources through integrated national financing framework. integrating climate resilience and emergency preparedness into national health and development policies, strengthening national research capacity and data systems to better respond to demographic trends and emerging challenges, and of course, preparing for the 2028 population and housing census with support from several stakeholders, including the UNFPA. Despite these efforts, Malawi, like many developing countries, continues to face constraints, including declining development assistance and limited resources for health and population programs. We therefore call upon international community to affirm its commitments and support countries in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action. In conclusion, Malawi reiterates its unwavering commitment to the full implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and to leveraging technology and research as enablers of sustainable development, ensuring that no one is left behind. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malawi for his statement, and I now pass the floor to the distinguished representative of Ethiopia. You have the floor, please.

Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, as we convene for the 59th session of the Commission, the world is grappling with, among other challenges, climate-related crisis, geopolitical tensions, and economic fragility. Against this backdrop, the theme of this year's session addresses an issue of critical importance in an era of rapid technological advancement. Madam Chair, Ethiopia, among the fastest growing economies with immense demographic dividend of over 130 million population requires digital access, digital skills and job creation to advance sustainable development. In this regard, the government of Ethiopia has launched Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy to harness the power of digital technologies for inclusive prosperity, sustainable development, and global competitiveness. The strategy has the objective to accelerate Ethiopia's digital transformation by strengthening infrastructure, fostering innovation, and the buildings, institutions, and partnerships needed for thriving indigenous digital economy. The strategy is aligned with African African Union Digital Transformation Strategy, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the Global Digital Compact. Madam Chair, beyond designing and implementing relevant policies and strategies, allow me to highlight some digital transformation efforts that are advancing national development priorities. First, a year ago, Ethiopia has launched a national initiative called Mesob, which is a digital platform designed to support the country's shift toward the digital economy by connecting government services, businesses, and the citizens through a unified system. Named after the traditional Ethiopian shared dining table, Mesob, it symbolizes collaboration and integration, aiming to streamline public services, enabling digital payments, improve data sharing, and foster innovation in sectors like commerce, finance, and governance. Second, Fida National Digital ID. This is a national program that provides digital ID system using biometric data with the principle of one person, one identity basis. So far, provided to over 25% of our population in short period of time, it is expected to significantly improve the quality and efficiency of us accessing government services. Third, 5 Million Coders initiative that aims to provide digital literacy training to 5 million Ethiopian youth, equipping them with essential digital skills for education, life, and work. The program is designed to empower youth to leverage technology for economic opportunity. Third, the government of Ethiopia is increasingly implementing smart agriculture as part of its broader strategy to transform its agricultural sector by launching the Digital Agriculture Extension and Advisory Service Roadmap. The roadmap has the objective of enhancing the efficiency, quality, and impact of advisory services to farmers through digital transformation. Fifth, in the health sector, a logistic management information system named DAGU has been modernizing the sector by automating inventory and transactional management throughout the supply chain system. The Ministry of Health is also working toward the full implementation of district health information system as a health management information system to improve health data management and enable informed decision making in the sector. With regard to urban development, including Addis Ababa, more than 70 smart cities are currently under development across Ethiopia, designed to meet modern smart city standards. This initiative is aimed to deliver on sustainable urban development, enhanced livability, and efficient resource management. smart police station in Addis Ababa is improving service delivery and modernizing law enforcement through digital technology, supported by AI-driven features and self-service kiosks that allow citizens to report crimes, submit documents, and access police services 24/7. Despite major efforts, we still face formidable challenges, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Digital tools remain underutilized, and institutions lack the necessary infrastructure to deliver technology-based services. Moreover, constrained digital financing, limited technology transfer, and digital skill gaps continue to deepen the global digital divide, especially in developing countries. In conclusion, Madam Chair, Ethiopia calls upon the international community to strengthen cooperation in narrowing digital divides, advancing technology transfer, and increasing digital financing to support national efforts. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ethiopia for his statement. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nicaragua, followed by Germany. You have the floor, please.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

