Your Excellency President Kenyatta, First Lady, Ministers, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

Whilst preparing for this summit, I could not help but reflect on how the world would look today if 25 years ago the International Conference on Population Development was not held and the Program of Action was not agreed upon.

What would be the status of women and girls?

How would the health of women and girls around the world look?

What would global development - economic, social and environmental - look like?

No-one can answer that question but, one thing is for sure; we cannot return to a time where women had little say in reproductive decisions or, for that matter, in any areas of their lives.

I think we can all agree that ICPD was a turning point, a defining time in our history. In Cairo the world articulated a bold new vision about the relationship between population, development and individual well-being and that empowering women and meeting people’s needs for education and health, including Sexual and Reproductive Health, are necessary for both individual advancement and balanced development. 

And I think we can all agree and be thankful, that in 1994, we stood united on such a visionary and common agenda. An agenda that paved the way for a more just, prosperous and sustainable future. 

An agenda that acknowledged that people –- women and men, mothers and fathers – were the best judges guided by knowledge and access of how many children to bring into the world, and the spacing of them.

The desired outcome of ICPD was to give choice to the individual – and - choice can be very powerful.  This milestone has fundamentally shaped the lives of women, men and families, and the societies in which they live.  It has contributed to reducing poverty and hunger and improving education and health, globally. More girls today are attending and completing school, fewer are getting married or becoming mothers while still children, and more are gaining the skills they need to excel in the future world of work.

So, in reality the ICPD Program of Action was not just a win for the individual and for families, it was in fact a precious gift to the entire world, a gift that would keep on giving

Therefore, I’m so happy to be here to celebrate 25 years of ICPD.  And as we do so, it is important to reflect on what has been achieved, understand how those achievements have been made, where the challenges lie in achieving full implementation of the PoA and to better understand the underlying societal complexities and structures that fail to respect women’s physical integrity so that we can bridge the gaps.   

One question that I keep asking myself is:  Why is it so hard to move forward on this Agenda?  An agenda that, to me, is fair and just and would seem to be the most natural path toward human and societal development. 

Well, sexual and reproductive health and rights, however, are not always easy to deal with, or talk about. Quite the contrary - many perceive them as controversial. As private. They relate to intimacy and emotions. They are issues that are often governed by discriminatory laws and deeply rooted social norms and practices.

I understand that these matters are surrounded by privacy or even taboo. There exists today those that are not in agreement with some or many of the principles and rights otherwise agreed upon in Cairo. That is a reality, and one that needs to be addressed through;

• better understanding of the position and the sensitivities behind opposing viewpoints and the binding role of social norms
• open dialogue and discussion,
• relooking at the narrative - how we talk about these issues and how we provide safe places to really ‘hear’ what women and girls are telling us,
• we need to ensure a stronger evidence-based approach for investment and implementation and
• engaging a ‘whole-of-society’ approach in decision-making and policy development. 

Not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination but, amazing things can be achieved when we join together, despite our differences, when imagining the world, we want. 

Everyone has a role to play in achieving the promise of Cairo: Youth, governments, politicians, civil society, academia, private sector, role models, parents, people. Real and lasting change requires enough people, seeing enough people making change and benefitting from it.

In my role as Patron for UNFPA, for almost a decade, I have had the privilege to meet people of different age, gender, background, and culture. Young girls and boys, women and men from all around the world.

Every single meeting, every single conversation or life story I have heard has reinforced for me, without doubt, the importance of knowledge, the power of choice and the empowerment of women is key to improving life for everyone.

I have always refused to see women as victims, but at the same time I must acknowledge, that we are more vulnerable in certain situations like, in a humanitarian crisis.  However, vulnerability is not an expression of weakness. It is an expression of inequality and of the unique needs and role that women quite simply have, just because they are women.

Their resourcefulness and willingness to help, even when facing hardship. Their hope under hopeless conditions. And their initiative when options seem limited – is a strength that must not go untapped.

25 years ago, in Cairo, we knew that protecting and ensuring the rights of women and girls was a promise worth making, a promise worth keeping, and it held the promise of a better future for all.

We are taught from an earlier age to never promise more than you can deliver. I believe that the intention has always been to deliver but, today that promise remains unfulfilled and challenged. 

Here in Nairobi, we as a global community have the opportunity to reaffirm that promise, find new ways to deliver on it and earn respect for keeping that promise. 

Let us use our learnings and knowledge gained in the past 25 years, let us use the SDG framework where the Cairo promise is integrated, let us look to new and innovative partnerships to bridge gaps, let us engage the youth respectfully and fully, and let us commit to overcoming differences and taboos to ensure rights and choices for all.

Let us provide the knowledge, means and services to ensure protection, dignity and self-determination in the intimate and all-important aspects of human life.

The only way forward in my view, is the full realization of reproductive rights, for every individual and couple, no matter who they are, where they live, or what they have.

Now is the time to fulfill the Promise; to secure the rights, choices and dignity of all – as I see it, it is the most natural thing in the world to do.

Thank you