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A Publication of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development |
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25th Asian Parliamentarians’ Meeting on Population and Development |
Parliamentarians Reaffirm Commitment to
ICPD Agenda and Development Goals |
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Asian parliamentarians met in Jakarta,
Indonesia from 2-3 May for the 25th
Asian Parliamentarians’ Meeting on
Population and Development, with a
focus on “Achievements and Challenges
of ICPD+15.” The meeting was organised
by the Asian Population and Development
Association (APDA) and hosted by the
Indonesian Forum of Parliamentarians on
Population and Development (IFPPD), with
support from UNFPA, the International
Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF),
the National Family Planning Coordinating
Board (NFPCB/BKKBN) of Indonesia, and
AFPPD.
The opening session was addressed by Mr
Yasuo Fukuda, MP, former Prime Minister of
Japan, and chairman of APDA and AFPPD;
Dr Zahidul Huque, UNFPA Representative
in Indonesia; Dr Raj Karim, egional
Director of IPPF ESEAOR; Hj Aisyah Hamid
Baidlowi, Chairwoman of IFPPD; H. R.
Agung Laksono, Speaker of the Parliament
of the Republic of Indonesia.
Participation of All
Mr Fukuda said in his opening speech
that the results of the meeting would
represent Asia’s voice in the upcoming
International Conference on Population
and Development (ICPD) in Addis Ababa
in October. “The first way to achieve these
targets is to ensure everyone participates. |
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We reaffirm that everyone is a stakeholder
in tackling global issues such as population
growth and a deteriorating environment,”
said Mr Fukuda. Highlighting the
importance of population stabilization,
Mr Fukuda said “a rapidly changing
population will bring significant damage
to society and impede the achievement of
the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs)
and sustainable development.”
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Women’s Health and Development
Dr Zahidul Huque of UNFPA in his opening
address on behalf of Ms Nobuko Horibe,
Regional Director of UNFPA, stressed
the need for strong collaboration among
countries and stakeholders to advance both
ICPD and MDG agenda, especially those
on gender and women’s health. “We want
women to decide how they want to live
their lives and make their own decisions,”
he said, “and we want society to respect
and support the women’s decisions.” |
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Dr Huque noted the growing awarenessamong parliamentarians that maternal
health is not just any health issue
it is about empowerment, community participation and protection of human
rights, specifically the rights to education,to SRH, to family planning, to development and to enjoy adequate standard of life. He highlighted that giving women options to puruse education, empowerment and access to family planning can prevent more than 25% of the maternal deaths.
Women are the drivers of development,emphasized Dr Raj Karim of IPPF, and the time has come to revitalise family planning and ensure all women have access to this basic right. She called on parliamentarians to take urgent steps to address maternal mortality and morbidity. She also recalled AFPPD’s General Assembly last December where parliamentarians agreed to adopt a multisectoral approach that integrates population concerns, including women’s empowerment, SRHR, family planning and
prevention of HIV/AIDS, into strategies to combat climate change and ensure food security.
Hj. Asiyah Hamid Baidlowi, Chairwoman of IFPPD, believes that Asia-Pacific needs to rise as leader in promoting MDGs achievement, food security, p u b l i c - p r i v a t e partnerships and health initiatives. She expressed her confidence in vital platforms such as this meeting which enables parliamentarians to promote policy dialogue and strengthen national capacity. |
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MDGs, including gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, and gender-based violence. Dr Kullavanijaya urged AFPPD’s national parliamentary committees in Asia-Pacific and Central Asia to sustain and strengthen their actions on population and development.
Dr Sugiri Syarief, Chairperson of NCBFP of Indonesia, gave a country analysis on Indonesia’s family planning programme. Since the establishment of the family planning programme in Indonesia in 1967, the contraceptive prevalence rate has increased steadily to about 61% currently, up from 26% in 1980. Total fertility rate has at the same time been declining to 2.6, down from 5.6 in 1971. He credited such progress to a series of family planning laws enacted.
Family Planning is Important
As the Indonesian government continues to reform itself and decentralise, Dr Syriaf urged local governments to prioritise family planning as a long-term social development goal.
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He stated that it is crucial that local governments mobilise enough resources for family planning programmmes and build up capacity of local personnel to implement them.
Food Security
Mr Chiaki Takahashi, MP of Japan, discussed his perspectives on population and sustainable development in the context of ICPD PoA with focus on food security. Decreasing arable land per capita and fast population growth are straining government’s ability to ensure food security.