We are grateful for the convening of this meeting of the Commission for Population and Development and the theme for this year. At present, technology is advancing apace, and at the same time, profound inequalities persist, poverty and the exclusion that affects millions of people, especially in developing countries. When we speak of sustainable development, we should address the realities of poverty, hunger, and a lack of access to basic services, and to the digital gap that limits opportunities for our populations. It is worrying that at the present time, while millions of people live in conditions of poverty, vast resources continue to be devoted to military spending. These resources that today are used for war and destruction should actually be redirected to scientific investigation, technological innovation, and to the eradication of poverty. With just a modicum of these resources, it would be possible to close digital divides, to guarantee universal access to education, strengthen health systems, and promote dignified opportunities for all. technology is a right that should be within reach of all peoples, without exclusions and without conditions attached. It is fundamental that we strengthen international cooperation based on mutual respect, solidarity and non-interference in the internal affairs of states. At the same time, we reiterate the demand to eliminate the illegal unilateral coercive measures that are impeding access in our countries to technology, financing and research, directly impacting the right to development of our peoples. Chair, in Nicaragua, we have made progress in incorporating technology as a tool for human development. We've done so through community health programs that are digitalized, by strengthening the education model with access to technology platforms and by expanding connectivity in rural areas, bringing opportunities closer to our families and communities. Based on our national experience, we reaffirm that resources should be prioritized for social programs such as strengthening public healthcare systems, free education, quality education, and also productive initiatives that incorporate innovation and technology in order to improve the living conditions of the population. In this regard, Nicaragua continues to drive projects for electrification, digital connectivity, and access to technologies in rural and remote communities. In this way, reducing historical gaps and promoting true inclusion in development. Nicaragua reaffirms its commitment to a development model that is centered on the human person, on family, and on community, where technology is a tool for life, peace, and dignity. With political will, international solidarity, and respect for the sovereignty of peoples, it is possible to build a future where knowledge innovation and resources are truly at the service of humanity and not leading to destruction. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Nicaragua for her statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representatives of Germany, followed by Morocco. You have the floor, please.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and guests. We stand before you today as representatives of a generation that will bear the consequences of the decisions taken in these halls. And we are not here simply to raise concerns. We are here to help shape a more just and stable future. We are growing up in a world sharing by overlapping and interconnected crisis, armed conflicts, climate-related disasters, displacement, and humanitarian emergencies. These crises do not occur in isolation. They do not stop at borders, and neither will their consequences. We live in an interconnected world. We see what happens when systems collapse, when hospitals no longer function, when infrastructure fails, when families lose their homes and everything they hold dear. It makes me wonder what the future will look like, and yet, At the moment, when international cooperation is more necessary than ever, we are observing a different response. A turn inward, a questioning of multilateralism, and a prioritization of short-term national interests. Amid these shifting priorities, we are witnessing a gradual erosion of fundamental human rights. Rights that were once considered universal and non-negotiable are increasingly questioned, restricted, or rolled back. And as multilateral cooperation weakens, so too does the collective commitment to protect them. This is not progress, it is regression. What troubles me just as much as what I see becoming normal, in political discourse, in media, and in conversations around me, the idea that equality equal rights and dignity for all is a zero-sum game, that caring about others' rights somehow threatens your own, that solidarity is naive. These narratives are no longer marginal. They are everywhere. And we, as a generation, are being told that equality is a threat to us, to our identity, to our future. That is a lie, and it is a dangerous one. For generations, multilateralism has been a condition for justice and stability. And today, it is more necessary than ever. Protecting human rights and equality is not the responsibility of some. It is the responsibility of all.

