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Japanese
Parliamentarians Visit Population
The Japanese parliamentarians visited a UNFPA funded project in Rawalpindi, Children’s Hospital, MCH/RH centers at PIMS, a JICA funded program and the Kato Women’s Center in Haripur. They also visited FPAP Projects in Lahore including Reproductive Health and Family Planning extension service programs and the Regional Training Institute of the Ministry of Health. The parliamentarians had meetings with H.E. Mr. Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan and H.E. Mr. Illahi Bukhsh Soomro, Speaker of the National Assembly, who also hosted a dinner for them. Mr. M. Javed Hashmi, Minister for Health and Population Welfare gave briefings in the Ministry. The parliamentarians also met H.E. Mr. Wasim Sajjad, Chairperson of Pakistan’s Senate and Mr.Gohar Ayub Kharn, Minister for Water and Power. Japanese parliamentarians had detailed discussions about parliamentarian activities with its speaker, Mr. Ch. Muhammad Jaffar Iqubal (Vice-President of PPEPD) and Mr. Rana Nazir Ahmed Khan, M.P., Security General of the Pakistani Parliamentarian Group on Population and Development. During their visit to Lahore, they called on the Mr. Chaudhary Parvez Elahi, Speaker of the Punjab Assembly and had a luncheon meeting with the Chair and members of the Standing Committee on Population in the Punjab Assembly. The Japanese parliamentarian visit is under a program of exchange organized by JPFP and APDA every year. The JPFP is a member of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development. PPGPD of Pakistan is also a member of AFPPD. |
Australian Parliamentarians Study Visit Vanuatu and Fiji The All Party Group on Population and Development of the Australian Parliament made a study
tour of Vanuatu and Fiji during July of this year. The purpose of the trip was to expose
the Australian parliamentarians to the realities of development, and indeed the challenges
of development in this part of the developing world.
According to the Leader of the Delegation, Colin Hollis, MP, who is also a Vice-Chairman of the AFPPD, the tour was particularly enriched by the presence of Dr. Gunasagaran Gounder, Assistant Minister for Health in Fiji; Hon. Iarris Naunun of Vanuatu and Hon. Albert Loare of the Solomon Islands - bringing a specific local perspective to the tour. In Vantuatu, the Group not only visited port Vila but also spent two days on Espiritu Santo Island looking at projects involved with community health and family planning. The Group had discussions with members of parliament and a range of government and community organizations dealing with issues as diverse as population, education, health and AIDS. With the recent change in government in Fiji, the Group was pleased to meet the many members and Ministers in the new Fijian Government, including the Minister for Women, Culture and Social Welfare, Hon. Lavenia Padarath and the Minister for Health, Hon. Ismieli Coranasiga. Like in Vanuatu, in Fiji, the Group was exposed to a range of issues including health, population and the challenge to deal with the threat of the AIDS. In Fiji, the Group also met with the Speaker of the Fijian Parliament, who is also one of the Vice-Chairman of the AFPPD, and has taken in leadership role on population and development issues not only in Fiji but the broader South Pacific. Colin Hollis said that the tour was made possible through funding by the Packard Foundation and the Australian Reproductive Health Alliance. He said that such tours provided members of Parliament from the developed world with an insight into the challenges in realities faced by governments and peoples in the developing world in regard to population and development issues. They were particularly impressed with the role women are taking the both countries. Having been exposed to the realities and challenges, it much easier for the MP’s to lobby their respective governments for adequate funding for projects in the developing world, Mr. Hollis said. |
U.S. Congressional Women's Caucus  |
Islamabad - Four
members of the Japan Parliamentarians Federation on Population (JPFP) made a study visit
to Pakistan from 26 July to 31st July, 1999. The Japanese parliamentarian delegation,
under the leadership of Mr. Kazuo Aichi, M.P., included Ms. Kinuko Ofuchi, M.P., Ms.
Yuriko Takeyama, M.P. and Ms. Yuiko Matsumoto, M.P. accompanied by Ms. Kiyoko Ikegami,
IPPF London, Ms. Chiharu Hoshiai and Ms.Yuko Kato, APDA.