Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday reassured the world of the country’s commitment to the full realization of sustainable human development in line with the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action.

The ICPD Programme of Action, adopted in 1994 by 197 UN member states, is a far-sighted sustainable human development blueprint that places the human rights of individuals, rather than the numerical population targets, at the center of the global development agenda.

Mr. Kenyatta said his administration’s priority is to increase budgetary allocations to sectors that guarantee the advancement of the well being of all citizens.

In the national action plan to be implemented over the next decade, the president committed to eliminating female genital mutilation by 2022 in addition to eradicating all forms of gender-based violence and harmful practices by 2030 through the strengthening of coordination mechanisms and addressing socio-cultural norms that propagate the practices.

“I would like to restate my personal commitment and that of the Government of Kenya to providing the leadership necessary to ensure that this practice ends within this generation,” the president said.

As part of the comprehensive eleven-point agenda, President Kenyatta said Kenya will ensure that all citizens attain the highest possible standard of health through the elimination of preventable maternal and new-born mortality, mother to child transmission of HIV, teenage pregnancies and new adolescent and youth HIV infections by 2030.

He was speaking during the official opening of the International Conference on Population and Development  (ICPD25) that is being held in Kenya at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.

The global conference organized by Kenya, Denmark and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is being attended by thousands of participants from over 100 countries including several Heads of State and Government, dozens of international organizations, civil society groups and leaders from the private sector.

(SOURCE:Presidential Press Service Unit,PSCU)