Today, still, rights depend on where you're born. I grew up with access to comprehensive sexual education, contraception, and safe abortion services. I know what a privilege that is. But fundamental rights and access to basic health services should never even be a privilege. Imagine a girl my age living under different circumstances, forced into marriage, forced into motherhood due to economic pressure, or simply because she was never granted the education, access, or the freedom to choose otherwise, never empowered to decide about her own body or exercise her sexual and reproductive rights. What happens when she becomes pregnant, not by choice, but by circumstance? She may seek an abortion. where nearly half of all abortions globally are unsafe, performed without trained providers or medical support, or in places where it remains criminalized. As a young woman, I cannot accept that this is still the reality in 2026, and neither should anyone else. Those who seek abortion still face social stigma, while access to potential prevention remains unobtainable. More than 250 million women and girls who need contraception still cannot access it. blocked by financial, educational, and structural barriers. Meanwhile, research into male contraceptive methods remains chronically underfunded. This imbalance reflects structural inequalities. It reflects who is expected to carry the burden and who is not. And still, all over the world, women are organizing, advocating, refusing to be silenced. They're challenging a system that unjustly places responsibility whilst excluding them from equal power. This movement, it's young, it's global, growing, and it reminds me, change is possible when we refuse to accept the status quo. No girl should have to fight for rights that were agreed upon before she was born. No young person should inherit a world where those agreements are quietly dismantled. Let us ensure that rights are not determined by where someone is born or who they're born as. That is why we are standing here today, and that is what we are asking you to protect. Thank you so much.

Thank you to the distinguished representatives of Germany. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Morocco. You have the floor, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. All protocol observed. Morocco considers that the interlinkages between demographic dynamics, technological innovation, and research lies at the heart of today's population challenges and constitutes a key lever for fostering sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development. However, technological and digital transformations must be guided by the principles of equality, solidarity, and respect for human rights to ensure that technological progress does not further exacerbate existing inequalities. Chair, at the national level, we are actively advancing the integration of digital transformation into our public policies, while ensuring the strengthening of national capacities in the production, analysis, and use of data. These efforts aim at transforming Morocco's national statistical system into an integrated, open, and interoperable framework through stronger interinstitutional coordination and innovation, particularly through the use of AI. In the field of health, the deployment of digital health and telemedicine solutions helps reducing territorial disparities, particularly benefiting populations in rural and remote areas. These efforts are accompanied by initiatives aimed at strengthening digital literacy and promoting informed and responsible use of health technologies. Madam Chair, aware of the transformative potential of emerging technologies, Morocco is actively engaged in exploring the positive use of AI, using artificial for sustainable development. We welcome our partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, FNUAP Maroc, to explore the AI ProSocial program in an effort to identify solutions to improve the understanding of population dynamics and enhance the effectiveness of public policies. The discussion of AI pro-social programs started at the Morocco AI Forum 2025, bringing together decision makers, researchers, and innovators to discuss the four pillar of this initiative that are tailored, trained, tested, and targeted AI with the aim to align technological process, human well-being, and environmental protection.

In the same.

Spirit, Morocco, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program, launched the Digital for Sustainable Development Hub, a platform aimed at promoting cooperation, knowledge sharing, and digital innovation in support of sustainable development, particularly at the regional and African levels. Madam President, Morocco attached particular importance to reducing and eliminating the digital divide by working towards inclusive access to digital infrastructure and services, especially for women, youth, persons with disabilities, and population in rural areas. In this context, efforts are being made to promote digital education, lifelong learning, and skills development in order to prepare population for labor market transformation driven by new technologies. Furthermore, we emphasize the need to ensure a safe, inclusive, and digital environment that respects human rights, particularly through strengthening governance frameworks, protecting personal data, and combating various forms of online and offline violence, harassment, and bullying. To conclude, Madam President, Morocco reaffirms its firm commitment to the ICPD, and we will continue, including through galvanizing partnerships, South-South and triangular cooperation, to achieve progress in their implementation. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Morocco for her statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cote d'Ivoire. You have the floor, please.

