The year 2019 marks two important milestones in the field of reproductive health: 50 years since UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, began operations, and 25 years since the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo.

Dr Natalia Kanem discussed the remarkable gains in sexual and reproductive health and rights since 1969, and pointed to the remaining economic, social, institutional and other barriers that prevent women, girls and young people from making their own decisions and fulfilling their potential.

Dr Kanem shared her vision for the pursuit of rights and choices worldwide, present findings from UNFPA’s State of the World Population Report 2019, and offered some examples of progress and challenges in a number of Pacific countries.

This lecture forms part of the Mitchell Oration series, which was created to provide a forum at which the most pressing development issues can be addressed by the best minds and most influential practitioners of our time. The lecture was presented by the Development Policy Centre at Crawford School of Public Policy, with generous support from the Harold Mitchell Foundation, and in partnership with the United Nations Information Centre, Canberra.

Access to event livestream is available here.