Actions by the LDCs and their development partners will include:
LDCs are to--
* “Take steps to realize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including sexual and reproductive health;
*“Build on effective, multisectoral and integrated approaches for the provision of universal access to reproductive health, including integrating family planning, sexual health and health-care services in national strategies and programmes;
*“Incorporate in their national development strategies and policies human resource development and planning for population dynamics;
*“Continue implementing national health development plans, highlighting priority actions to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals (4, 5 and 6).”
Development partners are to--
* “Provide financial and technical support for least developed countries to strengthen their national health systems.”
• On youth development, the Programme says: “Large youth populations are an asset for least developed countries, and should have the opportunity to participate fully in economic, social and political life. Youth populations’ potential should be maximized.” It says policy measures will pursue the following goals:
o “Strive to ensure the full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and in decision-making processes;
o “Build the educational and skills capacity of youth and achieve full and productive employment and decent work;
o “Enhance youth participation in the economy through improving access to vocational education, volunteering and employment.”
• On gender equality and empowerment of women, the Programme declares: “Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are central to achieving better development outcomes, including all the internationally agreed development goals as well as the Millennium Development Goals….Gender equality and empowerment of women are essential to make progress towards social and human development and eradication of poverty in least developed countries.” The Programme says policy measures on women’s empowerment will pursue the following goals:
o “Achieve equal access of women and girls to education, basic services, health care, economic opportunities, and decision-making at all levels;
o “Take steps to realize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including sexual and reproductive health;
o “Accelerate efforts to promote women’s rights and gender equality, including women with disabilities.”
Actions by the LDCs and their partners will include:
LDCs are to--
*“Establish and continue implementing national development plans to take account of the needs of women and girls and actively commit to achieve all the Millennium Development Goals, particularly 3, 4 and 5;
*“Provide women and girls with full access to education and training, basic services, health care and economic opportunities, including ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, financial services and social protection;
*“Welcoming the Secretary-General’s Global Strategy on Women’s and Children’s Health, as well as other national, regional and international initiatives in this regard, strengthen support to maternal health and increase access to family planning resources for women, men and young people;
*“Take resolute action against violence, abuse and discrimination to ensure that women and girls have the full enjoyment of all human rights and can attain the highest living standards possible and equal participation in the economic, social and political life of their communities.”
In the 18-paragraph Istanbul Declaration they also adopted by consensus, LDC Summiteers underlined: “that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are central to achieving better development outcomes including all internationally agreed development goals as well as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and are essential to making progress towards social and human development and eradication of poverty in LDCs.”