The Pact

ICPD25: Interviewing a Young Advocate

With the ICPD25 taking place this week in Nairobi, we had the chance to interview Daglar Cilingir, a young SRHR activist currently working for Y-Peer on Monitoring and Evaluation.

Daglar shared expectations for ICPD25 as well as thoughts on the importance of this event. You can find the interview below:

What are your hopes for the ICPD25?
As a youth advocate, I have been working for sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people. ICPD is one of the main documents that we have been showing to other stakeholders to advocate for our human rights. We know not all the goals of ICPD have been achieved today and 25 years after, we stand for the rights we achieved at that time. I hope to have concrete commitments of all stakeholders to achieve the goals have been decided 25 years ago.

What you want world leaders to pay attention to?
There are many inequalities based on gender, income, accession, etc. The world leaders should focus on this inequalities and try to be sure that everyone is counted. They should listen the people who are left behind and create solutions for them. Different stakeholders should collaborate to achieve the goals of ICPD. World leaders should create bridges between different stakeholders and work for common good of all. Besides inequalities, there is an important climate change issue that should be focused on. World leaders are responsible of leaving young people a sustainable world in any sense. Physically, economically, socially and politically, world leaders should commit themselves to make our world sustainable for the next generations.

Why this conference is historic for youth and SRHR?
ICPD is an historical conference. In ICPD Program of Action (PoA); youth, UHC, SRHR are specifically mentioned. The summit that will be happening in Nairobi on 12-14 November is also very important and historic. Because the PoA could not be completed and we will gather with all the stakeholders in Nairobi to discuss the future actions that we all will be taking to achieve the goals. In the conference, there will be many young people from all around the globe. Young people are in the sessions as speakers, as moderators, as storytellers We have many chances to explain ourselves and reach the stakeholders in the conference. We can create a real change which makes the conference historic.

What is next after this? How do we enjoy the agreed commitments translate into real action?
Next is working in the field, in national contexts. As young people and civil society, we should follow-up with the commitments made in the conference. There is an important chance to meet with world leaders in the summit. The connections that are established there should be sustained afterwards. We, as young people, will be marching for our basic human rights and after the summit, we will keep insisting on our rights to be realized. The promises will be followed up by civil society and UN agencies.

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