He also cautioned that genetically modified food may not be the panacea some quarters claim them to be as their safety has not been confirmed. |
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Budgeting for Health
Ms Tuti Indarsih Loekman Soetrisno, former MP of Indonesia and AFPPD Treasurer, spoke on synergizing health initiatives in the context of the MDGs. She detailed efforts by the parliamentary Commission on Health, Labour, Transmigration, Population, Food and Drug Control to work with the Ministry of Health to improve health conditions and address challenges presented by the economic crisis and natural disasters. Parliamentarians have proposed to the government to increase health budget from 2.1% to 5% of the National Budget and to allocate at least 15% of health budget for maternal and infant health at all levels.
Mr Youzou Nakao, Associate General Manager, CSR and Public Communications Department of Ajinomoto, urged parliamentarians to take the lead in promoting public-private partnerships in support of ICPD and MDGs.
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MDG & ICPD
The last session was devoted to a panel of parliamentarians who discussed their commitment for the MDGs and the ICPD agenda. Dr Donya Aziz, MP of Pakistan, said that parliamentarians should continue to take the front seat in advancing ICPD goals and called for more domestic investment to support these issues.
Population & Development
Mr Song Fatang, MP of China, emphasized that population is a principal issue in promoting development. He pledged China’s firm commitment to the ICPD goals and highlighted several legislations pertaining to maternal health, infant and child health as well as a marriage law.Mr Kim Gi Hyeon and Mr Kim Young Jin, MPs of the Republic of |
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Population is a principal issue in promoting development.
~ Mr Song Fatang, MP, China
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Korea, praised the ICPD Program of Action as a useful framework to address other interlinking issues. They called for closer cooperation in Asia Pacific to ensure the ICPD agenda is advanced and its goals achieved on time.
By adopting a statement of commitment, the parliamentarians agreed to continue and even expand their population and development programs, especially in light of the ongoing global financial crisis, which has affected the implementation of these initiatives. |
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They also pledged to revitalize the reproductive health and family planning agenda worldwide to achieve gender equality, reduce maternal and infant mortality and enhance prevention of HIV, especially mother-to-child transmission.
The closing ceremony was presided over by Ms Chieko Nohno, MP of Japan, former Minister of Justice, and Secretary-General of the Japan Parliamentarians Federation on Population, and Dr M. Hidayat Nur Wahi, MP and Chief of the House of Representatives, Indonesia. |
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| 25th Asian Parliamentarians’ Meeting |
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“It is time to reinvest in health and family planning” |
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~ Ms Nobuko Horibe, Director of UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Office |
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 Jakarta -- Ms Nobuko Horibe, Director of UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office, assessed ICPD at 15 and believed that it is time to re-invest in the Cairo agenda to further improve health and family planning in Asia-Pacific. Much progress has been made in the region since 1994, she says, but many challenges remain. Total fertility rates in the region have fallen. Contraceptive prevalence rates have improved significantly in many countries. Life expectancy has gone up overall, with a few exceptions, and the lowest rate now registered is that of Afghanistan with life expectancy of both men and women at 44, whereas the highest rate among developing countries in Asia and the Pacific has increased to over 70 years for both men and women.
Equal Employment and Education Opportunities
Drive Development
“The expansion of labor markets, through the inclusion of larger numbers of more skilled and healthy workers,” she pinpointed, “has been the single most effective way to boost economic development.” This expansion of labor markets can be attributed mainly to women being allowed to become economic actors in their own rights. Data corroborate this finding.
Great gains have been made in girls’ school enrolment, with slightly over half of the countries having achieved gender parity by 2005. However, Ms Horibe pointed out, the national data hide disparities at the sub-national level and among disadvantaged groups as well as low primary school completion. Higher educational attainment rates have also contributed to lowering fertility rates. She said that investments in education have paid off, in general.
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Investments in health go hand in hand with investments in education, as healthier women and men will be more productive, better educated, and their fewer children also tend to be healthier and more educated.
