BELGRADE, 17 October 2019 – The Regional Director of UNFPA for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Ms. Alanna Armitage, spent four fruitful days in Belgrade, during her first official visit from 13-17 October. Alongside her participation at the 141st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), taking place in Belgrade, Ms. Armitage met with line Ministers, United Nations agencies representatives and other partners.
Visit of Ms. Armitage to Belgrade took place only three days before the high level regional conference on responding to South-East Europe’s demographic changes by strengthening human capital, gender equality and human rights happening in Sarajevo next week.
“The demographic changes happening in Serbia are too often seen as a crisis. And not only here, but across most of South East Europe. It’s time to change this narrative: when managed properly, demographic change can actually open up many new opportunities for the countries in the region,” states Armitage. Delegation from Serbia consisting of ministers and other high-ranking officials, experts and CSO partners will participate in the conference, presenting Serbia’s commitment to developing sound population policies and exploring concrete solutions that country can apply.
"And we will bring the outcomes from Sarajevo to Nairobi, where world leaders are gathering next month to celebrate the progress made since the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo 25 years ago"- adds Armitage.
From 12-14 November, the governments of Kenya and Denmark and UNFPA are co-convening the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, a high-level conference to mobilize the political will and financial commitments we urgently need to finally and fully implement the ICPD Programme of Action.
