Mr Chair, Excellences, Colleagues,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries Montenegro*, Albania[1]*, Ukraine, and Bosnia and Herzegovina*, the potential candidate country Georgia, and the EFTA country Liechtenstein, member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

The EU and its Member States would like to thank the Chair, Bureau members, the co-facilitators and Secretariat for all their efforts in the process. It is deeply regrettable that, in spite of commitment to the process and the flexibility of many delegations, including the EU and its Member States, an outcome could not be reached.

We would like to express our frustration about the fact that a small number of delegations have prevented an outcome, despite our efforts to try to present compromise proposals that could have bridged the different positions, and regardless of the fact that the Chair’s text reverted back to language previously agreed by this Commission on sensitive paragraphs, that the Commission’s resolutions are non-binding, and that a sovereignty paragraph was included in the text. It is particularly unfortunate  that we will not have a resolution on the important topic of population, education and sustainable development this year, in the direct follow up to the Transforming Education Summit, and as we approach the milestone 30^th anniversary of the ICPD next year.

In line with the EU position, the European Union and its Member States would have wished to see a strong outcome, and has therefore - throughout the negotiation process - worked constructively towards a resolution, which would have been a step forward in ensuring inclusive, equitable and gender-responsive quality education, empowering young persons to live their lives safely. Especially since this year’s theme is “education, population and sustainable development”, the EU very much regrets that we have not even been able to reaffirm the commitments made in 2012 and 2014 on comprehensive education on human sexuality by this Commission even though we would have wished for this text could to be further strengthened in line with the EU’s position, to better reflect the realities on the ground.

Other key provisions during the negotiations for the EU were strong references to human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, as well as ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, sexual and reproductive health-care services, and meaningful youth participation.

For the EU, the International Conference on Population and Development, its Programme of Action and the outcomes of its reviews are more relevant than ever, especially in the current context marked by multiple crises, including the unprovoked war against Ukraine. The war has many consequences for population and related dynamics, especially for the most marginalized communities and those in vulnerable situations, including in terms of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as barriers that persons, including women and girls, face in their access to education and sexual and reproductive health services.

For us, the ICPD Programme of Action is a key instrument as it focuses on the needs, aspirations and human rights of individuals. It aims to improve individual lives and to fight inequalities in order to achieve sustainable development.

In spite of our disappointment regarding the failure to deliver on a resolution, the EU remains  committed  to the promotion,  protection  and fulfilment  of all  human  rights and to the full  and effective  implementation  of the  Beijing  Platform  for  Action  and the Programme  of Action  of the International  Conference  on Population  and  Development (ICPD) and the  outcomes  of their  review  conferences  and remains  committed  to sexual  and reproductive  health  and rights  (SRHR),  in  this  context. Having  that  in  mind,  the  EU reaffirms its  commitment  to the  promotion,  protection  and fulfilment  of the  right  of every  individual  to have  full  control  over, and decide  freely  and  responsibly  on matters  related  to their  sexuality and sexual  and reproductive health,  free  from  discrimination,  coercion  and violence. The  EU further  stresses the  need for  universal  access to quality  and affordable  comprehensive  sexual and reproductive  health  information,  education,  including  comprehensive  sexuality  education, and health-care  services.

Having said that, we do hope and will do everything we can to ensure that this year’s Commission will not set a bad precedent for the future. We are looking forward to next year's Commission and will once again constructively engage in discussions and contribute to a positive outcome on the important theme of Assessing the status of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.

Thank you Mr. Chair

[1] * Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.