The United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD) organized its 55th session with focus on “Population and sustainable development, in particular sustained and inclusive economic growth”, on April 25 to 29 2022 in New York City.
The focus of the 55th session on economic development amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on reaching the demographic dividend among ASEAN member countries comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. The ASEAN was established in 1967 by Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines to facilitate trade and economic growth, promotion of cultural development and social structures in the region.
Economic development is both a right and a necessity to developing countries (i.e ASEAN). Social protection, health, education, employment and infrastructure has to be put in place. In particular, reduced birth rate is essential for countries to harvest their ‘demographic dividend’ defined as the point at which fertility rates slow down enough to create a smaller proportion of dependents and a higher proportion of the population of working age and productive population.
Taken into consideration the major impact of a global pandemic, such as COVID-19, in the potential economic growth and in reaping the fruits of a demographic dividend among ASEAN countries, where Indonesia and the Philippines are members, a global exchange to discuss and share the current economic condition and recovery plans to ultimately regain economic stability is highly recommended and need to be supported.
Indonesia and the Philippines carried out the CPD 55th side event virtually on 21 April 2022. This event was attended by Nathalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director; Mr. Bjorn Anderson, UNFPA Regional Director, Asia and Pacific Region; Dr. (H.C) Hasto Wardoyo, MD, OBGYN, The Chairman of The National Population and Family Planning Board of The Republic of Indonesia; Karl Kendrick Chua, Chair of the Board of Commissioners of the Philippine Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary; Enrique A Manalo, Permanent Mission of The Republic of The Philippines to the United Nations, New York; Juan Antonio A. Perez III, Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM); Ms. Anjali Sen, Country Representative UNFPA Indonesia; Dr. Leila Saiji Joudane, Country Representative UNFPA of the Philippines; Prof. Rizal Damanik, PhD, Deputy for Training Research and Development of BKKBN; Dr. Michael Dominic C. Del Mundo, Asst. Prof. University of the Phlippines Population Institute; Dr. Sang Hyop Lee, Chair Department of Economics University of the Hawai at Manoa; Dr. Omas Bulan Samosir, PhD, University Indonesia; Ms. Jinnanggoon Rojananan, Deputy Secretary General National Economic and Social Development Council, Thailand; Mr. Lolito Tacardon, Deputy Executive Director, Commission on Population and Development of the Philippines.