IPCI Global Parliamentary Conference to be held in Oslo this spring
The 8th International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI/ICPD) marking the 30th anniversary of the Cairo Conference, will be held in Oslo from 10-12 April 2024. The IPCI Conference aims at promoting dialogue among parliamentarians from all regions of the world on the implementation of the 1994 ICPD Programme of Action, and is the only setting specific crafted to generate global political consensus around Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) to then translate into tangible national outcomes in policy, funding, and accountability. Approximately 300 participants are invited to attend this conference, including over 200 parliamentarians from all regions of the world, representatives from the national, regional, and global parliamentary groups and NGOs.
Sexual and Reproductive Rights Today
While countries around the world have made tremendous strides in improving the lives of their people by ensuring access to SRHR, this issue has also become uniquely politicised in recent years. Despite the wide body of scientific evidence proving that ensuring access to SRHR contributes to improved health outcomes at the individual as well as societal levels and that it empowers all people to live a life of dignity with the capacity to chart their destinies, SRHR has become the target of renewed contestation based on regressive ideologies.
Making progress on SRHR is no longer a question of bringing objective scientific evidence to the attention of policymakers; legislating on SRHR in many settings now requires both political courage and strategic acumen to ensure sustainable progress and halt attempts to roll back human rights. For this reason, SRHR requires the dedicated attention of parliamentarians who can legislate to improve health outcomes and improve human rights, influence funding flows to effectively implement policies and hold the executive branches of government to account. Parliamentarians are also uniquely accountable to their electorates for their improving personal well-being.
As early as 1994, there was a strong commitment among parliamentarians all over the world to strengthen sexual rights. Since then, 7 editions of the IPCI Conference have taken place around the world. This year parliamentarians will gather for the 8th edition of IPCI in Oslo, Norway. This will be a unique occasion for parliamentarians all over the world to exchange experiences and best practices, and motivate each other to promote SRHR in their own countries and globally.
IPCI Oslo 2024 is hosted by Stortingets SRHR Nettverk (APPG Norway) and its secretariat Sex og Politikk in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF) and the Global Parliamentary Alliance for Health, Rights and Development (GPA).
