The 56th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) did not manage to find a consensus on the topic of education, which will impact the lives of young people, adolescents, girls and marginalised groups.
 For the first time, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has adopted Agreed Conclusions on the theme of Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.
 Sensoa’s international policy adivisor and chair of the SRHR Working Group, Marlies Casier, invited experts to discuss the voluntary nature of family planning at the annual Be-cause Health Conference on taboos in global health. The speakers discussed the troubling history of family planning. They explained how framing of population growth in low and middle countries as a threat to the world continues to drive family planning programmes. This turns women’s fertility into an instrument and leads to the neglect of infertility concerns.
 Different stakeholders in Belgium’s international cooperation are invested in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in low- and middle-income countries. They are seeking to advance maternal health, access to abortion, comprehensive sexuality education, the sexual violence response, the prevention of female genital mutilation/cutting, … Decolonising cooperation on SRHR and making progress on the ground requires us however to decenter the European point of view. Programmes risk failing if we do not understand people’s needs, local knowledge and points of view, and if we forgo people’s agency.
 Worldwide, efforts are being made to provide quality comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) for young people. It’ is also an important topic in Belgium, with common working points in the Flemish and French-speaking parts of the country. An exchange organised by the 'Parliamentarians for the 2030 Agenda' took a closer look at the challenges and opportunities for advancing CSE. International and national experts shared their knowledge and the session was introduced by a motivating message from Minister for Development Cooperation and Major Cities Policy Caroline Gennez.
 Photo by Morgan Muller On the occasion of World Aids Day the ‘Parliamentarians for the 2030 Agenda’ organized a lunch-time conversation on the impact of criminalisation of HIV and key populations on the HIV-response. Evidence shows that an overly broad criminalisation of HIV non-disclosure, exposure or transmission with no intent to harm, undermines public health. Why is that?
 In 2023, mid-way to 2030, Belgium is to submit its 2nd voluntary national review (VNR) to the UN High-Level Political Forum in New York.
Belgium will present its efforts in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as put forward in the 2030 agenda from 2015. A good opportunity for state and civil society actors to take stock and look at what is needed to move forward. The VNR will look at Belgium’s local, regional and national efforts, as well as its international cooperation on the SDGs. |
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