Integrative Approach and Gender Equality
Ms Horibe went on to address the unmet need for family planning, which has fallen from 18% in 1990-95 in South and Southeast Asia but is still around 11% (2000-2005), indicating that millions of women and girls still lack access to FP services. She called for integration of HIV, SRHR and FP services, which is paying off in the same manner that AIDS spending has contributed to health systems strengthening and intensified behavior change communications towards safer and healthier behaviors. Ms Horibe’s core concern is gender equality. Investing in women’s and girls’ empowerment and gender equality, she says, is an indispensable tool for advancing development and reducing poverty. When women and girls are able to fulfill their rights and participate as equal citizens, they contribute to the health and productivity of whole families and communities and to improved prospects for the next generation.
Parliamentarians as Role Model
Ms Horibe believes that parliamentarians have tremendous powers for setting agendas and creating enabling environments for social change. They also have budget-setting and budget allocation powers. She urged parliamentarians to base choices for allocation on sound analysis and judgment, and on the premise of the best possible return on investment. Parliamentarians are also often seen as role models, particularly in their own constituencies, and therefore wield considerable power to influence the behavior of individuals there. Finally, parliamentarians are in a position to influence their government’s international development cooperation policies and priorities, including the funding allocated to international development programmes in the area of population, where serious funding gaps remain. |
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| 25th Asian Parliamentarians’ Meeting |
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| 25th Asian Parliamentarians’ Meeting |
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Parliamentarians and Media Are Powerful Allies for Socio-economic Reforms and Poverty Reduction |
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Jakarta -- Ms Farhana Haque Rahman, Chief of Media Relations, Special Events and Programmes at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), urged parliamentarians to work with the media to highlight the unmet need of poor and |
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developing nations and to direct attention to investment in agricultural development as a sound poverty-reduction strategy.
Ms Haque Rahman called on parliamentarians to use their visibility and connections to address the current crisis that is affecting poor, rural people by cultivating a network of media and leading awareness campaigns at local, national and regional levels.
Parliamentarians together with the media can strategically disseminate informed messages on the situation in developing countries hit hard by the financial crisis and rally public support for policies |
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and actions in the international arena that will improve the situation in low-income countries hit hard by the financial crisis.
Parliamentarians can build momentum on issues such as climate change and take advantage of international event to interact with the media and make the voice of the poor heard, before decisions that will affect their lives are taken.
It is critical that parliamentarians partner with the media to make them a powerful ally for their own constituents and the poor rural people in their own countries. |
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India's Parliament Elects First Woman Speaker |
India’s Parliament Elects First Woman Speaker
India’s Parliament on 3 June elected its first-ever female speaker, the daughter of a former deputy prime minister and a member of India’s lower caste. Ms Meira Kumar, 64, was elected unopposed and immediately assumed her post, replacing Mr Somnath Chaterjee, a member of the Brahmin caste, India’s highest.
As speaker, Kumar presides over India’s powerful lower house of Parliament, or Lok Sabha. Women’s rights activists welcomed the election. The new Lok Sabha also saw the highest number of women elected. |
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Filipino Mayors and Legislators Observe HIV/AIDS and
Health Programmes of Thailand |
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The group visited to AFPPD, the Thai Red Cross and its clinic, the AIDS Research Center and its anonymous clinic, the Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, the Planned Parenthood Association of Thailand; and the Department of Disease Control of the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand.
The delegates paid a visit on the last day to the Thai parliament where they met with a group of senators, including Dr Pinit Kullavanijaya, Secretary-General of AFPPD and Senator Kobkul Phancharoenworakul. The Filipino delegates expressed their desire to further enhance family planning services in their country as the population nears 100 million. The Thai senators said that it is Thailand’s priority to improve maternal and child health, focusing not just on reducing mortality rates but also on improving the quality of health services provided for mothers, newborn and children. |
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The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD), under its Leadership Development Program for National and Local Policymakers, and in cooperation with AFPPD, arranged five provincial legislators and mayors to visit Bangkok, Thailand to expose them to its successful implementation of policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS, family planning, and reproductive health. |
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The delegates were: Mayor Ariel S. Bitong, Municipality of Aurora, Quezon Province; Mayor Arturo J. Angara, Municipality of Baler, Quezon Province; Mayor Jaime C. Villanueva, Municipality of Tiwi, Albay Province; Provincial Board Member Enerio Sabulao, Eastern Samar Province. Mr Rio Magapayo and Ms Maida Ojeda of PLCPD and Mrs Pariyaporn Sappapan of AFPPD accompanied the delegates during their visit.
