Join the Canadian Delegation to the UN Commission on Population and Development

Last updated on March 20, 2024

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is seeking a youth delegate and a Civil Society Organization (CSO) delegate to join the Canadian delegation to the 57^th United Nations (UN) Commission on Population and Development annual session.

Brief Description: The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) is a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is responsible for monitoring the implementation of key commitments made by 179 countries within the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action with respect to poverty reduction and inequality, population dynamics, nutrition and food security, and sustainable development. As a member of this commission, Canada works to advance key development priorities, including gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and human rights.

The 57th CPD session will be held from April 29 to May 3, 2024, in a hybrid format with mostly in-person participation at the UN headquarters in New York City. The theme of this year’s session is “Assessing the status of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its contribution to the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.” 

Delegation: The Canadian delegation to CPD typically consists of delegates from GAC headquarters and Canada’s Permanent Mission to the UN. Since 2019, Canada has included a youth and a CSO delegate in its official delegation, with delegates participating virtually in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Delegates in 2023 participated in person.

Role of the Youth and CSO delegates: The youth and CSO delegates will: 1) help inform Canada’s engagement at CPD by providing their perspectives on the outcome document, Canada’s national statement and key issues related to the theme of CPD57; 2) have the role of observers at side events, participation  in plenary, and other relevant meetings; and 3) prepare a delegate report following the CPD with key takeaways, lessons learned and recommendations to GAC for future consideration.

Selection Criteria:

CSO Delegate

• Eligibility
  • Registered non-governmental organization in Canada;
  • Must be based in Canada and able to travel to New York City*;
  • Organization is not already being represented by an international affiliate organization at the CPD.
• Merit Criteria
  • The organizational mandate and key priorities align with, and contribute to, informing strategic priority matters on the CPD agenda;
  • The organization’s work has a direct alignment with the theme of CPD57, either from a domestic or international perspective;
  • The organization has access to a wide network of partners that can further enrich and inform Canada’s engagement at CPD;
  • The organization has the technical ability and experience to give depth and breadth of advice.
• Asset Criteria
  • Experience or engagement with the UN system, including contributing input to international resolutions or negotiations processes;
  • Ability to provide advice and input on CPD57 thematic issues from both a domestic and global perspective;
  • Represents a diverse and inclusive network, including people of all gender identities, Indigenous peoples, racialized people, persons with disability and minority groups;
  • Knowledge and/or experience working on SRHR issues;
  • Bilingual.

Youth Delegate

• Eligibility
  • Between the ages of 18 and 25 (at the time of the event);
  • Must be based in Canada and able to travel to New York City*;
  • Interest and understanding of sustainable development, population, or gender equality with a domestic or international assistance focus, in Canada or within an international development context.
• Merit Criteria:
  • Experience related to sustainable development, population, gender equality, international development, or advocacy. Experience can be gained through volunteering, employment, academia, or other means.
• Asset Criteria:
  • Experience with the UN system or contributing input to international resolutions or processes. Experience can be gained through volunteering, employment, academia, or other means.
  • Ability to provide input and advice from both a domestic and global perspective; 
  • Knowledge and/or experience working on SRHR issues;
  • All candidates who believe they are qualified are encouraged to apply, including Black, other racialized and Indigenous peoples, women, persons with disabilities and persons from the 2SLGBTQI+ community. 
  • Bilingual.

Special Notes:

• Applicants who have been selected in previous years as a member of the Canadian delegation to the CPD will not be considered for this process.
• GAC reserves the right to cancel the selection process at any point during the process.
• Delegates must be available on an ad hoc basis (2-3 hours per week) from early April to early May 2024 for written consultations and delegation meetings (6+ hours/day will be required during CPD formal week – April 29 to May 3, 2024).
• * Delegates should have the necessary paperwork needed to enter the United States legally – no visas will be provided.
• Reimbursement for relevant travel expenses (including transportation, accommodation, and meal per diems) would be provided.

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How to Apply:

Interested Youth candidates must send their CV and a short motivation letter (max. 300 words) to [email protected], with “CPD57 Application: [Name]” as the subject of the email, before March 20th, 2024. Please include how you meet the assessment criteria in the motivation letter.

Interested CSO candidates must send their CV and a short motivation letter (max. 300 words) to [email protected], with “CPD57 Application: [Name]” as the subject of the email, before 11:59 pm EST on March 22nd, 2024. Please include how you meet the assessment criteria in the motivation letter.

Please note that only those selected for further processes will be contacted. Thank you for taking the time to apply.

For any questions, please contact: [email protected]