International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action

At the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, 179 countries agreed that population and development are inextricably linked, and that empowering women and meeting people's needs for education and health, including reproductive health, are necessary for both individual advancement and balanced development. The conference adopted a 20-year Programme of Action, which focused on individuals' needs and rights, rather than on achieving demographic targets. One of the greatest achievements of the Cairo Conference was the recognition of the need to empower women both as a highly important end in itself and as a key to improving the quality of life for everyone. Advancing gender equality, eliminating violence against women and ensuring women's ability to control their own fertility were acknowledged as cornerstones of population and development policies. Concrete goals of the ICPD centred on providing universal education; reducing infant, child and maternal mortality; and ensuring universal access by 2015 to reproductive health care, including family planning, assisted childbirth and prevention of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. Although not legally binding, the Programme of Action represents an important step in recognising reproductive rights internationally. Reviews of countries progress in meeting the Programme's goals are held every five years.