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| PNG Parliamentary Group Formally Established |
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At its first formal meeting from 14-16 May, the PNG Parliamentary Group on Population and Development adopted a constitution and work plan to take the Group to the end of this year. PNG Members of Parliament Mr Malakai Tabar and Dame Carol Kidu were elected inaugural President and Senior Vice President, respectively.
Other vice-presidents elected were, Member for Finschafen Theo Zurenuoc (Momase), Karimui Nomane MP Posi Menai (Highlands), North Fly MP Boka Kondra (Southern) and Kavieng MP Martin Aini (Islands). Sumkar MP Ken Fairweather was appointed as the group’s patron while North Waghi MP Benjamin Mul doubled the task of secretary and treasurer. .
The President, Mr Malakai Tabar, said that teenage pregnancies, maternal death in childbirth and related complications and poverty were serious issues in his electorate and across the nation. Having worked for the group’s formation for years, Dame Carol Kidu, Minister for Community Development of PNG, said she was delighted the Group
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had been formally constituted. It is one of more than 70 Groups in parliaments globally and will seek membership in the Pacific Parliamentary Assembly on Population and Development (PPAPD) and the Asian Forum for Parliamentarians on Population and Development.
Senator Claire Moore, Chair of the Australian Parliamentary Group on Population and Development and Chair of AFPPD Standing Committee on Women, stressed the importance of all party representation on the group and how MPs could work in a bi-partisan way on these issues that are so very vital to the future of PNG. The senator outlined ways in which the Australian Group had influenced funding and policy on population and development issues, like the increase in its overseas aid budget and the promise to increase it to 0.5% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015.
The new PNG parliamentary group is supported by UNFPA and the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance (ARHA), which serves as its temporary secretariat. (ARHA) |
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UN Secretary-General Presents Population Awards to
Egyptian Doctor and Nicaraguan NGO |
 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 1 June presented
the United Nations Population Award to an Egyptian doctor
and a Nicaraguan non-governmental organization (NGO), in
recognition of their contributions to public health and efforts to
reduce maternal deaths. Dr Mahmoud Fathalla and Movimiento
Comunal Nicaragüense (MCN) were chosen from 18 nominees
by an Award Committee, headed by Ambassador Hamdon Ali
of Malaysia, to receive the honour, which consists of a gold
medal, a diploma and a monetary prize.
“Dr. Fathalla has made a major impact in the field of family
planning, reproductive rights and ending maternal deaths,” Mr Ban told the awards ceremony in New York. Mr Ban also paid tribute
to MCN, which was created in 1978 to boost living conditions in Nicaragua through social and community development, gender
equality and environmental protection. He noted that the NGO has trained people in more than 2,000 local communities, “and has
mobilized an impressive 20,000 people, including leaders, educators and midwives, to improve public health.” (UN News) |
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China to Enhance Parliamentary Exchanges with Pacific Island Nations |
China’s top legislator Wu Bangguo has pledged to increase exchanges and cooperation with parliaments from Pacific Island nations, reports Xinhua.
“Parliamentary exchanges would help deepen mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples and promote the comprehensive growth of country-to-country relations,” Mr Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, told parliamentary delegations from Pacific island nations on 25 June.
“We actively support Pacific Island nations’ efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty and independence, promoting economic and social development, improving living standards and equally participating in |
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This was the first joint visit for the parliaments of Pacific island countries, involving delegations from Tonga, Micronesia, Fiji and Niue. The delegations were led by Tu’ilakepa, speaker of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Tonga and other high-level parliamentary representatives. All the delegation heads agreed with Wu’s suggestions on furthering relations between Pacific Island countries and China.
The parliamentary leaders said their nations were ready to work with China to increase economic and trade cooperation, enhance coordination in international and regional affairs and expand parliamentary exchanges. (PacNews) |
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| HIV/AIDS in the Philippines |
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AIDS Advocates Urge Congress to Pass Reproductive Health Bill |
Worrying Upward Trend
Manila—The number of Filipinos diagnosed with HIV saw a unprecedented rise and in 2009 the monthly average is now 60. The statistics show that it rose almost four times compared to the yearly statistics of 1999; from January to April 2009, 237 were diagnosed to be living with HIV compared to last years’ accumulated data of the same time which was 177.
Girls, Women, and HIV and AIDS Network (GWHAN) cited this worsening problem as they called for the immediate passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill recognizing also that most of those diagnosed (68%) in 2009 are in their most productive years (20-39 y/o). It should also be noted that 17% of the recorded HIV positives are overseas Filipino workers and more of those being recorded is coming from the |
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general population specially the youth.