Madam Chair, the present session is taking place in an international context marked by polycrisis, including growing geopolitical tensions, the effects of climate change, as well as economic, sanitary and security shocks. These crises particularly affect developing countries such as Cote d'Ivoire by exacerbating the socio-economic vulnerabilities and slowing progress towards achievement of the SDGs. This is why the international community should reaffirm its firm and continuous commitment to step up implementation of its, the promises and pledges that it made at the ICPD and to pursue the SDGs by 2030. especially those relating to health, education and sexual equality. In this regard, my country welcomes the adoption of the Seville Commitment at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Spain between 30 June and 3 July 2025, and we reiterate our call for implementation of its recommendations. in accordance with the vision developed and defined by His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, we have a set of coherent reform strategies and policies on technology, research, statistical data, and the digital economy. These initiatives include two national population policies, a national strategy for digital transformation, for AI, for data governance, a national policy on research and innovation, a national program for rural connectivity, a national fund for science, technology and innovation aimed at funding high quality scientific and research and innovation projects. These initiatives, far from being an exhaustive list, reflect the firm will of the government to build a modern economy that is inclusive and resilient, based on innovation, harnessing data and opportunities offered by science and technology. Chair, the efforts undertaken by my country over the course of the last two decades under the framework of the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action have made it possible for us to see significant progress in the economic digital economy, we have laid more than 5,200 kilometers of fiber optics to strengthen national and international connectivity. Mobile internet coverage is over 100%. And a sign of the swift adoption of digital services that has considerably contributed to the GDP and is an important lever for job creation. As regards digital financial services, we are now ranked in first in terms of mobile money in our sub-region and fifth globally. And this progress is accompanied by a sustained investment in human capital, supporting the emergence of a new generation that is technologically capable and adapted to the needs of the labor market. Yet despite this progress, Chair, there are challenges that persist and they require attention. Strengthening the capacity of national data, population data analysis to support public decision making, consolidation of national capacity in AI to ensure competitiveness of our economy. Cote d'Ivoire remains committed to stepping up its efforts in the area of population, digital transformation, research and technology. And in this regard, The Ivorian delegation wishes to solemnly reaffirm its commitment to increase investment in the areas of population, the knowledge economy, research and technological innovation, collaboration with the United Nations system and international and sub-regional organizations in order to step up achievement of the ICPD Programme of Action and the SDGs. By way of conclusion, Chair, Cote d'Ivoire calls for greater multilateral cooperation based on solidarity and sharing knowledge in order to ensure that technological progress is beneficial and equitably beneficial to all nations. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cote d'Ivoire for his statement. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Yemen, followed by Malaysia. You have the floor, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Please allow me to congratulate you on being elected to guide this session. We appreciate your efforts together with the work of the Bureau. reiterates his firm commitment to the continuing with the program of action of ICPD. This is a framework for us strengthening the link between sustainable development and demography to make sure that no one's left behind. This session is taking place at a time when we in the world are facing a number of challenges, crises, conflicts, and climate change. And in Yemen, it's compounded by the continued push by the Houthi militias and the consequences it has on the economy and the humanitarian side of things, and also the lack of finances, which weakens the state. And this has a negative effect on the development process. Yemen has 44 million inhabitants, mostly young, and this is an important figure. If invested in, this could be an advantage, but it also presents challenges, malnutrition, for example, education, in addition to the pressure it places on resources and services. The use of technology and knowledge is key to enable our young people to move forward and transform this demographic situation into sustainable development and ensure economic recovery. And that's why it is important, it is a must for us to strengthen scientific research. We noticed that 5 million women needed reproductive health services. 70% of our population is malnourished, in particular the young and the children. We therefore need to have a global approach and a health response and institutional capacity in the middle term. Despite all of these challenges, The government of Yemen continues strengthening the resilience of national institutions, continues working to make sure that services are provided in the area of health. We are broadening our vaccination campaigns. We are strengthening social protection for the most vulnerable. And we are adopting food security policies. Furthermore, we work On increasing women's participation in decision making, we are trying to strengthen our demographic data systems using technologies and innovation. In planning, we use metadata and new technologies to support the demographic policies and take decisions which are based on evidence-based data. Nonetheless, moving forward depends on international support because we need to bridge the gap in capacities. And that's why we are calling for a greater international support for population development programs, in particular in those countries which are in conflict. And we call for a strengthened partnership with the UN and internationally when it comes to data collection and analysis, demographic data. In conclusion, the implementation of the IPCD goals, well-being for everyone, is something that depends on a stable environment. And that's why we call for greater efforts to support the peace process in Yemen. This is indispensable for us to have the development process and stability regionally, internationally. We are committed with the international community to stand shoulder to shoulder to make sure that no one's left behind. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Yemen for his statement, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malaysia. You have the floor, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. At the outset, it is my honor to join other distinguished delegates to congratulate you on your election as the chair of the current session of the Commission. Madam Chair, Malaysia remains steadfast in its commitment to the ICPD Programme of Action and to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As a rapidly developing nation, Malaysia is navigating a complex demographic transition shaped by declining fertility, increased longevity, urbanization, and internal migration. These trends carry significant implications for labor markets, social protection systems, and intergenerational solidarity. Malaysia therefore recognizes that timely, technology-driven, and evidence-based policy responses are essential to ensure that demographic change.

