Ministry of finance and economic development in collaboration with United Nations population fund (UNFPA) will today launch the 2008 state of the world population report at the bank of Sierra Leone complex, Kingtom in Freetown.

This year's report is themed: "Reaching common ground; culture, gender and human rights."

The report would showcase how culture could be integrated into development policies and programmes.

The report would also focus on discussion highlighting how culturally sensitive approaches are critical for the realization of human rights.

The report, however, gives an overview of the conceptual framework as well as the practice of development. It would also present some of the challenges and dilemmas of culturally sensitive strategies that suggest how partnerships address the people.

According to UNFPA, its approach to programming for women's empowerment and gender equality integrated, human rights, gender mainstreaming and cultural sensitivity and also encouraging transformative cultural change from within.

UNFPA collaborates not only with government but also with a variety of local organizations and individuals many of whom the organization identifies as agents of change.

UNFPA's tool for contesting gender inequality and building alliance is the "culture lens."