Tashkent, 12 July 2016 – Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan and UNFPA (UN Population Fund) together celebrate the World Population Day 2016 to highlight global and national efforts on investing in the future of teenage girls.

The theme of this year’s World Population Day is “Investing in teenage girls”, and it is intended to highlight the need to invest in the health and education

of youth, especially teenage girls, and create opportunities for them to realize their full potential.

In Uzbekistan, UNFPA, Women’s Committee and khokimiyat (municipalities) of Tashkent city and Yakkasaroy district join hands to celebrate the World Population Day with open-air event at one of Tashkent’s beautiful locations, Bobir Park. The celebration features women’s marathon, as well as kids’ chalk drawing contest and checkers tournament. Winners and participants of the contest will get awarded with souvenirs. Participants of the event and guests will also enjoy performance of children’s folk dance and song groups.

UNFPA Representative in Uzbekistan, Ms. Mieko Yabuta, highlights the importance of this year’s WPD theme: “Needless to say, that the topic of today’s celebration very much coincides with the national priorities. The Government of Uzbekistan and the President himself pay great attention towards health of mothers and children, including teenage girls. The Government makes strenuous efforts to ensure that every teenage girl has the right to a safe and successful transition into adulthood and the right to embrace the opportunities that the future holds for them. We at UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, are committed to promoting and protecting these rights and to supporting the national efforts to empower teenage girls to determine their own destinies. We at UNFPA will continue working hand in hand with the people and the government of Uzbekistan to ensure that full potential of teenage girls is realized and they enjoy a prosperous and happy life.”

World Population Day is celebrated annually on 11 July. This important observation is an outgrowth of the Day of 5 Billion, which was observed on 11 July back in 1987. It was later recommended that 11 July be observed as World Population Day. World Population Day seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, particularly in the context of overall development plans and programmes, and the need for collective actions.