Holding the Line at CPD58
At a time when the world needed collective resolve to defend human rights and gender equality, the 58th Commission on Population and Development (CPD58) ended without consensus. And while we regret the lack of an outcome, we stand firm in our belief: no agreement is better than one that erases rights or legitimizes anti-rights agendas.
What was really at stake at CPD58 wasn’t just language in a document. It was the lives and futures of adolescent girls, women, and gender-diverse people — and whether they’ll be able to live with safety, dignity, and control over their own bodies and choices.
We commend the leadership of the chair (Netherlands), co-facilitators (Lebanon and Colombia), and the many governments and civil society allies who negotiated and engaged in good faith to drive progress. But in the end, consensus was derailed by a small group of governments — led by the United States — that showed little intention of compromise and every intention of undermining multilateralism.
This Moment Mattered — and Still Does
CPD58 was about far more than a week of negotiations. It was about a 30-year legacy — the vision set in motion by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) — and the fight to keep that vision alive.
Under the theme “Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages,” this year’s CPD was meant to spotlight universal health coverage, climate-resilient health systems, and the rights of those most often left behind — especially adolescent girls. But it came at a time when all of those priorities are under attack.
We didn’t get consensus. But we didn’t go backwards. What we did get was a clear look in the mirror — at the barriers to progress in our global systems, and at how determined people are to keep pushing for transformative change anyway. On one side, a handful of governments tried to strip away references to adolescent health, civil society, and even the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. On the other, a global majority— from Mexico to South Africa, Chile to Luxembourg— stood strong in defense of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), feminist values, and inclusive development.
Our Strategy
We showed up at CPD58 knowing exactly what we were fighting for.
We championed the agency and leadership of adolescent girls. We worked in coalition to challenge anti-rights narratives. And we brought a bold, intersectional strategy that linked SRHR to climate justice, health equity, and inclusive global decision-making.
Women Deliver Emerging Leaders Patience Gloria Babirye (Gloria) and Guttabingi Doreen (Gutta) did more than participate — they pushed the conversation forward. They challenged governments to disaggregate data by age, disability, and sexual orientation, and demanded that policies include LGBTQI+ people, people with disabilities, and those living through humanitarian crises — communities too often ignored in global health and rights agendas. Their message was unmistakable: adolescent girls are not an afterthought. They are essential to building a just and equitable world.
We saw the dots connecting right in front of us — between rising maternal deaths and collapsing health systems, between youth leadership and the strength of our global movement. These aren’t separate issues. They are deeply linked, and they require rights-based solutions that reflect that reality.
What We Heard: Anger, Courage, and Determination
We expected resistance. And we got it.
But what we also heard was louder. Stronger. More determined.
We heard outrage as references to SRHR, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in humanitarian settings, unpaid care, adolescents, and climate change were challenged, diluted, or deleted.
We heard the frustration of those watching the 2030 Agenda erased from the conversation, especially from communities in low- and middle-income countries already living through conflict, displacement, debt, and climate disaster, and still being told that their unique needs don’t matter.
But we also heard courage. And fierce determination.
We heard resolve to defend SRHR; including comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and safe abortion; to safeguard comprehensive, quality health services for all people; to strengthen health systems; and to reaffirm the 2030 Agenda.
We heard countries reaffirm their commitments to ICPD and its Programme of Action, to multilateralism, and to collective action.
As Gutta said on the UN floor:
“We are not asking for pity. We are demanding our rights.”
So, What Does This All Mean — And Why Should We Care?
No agreement at CPD58 isn’t just a headline — it’s a reminder of the growing divides in our global systems, and of how fragile progress can be when a small but vocal minority pushes back against rights that have already been agreed upon and hard-won.
But that’s not the whole story. This week also reminded us why CPD matters. It’s one of the few global spaces where we can collectively advance SRHR — and it’s worth defending. The tensions we witnessed don’t mean the process is broken; they show exactly why it’s still essential.
If we care about gender equality, SRHR, and the future of multilateralism, we have to stay engaged. We have to keep showing up, speaking out, and standing firm.
What this moment made clear:
- Multilateral spaces matter. They aren’t perfect, but they remain one of the most powerful tools we have to drive progress and defend rights.
- Civil society, youth, and feminist voices can’t just be included — they have to be centered.
- Governments that care about rights? It’s not enough to defend them quietly. They have to lead — loudly and visibly.
- We need better data, stronger coalitions, and new narratives to call out disinformation and demand truth.
What Comes Next: Building Power Together
We leave CPD58 more determined than ever.
We echo what Brazil said loud and clear: Brazil remains steadfast in our commitment to advance the full implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, the 2030 Agenda, and in so doing uphold multilateralism
in the UN. We kindly invite all likeminded countries, particularly from the Global South, to join forces to this effect.
That’s our call too — to every government, activist, and ally out there:
Recommit to SRHR and adolescent girls’ rights.
Bring that same energy to all multilateral spaces — including the World Health Assembly (WHA), the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP).
Organize. Mobilize. Speak up. Link arms. Don’t back down.
To youth, feminist, and global majority leaders: keep shaping the story — and the future. We’re with you.
When we gather at the Women Deliver 2026 Conference, we’ll carry this fight with us. Because the work isn’t finished — and neither are we. CPD58 ended without an agreement. But our movement for rights and justice continues — and it’s only growing stronger.
