A Side Event at the UN Commission on Population and Development (CPD59)

Background

Digital technologies are rapidly transforming the landscape of sexual and reproductive health and rights, reshaping how information is accessed, services are delivered, and health systems are governed. Telemedicine, mobile health applications, and artificial intelligenceenabled tools have expanded the potential to reach underserved populations, particularly in rural and low-resource settings. However, these innovations are being introduced into contexts where structural inequalities are already shaping access to resources and opportunities. Persistent disparities in device access and digital literacy, particularly affecting those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as women, girls, and LGBTQI+ communities, continue to determine who is able to benefit.

Young people, despite being among the most active users of digital technologies, are often excluded from decision-making processes related to digital health design and governance. Barriers such as restrictive social norms and lack of access to safe and youth-friendly platforms can further marginalize them. In the absence of targeted efforts to address these gaps and meaningfully include youth perspectives, digitalization risks reinforcing, rather than reducing, inequities in SRHR access.

At the same time, the growing reliance on data-driven systems in health introduces new dimensions of risk. The collection and processing of sensitive personal data through menstrual tracking applications, fertility platforms, and telehealth services raise concerns regarding data security, third-party access, and the potential misuse of information. These concerns are compounded by the transnational nature of digital platforms and uneven national capacities to regulate data flows. In contexts where aspects of SRHR are legally restricted or socially stigmatized, insufficient data protection frameworks may expose individuals, particularly sexual minorities, to heightened risks of surveillance, discrimination, legal repercussions, and social consequences. Data breaches or misuse may lead not only to legal action but also to stigma, exclusion, or harm at the community level, including from family members or local leaders.

In parallel, the digital information ecosystem is reshaping how SRHR knowledge is produced and consumed. Algorithmically curated content and emerging AI-driven tools increasingly mediate access to health information, creating both opportunities and risks. While digital platforms can broaden access, they also facilitate the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, which can distort public understanding, reinforce harmful norms, and fuel backlash against SRHR. In some contexts, such dynamics may contribute to the erosion of trust in evidence-based information and undermine progress toward rights-based approaches.

Against this backdrop, the 2026 theme of the Commission on Population and Development provides an opportunity to discuss how technological transformation can be guided to support equitable, inclusive, and safe SRHR outcomes.

Purpose and Format

This interactive roundtable will bring together youth delegates, policymakers, and the Norwegian Minister for International Development to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping the landscape of SRHR. The event will center youth voices, creating a space for open dialogue on both the opportunities and risks of digital transformation in SRHR, with a view to identifying priority areas where Norway can ensure that young people’s needs, perspectives, and solutions are included to ensure that technology does not have negative impacts on SRHR. The discussion will aim to produce a youth-informed call to action to guide future efforts.

Concept note (PDF)