Supports rather than constrains sustainable development.

Malaysia is committed to strengthening its national population data ecosystems by integrating census, survey, and administrative data with robust geospatial information to support evidence-based policy making. The Department of Statistics Malaysia has progressively incorporated geocoding in the 2020 census and precise location-based data for the 2026 economic census, aligning with the global statistical geospatial framework. To further advance these efforts, Malaysia is currently developing a digital-first, multi-mode combined census model for the upcoming 2030 census, leveraging the experience of the Central Database Hub and collaborations with the National Registration Department and Ministry of Health to accelerate the integration of administrative data with geo-AI and artificial intelligence. At the same time, we are modernizing data dissemination through integrated national portals and interactive dashboards to promote transparency, quality, and public trust. Madam Chair, research remains central to our population and development agenda. Malaysia undertakes regular demographic, social, economic, and behavioral studies to inform policies and programs. close collaboration with universities and research institutions strengthens methodological rigor and policy relevance. Surveys such as the Malaysia Population and Family Survey, the National Health and Morbidity Survey, and the Malaysia Aging and Retirement Survey provide critical insights into fertility trends, health outcomes, and population aging. Complementing these efforts, the Malaysia Population Research Hub, was established to consolidate the demographic research, survey findings and policy-relevant publications to support evidence-based planning. Malaysia is equally committed to promoting health and well-being across the life course. Guided by our Health White Paper, we are transitioning towards a proactive and preventive health system. Digitalization of primary healthcare has been accelerated through cloud-based systems and the Health Information Exchange platform, enabling electronic lifetime health records that ensure continuity of care from infancy to old age. These innovations also strengthen monitoring of maternal health and early childhood development. Investments in gerontechnology and artificial intelligence further support healthy ageing and independent living for older persons. At the same time, Malaysia recognises young people as key drivers of sustainable development. We continue to empower youth through digital literacy and health education initiatives.

Programs such as Cafe Teen.

Have reached millions of young people on sexual and reproductive health awareness, complemented by digital platforms that provide confidential, evidence-based information.

New initiatives, including the Youth Camp at Caring Peer Program, aim to strengthen youth.

