ODA was spent on policy and governance. A relatively small share was spent on actual
support for agricultural production and efforts to boost agricultural output to ensure
food security.
The report of the Secretary-General on programme implementation and progress
of work in the field of population in 2020 (E/CN.9/2021/5), prepared by the
Population Division, contains a review of the progress made by the Division in
implementing its programme of work. In his report, the Secretary-General discusses
the analysis of global trends in fertility, mortality, migration, urbanization and
population ageing; the preparation of global population estimates and projections; the
monitoring of population policies; the analysis of interrelations between population
and sustainable development; the dissemination of population data and information;
technical cooperation with and capacity development provided to Member States; and
the support provided to intergovernmental processes, including through the
preparation of reports of the Secretary-General and other parliamentary documents,
the organization of expert group meetings, the contribution to inter-agency initiatives
and the monitoring of internationally agreed development goals.
On 19 April 2021, the Queen Mother of Bhutan and Goodwill Ambassador for
UNFPA, Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck, delivered the keynote address. In her
statement, the Queen Mother said that global initiatives aimed at advancing women’s
rights to promote their social and economic development had yielded significant
results in the past 25 years. However, too many women and girls around the world
were still marginalized, living at or below the poverty line, with little control over
their reproductive health and choices. COVID-19 had deepened and perpetuated
inequalities and vulnerabilities for women and girls, and also highlighted gaps in
policies and systems. Gender-based violence had risen, health‑care systems had failed
to provide reliable maternal and neonatal services and women faced increased
domestic work, as well as job losses and food scarcity. She called for the international
community to move beyond counting, quantification and assessments and to develop
courageous initiatives and innovative actions to promote women’s rights. She recalled
that the momentum generated by the 1994 International Conference on Population
and Development deeply influenced the course of development in Bhutan. The
country’s commitment to providing universal access to sexual and reproductive health
services and advancing the rights and choices for women and girls brought about
significant changes and visible impacts. Still, the country’s young people faced
several challenges, including unmet needs for modern contraception and low levels
of comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS among adolescents. The Commission’s
focus on food security and nutrition came at a critical time, as the COVID -19
pandemic was having a profound impact on health‑care systems, food security and
gender equality. She stressed that it was imperative to ensure that vaccines were
recognized as global public goods, and that they were made accessible to all countries
in an equitable and fair manner.
Also on 19 April, an interactive expert panel discussed the reports of the
Secretary-General that had been prepared for general debate (agenda item 3). The
panel was moderated by Vice-Chair Mayra Lisseth Sorto Rosales (Minister
Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of El Salvador to the United Nations), and
included the following experts: Senior Population Affairs Officer, Population
Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Cheryl Sawyer; Senior
Economist, FAO, Lorenzo Bellù; Technical Specialist, Population and Development
Branch, UNFPA, Sandile Simelane; Director of School-based Programmes, World
Food Programme, Carmen Burbano; and Senior Adviser, UNFPA, Michael Herrmann.
Panellists noted that population size and distribution were important drivers of the
demand for food. Furthermore, unhealthy diets were creating health burdens across
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