HIV/AIDS Education & the RH Bill
The RH Bill if passed into law would serve as an enforcer of the “AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1988” where it mandates Department of Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Article 1 Section 4 to utilize official information provided by the Department of Health and shall integrate instruction on the causes, modes of transmission and ways of preventing HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases in subjects taught in public and private schools at intermediate grades, secondary and tertiary levels, including non-formal and indigenous learning systems. (Philippines Information Agency)
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Call for Submission |
You are invited to submit news articles related to parliamentarians’ actions on population, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and other related issues, with one or two clear photos if available. Selected articles will be published in the bi-monthly AFPPD Newsletters and source will be acknowledged. Please send your submission to afppd@afppd.org. |
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News Briefs |
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The annual session of the UNFPA/UNDP Executive Board took place in New York from 26 May to 5 June, attended by member countries of the Executive Board and a good number of NGOs.
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The world is shocked by the killing of Dr George Tiller in the US, whose clinic provided high-quality reproductive health services to women, including late-term abortion.
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A report sponsored by UNFPA, the Alola Foundation, East Timor’s Health Ministry and the Charles Darwin University of Australia recommends the Timorese government to decriminalise abortion and promote contraception in order to combat high incidence of maternal mortality.
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VOV News reports that after eight years of work to integrate the MDGs into its economic development agenda, Vietnam has made substantial progress towards reducing poverty and promoting education and gender equality.
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The International Forum on SRH took place in Madrid from 22-24 June. It was organised by the Vice-presidency of Spain, the Spanish Cooperation Agency, the Ministry of Equity, the Ministry of Health and the Spanish Interest Group on Population, Development and RH with the collaboration of UNFPA and UNIFEM. This conference is one of the commitments adopted by the Spanish and African Women’s Network.
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The Population Reference Bureau conducted an online discussion of “How will Global Aging Affect Economic Development” on 24 June, with Dr David Bloom, economist, demographer and Chair of Department of Global Health and Populationat the Harvard School of Public Health. Please visit the website: discuss.prb.org.
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Latvia’s Association for Family Planning and Sexual Health will host the 2009 EuroNGOs conference and AGM in Riga from 7-8 September, on the theme of “Investing in SRHR in Times of Economic Crisis.” Please visit www.eurongos.org for more details.
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| Maternal and Reproductive Health |
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Maternal Mortality Recognised as Human Rights Issue |
On 17 June, the Human Rights Council in Geneva adopted a landmark resolution on ‘Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights’. In this resolution, governments express grave concern for the unacceptably high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, acknowledge that this is a health, development and human rights issue and commit to enhance their efforts at the national and international level to protect the lives of women and girls worldwide. Over 70 UN member states, including the U.S., co-sponsored this resolution, led by Colombia and New Zealand.
Through the resolution, governments recognise that the elimination of maternal mortality and morbidity requires the effective promotion and protection of women and girls’ human rights, including their rights to life, to be equal in dignity; to education; to be free to seek, receive and impart information; to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress; to freedom from discrimination; and to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including SRH. Furthermore, the resolution stresses that a human rights based approach makes efforts against maternal mortality and morbidity more effective and sustainable. (ACPD)
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Canadian and Italian Parliaments Commit to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health |
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New Zealand Parliament Invites Submission to Open Hearing on Maternal Health in the Pacific |
On 9 June, the Candadian Parliament, passed an all-party resolution unanimously renewing Canada’s commitment to reducing maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality both at home and abroad. The Italian Parliament has also unanimously adopted a parliamentary resolution, developed by a group of Italian women parliamentarians, to save the lives of mothers and children in the countries with highest burden, by increasing Italian official development assistance (ODA) for maternal, newborn and child health.
The Canadian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (CAPPD) and Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD) played pivotal role in their passage. The European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF), which organised a G8 parliamentarians’ conference in Rome, expressed its satisfaction at this development.
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The New Zealand Parliamentarians’ Group on Population and Development (NZPPD) will be holding an ‘Open Hearing on Maternal Health in the Pacific’ at the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington scheduled on 21 September.
NZPPD invites individuals and organisations with relevant experience to make written submissions to the hearing, from which a few will be selected to be orally presented. A report, including recommendations, will be produced and disseminated widely with the aim of supporting further action to improve maternal health in the Pacific.