Resilience and address social challenges through community-based engagement. Malaysia is also proactively addressing population aging through integrated life cycle-based frameworks. The National Ageing Blueprint 2025-2045 guides our transition towards an age nation, supported by policies that promote active ageing, financial security and a sustainable care economy. These efforts are reinforced by the Malaysia Care Strategic Framework and the National Kasih Family Policy, which emphasize the central role of the family and intergenerational solidarity in social protection systems. As we advance digital transformation, Malaysia places strong emphasis on ethical governance. Robust legal frameworks, including the Cybersecurity Act 2024 and the Enhanced Personal Data Protection Act, underpin our efforts to ensure that data and technological innovation remain secure, transparent, and aligned with public trust. In conclusion, Malaysia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the ICPD, POA, and the 2030 Agenda. By harnessing the synergies between population data, digital innovation, and rigorous research, we aim to ensure that technological progress serves as a catalyst for human well-being. We will continue to pursue integrated, inclusive, and evidence-based policies to build a more equitable society where no one is left behind. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malaysia for her statement. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mongolia. You have the floor, please.

Madam Chair, Excellencies, and distinguished delegates, at the outset, I would like to thank you and members of the Bureau for your leadership in guiding the work of the 59th session of the Commission on Population and Development. Mongolia welcomes the convening of the session and appreciate its focus on population, technology, and research in the context of sustainable development. We believe this is both timely and necessary as technology and better data are increasingly shaping how countries understand demographic change and respond to the people's need. The ICPD program of action remains as relevant today as ever and continues to provide an important framework for advancing sustainable development in a balanced, inclusive, and people-centered manner. As a geographically vast country with dispersed population, Mongolia places particular importance on equitable access to health, education, and social services, especially for women, children, young people, and rural communities. Madam Chair, Mongolia believes that digital transformation can be a practical accelerator of sustainable development. Since its launch in October 2020, the eMongolia platform has delivered 63 million services, reached 1.9 million users, and integrated 1,263 services from 87 government agencies. It has reduced the average time needed to obtain a government service from two and a half hours to about five minutes, generating substantial savings in time, travel, and administrative cost for citizens. These results show how digital public infrastructure can reduce inequalities in access and bring the public service closer to the people. This progress reflects Mongolia's broader digital-first agenda. As highlighted in the report before this commission, Mongolia has achieved internet access in all villages and towns. This is particularly significant for geographically dispersed country such as ours, as improved connectivity helps expand access to information, services, and opportunities for people living in remote and rural areas. Its impact is especially evident in health sector. Through eMongolia platform, citizens can increasingly book appointments, seek consultations, and access medical records and test results online. For families living far from urban centers, digital access to health information and services can make a meaningful difference in continuity of care and timely decision making. In addition, Mongolia recognized that the technology alone is not enough. Its benefits must be supported by stronger health systems and sustained investment in human capacity. In this regard, recent policy measures further demonstrate Mongolia's commitment to strengthening health system. In July 2025, the Ministry of Health approved Mongolia's first Midwifery Development Action Plan 2030, which aims to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths, expand access to family planning, and strengthen midwifery nationwide. The government of Mongolia has also announced 2027 as the year of health promotion in order to advance healthy Mongolian objective under the government's 2024 to 28 action program and further strengthen the public health system. Mongolia is also promoting the research-based development of traditional Mongolian medicine. In January 2026, the President of Mongolia, His Excellency Khurleksukh Khokhna, issued a decree to advance traditional Mongolian medicine through improved legal and service framework, stronger training, deeper research on traditional knowledge and its compatibility with modern medicine, and innovation using advanced technology, big data, and artificial intelligence. We see this as a part of broader effort to promote culturally responsive people-centered and knowledge-based health policy while preserving an important element of national heritage. At the same time, Mongolia recognized that technological advancement must be accompanied by strong safeguards. Innovation should be inclusive, ethical, and grounded in human rights. We therefore attach particular importance to strengthening privacy protection, responsible data governance, and public trust in the use of emerging technologies and population data. Madam Chair, Mongolia reaffirms our strong commitment to the full and effective implementation of the ICPT Programme of Action. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Mongolia for his statement. We have just heard the last speaker in the general discussion for this meeting. The Commission will reconvene this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in this conference room to continue the general discussion on the agenda item 3 as a whole. The meeting is now adjourned.