Friends, today is World Population Day. According to the UN, World Population Day is observed every July 11th to “reaffirm the human right to plan for a family” and to encourage “activities, events and information to help make this right a reality throughout the world.”

I work within the UN system and these kinds of thematically-focused “days” are incredibly common: there’s International Women’s Day;  World Radio Day; and even a “Day of the Girl-Child”.

But this year, I’ve noticed a higher-than-usual level of interest in World Population Day due to the high profile London Summit on Family Planning, put on by the Gates Foundation and the UK government. You can read more about the Summit and its outcomes in ...