Further information on NZPPD and the Open Hearing, including the terms of reference and guidelines for making written submissions, can be found at the following link: www.fpi.org.nz/OpenHearingonMaternalHealthinthePacific.aspx. (NZPPD)
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The UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health launched its Maternal Morbidity Hearing Report, entitled “Better Off Dead?” in the House of Commons on 6 May.
The event was held in collaboration with White Ribbon Alliance, IPPF and Marie Stopes International. Maternal morbidity leaves an estimated 10-20 million women and girls every year with long-term physical, psychological, social and economic problems. The APPG report recommends spending 10% of ODA on SRHR, outlawing child marriage and female genital mutilation, decriminalising abortion, and ensuring access to family planning and health care services. The full report can be accessed at www.appg-popdevrh.org.uk.
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Namibian MPs Address Gender Violence and Reproductive Health |
Members of Parliament in Namibia held a leadership training workshop on reproductive health (RH) and Gender Based Violence (GBV) in mid-June. As lawmakers, the parliamentarians want to create awareness on GBV as well as how would they involve men in preventing it.
Most of the parliamentarians vowed to sensitize young people on reproductive health in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies and HIV/AIDS, particularly those at grassroots level, and to get information translated into vernacular languages.
UNFPA Country Representative Mr Fabian Byomuhangi, said this kind of dialogue is necessary because lawmakers and political leaders to a large extent influence what happens at community level. “I am glad to learn that after this workshop, a session and field visits to certain regions will be arranged for MPs, to be exposed and to grasp first hand experiences and opinions of service providers and communities on GBV, RH and HIV/AIDS.
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I hope that this workshop will provide the MPs with an opportunity for productive interaction, and sharing of experiences and challenges related to creating a gender responsive environment for social transformation and prosperity for all,” he said.
Mr Byomuhangi also highlighted the importance of male involvement in the prevention of GBV. “There is evidence that most GBV is committed by males against women and girls. It is also acknowledged the role of them in prevention and protection of women and girls. Men in different capacities can make a difference and create a paradigm shift,” he said.
Mr Byomuhangi urged parliamentarians to saves the lives of women by taking a proactive role on RH and fight against GBV. (New Era--Namibia)
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US Pledges Deep Commitment to ICPD Agenda |
 The new U.S. ambassador for global women’s issues pledged the Obama administration’s “deep commitment” to a U.N. blueprint aimed at slowing the world’s population explosion and empowering women. At the heart of the Cairo Programme of Action adopted at the U.N. International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt, 15 years ago is a demand for women’s equality through education, economic development, access to modern birth control and the right to choose if and |
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when to become pregnant.
The U.S. ambassador, Ms Melanne Verveer, said President Barack Obama’s decision to contribute US$50 million to the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) for family planning, an increase of more than 100 percent over the last U.S. contribution in 2001, “will send an unambiguous signal to the world that the U.S. supports the Cairo Platform for Action.” Ms Verveer, former chief of staff to Hillary Rodham Clinton when she was first lady, spoke at a luncheon honoring Dr Nafis Sadik on her 80th birthday. Verveer praised Dr Saidk for framing “the vision” of the Cairo plan that linked development, human rights, women’s rights and RH
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 for the first time. Ms Sadik, fromer Executive Director of UNFPA, was secretary-general of the Cairo conference and is currently the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on HIV/AIDS in Asia-Pacific. “I wanted to come here today to clearly reiterate the renewed and deep commitment of the U.S. government to the ... Program of Action, and the Obama administration’s steadfast determination to continue to work with other governments and NGOs to meet the goals we have set,” Ms Verveer said. (AP) |
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At Least 64 Seats for Women in Egyptian Parliament |
Everyone is pleased by the passage of law on 18 June, which allocates 64 seats for women in the People’s Assembly of Egypt.
This law has come after more than 25 years of women’s numbers decreasing in the parliament. Women’s greatest presence in the parliament was in 1984 when the participation reached to 35 representatives in comparison to 2005,
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which witnessed only 9 representatives, including four elected and five appointed.
Although article No. 40 of the Egyptian constitution emphasizes absolute equality between men and women, the reality of equality is shaped primarily by customs, traditions and direct interests.
This law comes as compensation for women’s many years of marginalization by political powers. Gender equality advocates believe
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that the quota system acts to counter social and intellectual barriers that prevent the equitable participation of women in politicis.
