Background

With initiatives from UNFPA, AFPPD was formed in 1981 at the Asian Conference of Parliamentarians on Population and Development held in Beijing. AFPPD membership and programmes have increased multi-fold since then. AFPPD currently has twenty-four National Committees and has full-time office support in Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam. A separate parliamentary group for population and development has been formed to support parliamentarians advocating in pacific countries supported by UNFPA/SPC.

AFPPD conducts regional and national seminars, conferences, and study visits and participations in event organized by other agencies if related to ICPD issues as a means to help parliamentarians increase their level of knowledge, obtain more information on population and development, and enhance their involvement and motivation in the areas surrounding ICPD issues.

AFPPD gives emphasis, for the most part, to national level activities including review of legislation, monitoring programme implementation, and advocacy at the constituency level on population and development related issues.

AFPPD also provides due importance to the participation and involvement of women parliamentarians and gender equality including Elimination of Violence against Women and male involvement in this process.

AFFPPD has also initiated programme to involve young parliamentarians, indigenous parliamentarians, parliamentarians with medical, teaching and legal professions.

AFPPD was registered with the Department of Skills and Labour, Government of Thailand on the 20th of October 1994 as an international non-governmental organization and has highest consultative status with UN ECOSOC; i.e., General Status. AFPPD also received UN Population Award of 2010.

As per the decision of the AFPPD 1990 General Assembly in Bangkok, reconfirmed in Kuala Lumpur in 1993, the permanent secretariat was moved from New Delhi to Bangkok in 1991. AFPPD has an Executive Director and full time local and international support staff.