Governance

International Steering Committee

The International Steering Committee (ISC) will provide high-level strategic and political guidance for the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25. It held its first meeting on April 26. 

The ISC will be responsible for: 

  • Providing oversight of the programmatic content of the Summit.

  • Approving final agendas, speakers and official side events.

  • Serving as a forum to discuss and resolve challenges.

  • Facilitating the drafting of global commitments, and building political support for them.

  • Mobilising human, financial and in-kind support.

  • Encouraging high-level participation in the Summit.

  • Promoting the Summit and ICPD25 in variety of fora.

  • Addressing other political and advocacy issues.

Co-Chairs

  • Ambassador Macharia Kamau. Kenya (alternative: Ambassador Ben Ugutu)

  • Ambassador Ib Petersen. Denmark

  • Arthur Erken. Director, Division of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, UNFPA

Secretariat

  • Afsana Taher. Division of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, UNFPA

    Youth and Young People

  • Jayathma Wickramanayake. Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Youth (Global)

  • Aya Chebbi. Youth Envoy for the African Union (Africa)

  • Yemurai Nyoni. Youth fellow on policy and advocacy, Children's Investment Fund Foundation (Global)

Parliamentarians

  • Dame Billie Miller. Retired politician from Barbados (Caribbean)

  • Fahmi Fadzil. MP, Malaysia (Asia and the Pacific)

  • Catherine Noone. Senator, Ireland (Europe)

  • Neil Datta. Executive Director, European Parliamentary Forum (Europe)

Civil society

  • Naisola Likimani. SheDecides Secretariat (Global)

  • Alvaro Bermejo. Director-General, IPPF (Global)

  • Ton Coenen. Executive Director, Rutgers & Chair, INSPIRE (Europe)

  • Nesime Salioska. Roma advocate, (Europe)

  • Ana Cristina Gonzalez Velez. Medical doctor and expert in gender, human rights, sexual and reproductive health, Latin America

  • Shireen Jejeebhoy. Director Aksha and Vice President - IUSSP (Asia and the Pacific)

  • James Bhagwan. General Secretary – Pacific Conference of Churches, and member of G20 Interfaith Forum (Asia and the Pacific)

  • Jackie Edmond. Chief Executive, Family Planning Association (Asia and the Pacific)

  • Jill Sheffield. Past president, Women Deliver (North America)

Non-traditional Partners, Private Sector, Philanthropies

  • Akiko Nakajo. Head of Google-Japan (Asia and the Pacific)

  • Theo Sowa. CEO, African Women’s Development Fund (Africa)

Academia and Research Institutes

  • Gamal Serour. Director, International Islamic Center for Population Studies, Al-Azhar University, Cairo (Africa)

  • Leith Dunn. Senior Lecturer/Head of the University of the West Indies' Institute for Gender and Development Studies Mona Unit (Caribbean)

  • Nisia T. Lima. President of Fiocruz (Latin America)

  • Sivananthi Thanenthiran. Executive Director, Asia-Pacific Research and Resource Center for women, ARROW (Asia and the Pacific)

Foundations and Philanthropy

  • Josh Lozman. BMGF (North America)

  • Senait Fisseha. Director, International Programs, Susan Buffett Foundation (North America)

  • Kathy Calvin. President/CEO, UN Foundation (North America)

  • Toyin Saraki. Founder/President, Wellbeing Foundation (Africa)

Member States – Regional Review Leads

  • H.E. Georgy Panayotov. PR of Bulgaria to UN (US)

  • H.E. Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees. Ambassador of Egypt to UN (US)

  • H.E. Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez. PR of Peru to UN (US)

  • H.E. Francis Mustapha Kai-Kai. PR of Sierra Leone to UN (US)

  • H.E. Sima Sami Bahous. PR of Jordan to UN (US)

  • H.E. Kira Christianne D. Azucena. Charge de’ affaires, a.i. of Philippines to UN (US)

International Programme Committee

The International Programme Committee (IPC) will draft the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 program. It will function through five thematic working groups, which correspond to the Summit's 5 thematic areas and accelerators. 

The IPC will be responsible for:

  • Refining the format and structure of the Summit.

  • Developing the draft programme.

  • Contributing to the thematic working groups.

  • Managing the process for session plan development, including suggested speakers.

  • Agreeing on processes for side events and related decisions.

  • Advising on rapporteur modality and the ISC.

  • Writing the final report.

Co-Chairs

  • Ramiz Alakbarov. Director, Programme and Strategy Division, UNFPA

  • Josephine Kibaru-Mbae. Director-General, National Council on Population and Development, Kenya

  • Lena Hothes. Senior Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark

  • Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, Regional Director, East and Southern Africa, UNFPA (Alternate Co-Chair)

  • Signe Lind, DANIDA Adviser on ICPD25 and the Nairobi Summit, Minstry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark (Alternate Co-Chair)

Executive 

  • Dr. Jennifer Butler. Global Coordinator, ICPD25

Secretariat

  • De-Jane Gibbons. Coordination Specialist, ICPD25

  • Douglas Passanisi. Programme Development, ICPD25

  • Ragaa Said. Parliamentary Specialist, UNFPA

UN Agencies

  • Alanna Armitage. Regional Director, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, UNFPA (Eastern Europe and Central Asia)

  • Dr. Mandeep Dhaliwal. Director, Bureau of Health, HIV and Development, UNDP (Global)

  • Helga Fogstad. Executive Director, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (hosted by WHO, global)

  • Dr. Benoit Kalasa. Director, Technical Division, UNFPA (Global)

Intergovernmental

  • Adnene Ben Haj Aissa. Executive Director, Partners in Population and Development (Global)

Parliamentarians

  • Roslyn Dundas. Advocacy Coordinator, CARE & Secretariat of the Australian Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (Asia and the Pacific)

  • Caroline Kwamboka. Consultant/Focal Point, for Africa. European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (Africa)

Foundations

  • Lester Coutinho. Deputy Director, Family Planning Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Global)

Civil society

  • Ana Maria Beja. Director of Advocacy, International Planned Parenthood Federation (Global)

  • Dr. Jonathan Gunthorp. Executive Director, SRHR Africa Trust (Africa)

  • Dona da Costa Martinez. Executive Director, Family Planning Association (Caribbean)

  • Susan Papp. Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy, Women Deliver (Global)

Youth and Young People

  • Carlo Angeles. Executive Director, Somos el Presente (Latin America)

  • Lewis Emmerton. Advocacy Coordinator , CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality (Global)

  • Lucy Fagan. Global Focal Point for SDG 3, UN Commonwealth Youth Major Group for Children and Youth (Global)

  • Peter Mladenov. Regional Director for Europe, International Youth Federation (Europe)

  • Aramide Odutayo. Chair of the Board of Directors, Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (Global)

  • Gogontlejang Phaladi. Founder and Executive Director, Gogontlejang Phaladi Pillar of Hope Organization (Global)

  • Ruci Senikula. Program Officer for Youth and Underrepresented Groups, Pacific Disability Forum (Pacific)

Academia and Research Institutes

  • Dr. Victoria B. Chou. Co- Principal Investigator, Johns Hopkins University (North America)

  • Irina Dincu. Senior Program Specialist, Maternal and Child Health Program, International Development Research Centre (Africa)

  • Dr. Cheikh Mbacké. Senior Fellow. Centre de Recherché en Economie et Finance Appliquées de Thiès (Africa)

Experts on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights

  • Laura Laski. SRHR Consultant (North America)

  • Ann Starrs. SRHR Expert (North America)