17 January 2020, Beijing, China - The Government of China and UNFPA China co-convened a Post-Nairobi Summit Policy Dialogue in Beijing on 16 January with the support from China Population and Development Center. The event re-affirmed the global and national commitments made in Nairobi, and agreed to accelerate actions to fully implement the ICPD agenda to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.

The event was conducted one week before the Chinese New Year (also known as Spring Festival), China's most important holiday for family reunions. “There will be no ICPD@50. As we stand on the threshold of the Chinese New Year, we have much to celebrate in the past 2019 and much to look forward to in 2020 and beyond for the development of the next China-UNFPA Country Programme (2021-2025),” said Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi, UNFPA China Representative.

2019 witnessed the 25th anniversary of ICPD PoA, 50th anniversary of UNFPA, and 40th anniversary of cooperation between UNFPA and China. In the Nairobi Summit on ICPD@25, the Chinese government made a national commitment to accelerate the ICPD promises, by integrating the implementation of the ICPD PoA in the development strategies and plans of China, promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, South-South Cooperation, and deepening its cooperation with UNFPA.

“We will accelerate efforts for the implementation of the ICPD Agenda and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” said Mr. Wei Yunpeng, Deputy Director General of the National Health Commission. Mr. Wei noted a lot of progress had been made in China in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and population and development, however challenges exist. China is facing low-fertility and rapid ageing issues like many other countries, and will prioritize these issues in the cooperation with UNFPA in the next Country Programme.

The Dialogue offered a space for UNFPA and its national partners, including the national participants at the Nairobi Summit to share their perspectives on the Summit, and to brainstorm on the actions to implement the Nairobi Commitments.

Covering the five topics: sexual and reproductive health as part of universal health coverage, population dynamics, gender quality, youth and South-South, the event called for more evidence-based research and advocacy for policy making, and documentation of global and national best practices.

More than 25 delegates from the National Health Commission, China Population and Development Research Center, China Family Planning Association, National Center for Women and Children’s Health, China Reproductive Health Industry Association, Beijing Equality (a women’s NGO), Marie Stopes International China, and UNFPA China participated in the event.