By Ibrahim J. Conteh
The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) on 17th October 2024 held a consultation with various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to discuss Sierra Leone’s recommitments to the 2024 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
The event aimed at reviewing the country’s progress on its ICPD commitments and assess its readiness for future actions.
Held at the FQC2 + RVG Hall, Brookfields in Freetown, the event saw a wide range of participants, including representatives from religious organizations, traditional and tribal leaders, school children, civil society organizations (CSOs) and health officials focused on sexual and reproductive health.
The discussions centered around Sierra Leone’s efforts under the ICPD Programme, with a particular focus on the Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Development (AADPD). Sierra Leone has endorsed the Nairobi Commitments, a framework for accelerating progress on the ICPD agenda.
In his opening remarks, MoPED’s Development Secretary, Peter N. Sam-Kpakra emphasized that the consultation was an opportunity to review the country’s progress and present key findings and also highlighted the importance of strengthening stakeholders’ collaboration, which is essential for implementing the ICPD commitments.
Dr. Fred Hassan Konteh, Director of the Institute of Population Studies at Fourah Bay College, stressed that the ICPD commitments are aimed at addressing social inequality by putting people at the center of development planning and acknowledged that the partnership between the institute and the Ministry had been inactive in recent years but expressed commitment to revitalizing this relationship for mutual benefit.
UNFPA Representative, Ms. Sibeso Mululuma, noted that while progress had been made over the last three decades, particularly on sexual and reproductive health, there was still a need to review and assess the country’s commitment to the ICPD goals and warned that participants should not merely act as representatives but as advocates for change.
The UNFPA Representative further commended Sierra Leone’s strides in reducing infant mortality but emphasized that more needs to be done to improve access to family planning services and highlighted the importance of empowering women and girls through education and economic opportunities, youth engagement, data-driven decision-making and fostering partnerships. “The time to act is now,” she concluded, urging immediate and continued efforts to accelerate progress.
Secretary General of the National Council of Paramount Chiefs, PC Fayia S.B. Sovula IV, emphasized the need to educate youths not only about their rights but responsibilities. “As much as it is important to discuss rights, it is equally crucial to teach young people about their roles as responsible citizens,” he underscored.
Reverend Osman Jesse Fornah, Secretary General of the Inter-Religious Council, reaffirmed his institution’s support to the Ministry’s efforts but pointed out that there are still unresolved issues related to family planning among religious leaders.
He further acknowledged that while some religious beliefs conflict with certain government policies, the Council has been a strong advocate against early child marriage, reiterated that the Council is the largest social mobilization group in the country and urged the Ministry to involve them in developing future programs.
In a PowerPoint presentation, the status of the 2019 ICPD commitments was reviewed, outlining achievements and challenges. Key progress includes the allocation of 1% of the health budget to family planning by 2022, increasing the number of adolescents using modern contraceptive methods and working to reduce the unmet needs for family planning from 24.8% to 20% by 2025.
Other goals include training and employing 1,000 midwives, reducing maternal mortality by 50% by 2028 and enacting legislation to prohibit child marriage.
The session, chaired by Usman Chery Conteh, Deputy Development Secretary, also featured group discussions during which participants identified critical areas and made recommendations for shaping the new commitments for the 2024 ICPD Summit.
The consultation served as a platform for reviewing past progress, discussed challenges and setting the path forward as Sierra Leone reaffirms its commitment to the ICPD agenda.
