Small island attention among hot topics at African conference |24 June 2004

Social affairs delegates attended a regional conference in Africa this month that resulted in a call for more support toward economically vulnerable island countries.

The Regional Review Conference on the Implementation of the Dakar/Ngor Declaration and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held from June 7-11, gave participating countries a chance to submit their national report on population and development, in addition to drafting resolutions drawn up in a conference report, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.

Some 50 countries including Seychelles attended the conference. The country was represented by social affairs principal secretary Antoinette Alexis and Jane Victor, a representative from the ministry’s social development division.

Topics addressed at the four-day conference included gender equality, children and family, reproductive rights, HIV and Aids and urbanisation.

Delegates recommended at the end of the conference that small island nations that were economically vulnerable should be given special attention with respect to resource allocation.

Other recommendations included a push for compliance with the convention on the right of the child, additional services and involvement in family planning for men and further government promotion in health education and prevention, especially among young people to combat HIV and Aids.