The quota system has been applied in 77 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Women representation has increased significantly in decision-making bodies and concerned bodies. (Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights).
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Azerbaijan MPs Discuss National RH Law & ICPD |
On 30 April in Baku, Azerbaijan, the EPF member Parliamentary group in the National Parliament of Azerbaijan held a National Parliamentary Forum on Youth Reproductive Health and Rights, with the support of UNFPA as part of the EC/UNFPA funded Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in the South Caucasus (RHIYC). Parliamentarians, key Government stakeholders and partner NGOs actively participated in the Forum to elaborate follow up plans on the RHIYC project in Azerbaijan and to formulate strategies for the sustainable improvement of youth SRHR, including discussions on an ambitious draft law on reproductive health proposed by the Parliamentary group and currently in discussions in Parliament.
Mrs Malahat Ibrahimkizi, MP, Chair of the EPF Parliamentary Group and author of the draft law on Reproductive Health and Family Planning, chaired the Forum and stated that “if adopted this May, the draft law will ensure budgetary coverage of a number of reproductive health services in the country and so contribute to the sustainable development of youth reproductive health services.”
European Parliamentary Forum (EPF) Executive Committee Member Ms Chantal Gill’ard, MP Netherlands praised Azerbaijan Parliamentarians on their work on such an extensive law and informed about the current youth reproductive health challenges in Europe and the Netherlands. “Since the adoption of ICPD Programme of Action in 1994, Azerbaijan has achieved enormous progress in improving its reproductive health legislation and services and counts as a reproductive health champion in the region”, said Mr Neil Datta, EPF Secretary.
On 28 and 29 April, prior to the National Parliamentary Forum on
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Youth Reproductive Health, UNFPA with the support of municipal, regional and state authorities opened two new reproductive health centres for youth, the first in Sheki region and the other at the Baku State Academy for Public Administration under the auspices of the President of the Republic. In a country where only 16% of young people use modern contraception, “it is very important to make the environment and especially health care provision more youth friendly”, said Dr Peer Sieben, UNFPA Country Director for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Mr Neil Datta complimented UNFPA and their support and hoped that the draft RH law under discussion could pave the way for sustained funding beyond the project duration. The EC/UNFPA funded RHIYC is a three-year project launched in 2006, aiming at sustainable improvements in the SRH of young people in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. (EPF)
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| European Parliamentarians |
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European MPs in Zambia to Study RH Supplies Situation |
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From 16-23 May in Zambia, European Parliamentarians from the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden and Azerbaijan gained first hand information about the population’s unmet sexual and reproductive health needs as well as the reproductive health situation in a country where young people represent more than 70% of the population.
The joint study tour, co-organised by the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU) and the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF), was held in the framework of the Countdown 2015 Europe project and was hosted by the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ) and Youth Vision Zambia (YVZ). |
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The European Parliamentarian Delegation included: Mr Nesib Nesibli, MP, Azerbaijan; Ms Fiona O’Malley, Member of the Senate in Ireland; Ms Janneke Schermers, MP, The Netherlands; everyone is a stakeholder in tackling global issues such as population growth and a deteriorating environment,” said Mr Fukuda. Highlighting the importance of population stabilization, Mr Fukuda said “a rapidly changing population will bring significant damage to society and impede the achievement of the Millennium DevelopmentMr Patrick Harvie, Member of the Scottish Parliament, Scotland; Mr Ameer Sachet, MP, Sweden; and Baroness Susan Thomas of Walliswood, the United Kingdom. (EPF) |
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IPCI-ICPD Will Be in Addis |
The location and dates of the 4th IPCI/ICPD and the High-level meeting on Maternal Health/MDG5 will be changed. The new location and dates of the conference is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 26 October (HLM-MH) and 27-28 October 2009 (IPCI/ICPD IV) at the UN Conference Center.
This year’s IPCI/ICPD marks the 15th anniversary of the birth of ICPD in Cairo, Egypt in 1994, which culminated in the landmark ICPD Programme of Action. UNFPA, the lead agency in implementing the ICPD PoA, is taking this opportunity to celebrate what has been accomplished. It is also using this benchmark to acknowledge gaps and challenges, to consolidate lessons learned over the last 15 years, and to come up with practical recommendations for accelerating progress. AFPPD is working closely with UNFPA to mobilise parliamentarians for this conference. For more information, please visit www.unfpa.org/icpd/15/index.cfm. |
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