New York- International and regional NGOs, along with UNFPA officials met on 16 – 17 February in New York to exchange views as well to review the outcomes of ICPD +15, as well as taking forward the ICPD agenda and arrange linkages with Beijing +15 and MDGs.

Ms. Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA opened the meeting. The first issues discussed were the outcomes of ICPD +15. The first day of the consultation was chaired by Ms. Purnima Mane, UNFPA Deputy Executive Director for Programme. Presenting the outcomes were Mr. Werner Haug, UNFPA Director of the Technical Division, Sivananthi Thanenthiran from the Asia Pacific Resource for Women in Malaysia, and Ms. Safiye Çagar, Director of the Information and External Relations Divisions. AFPPD also made statements along with the European Forum of Parliamentarians for Population and Development.

The second day of the Consultation was dedicated discussing how regional NGOs and parliamentarians can to work together to advocate for the ICPD Programme of Action, as well as major events in 2010. Dr. Gill Greer, Director General of International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) served as the Chair. Speakers included Ms. Thanenthiran, Ms. Jill Sheffield of Women Deliver, and Ms. Safiye Çagar of UNFPA and Dina Mahnaz Siddiqi of Bangladesh. 

2Reproductive Health Debate heats up in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – With the free condom distribution by the Department of Health (DoH) on Valentine’s Day, the controversy with the Catholic Church is heating up.

Public Survey shows that the majority of people support free distribution of contraceptives to prevent STI and AIDS infections. However, the Catholic Church calls it ‘immoral’ and the debate goes on until the election. Senator Manual Villar, who is a supporter of Church also admitted that “it is up to the conscience of people to use contraception or not” 

3.US bill to makes violence against women factor in foreign assistance

Senators Joseph Biden and Richard Lugar introduced a new legislation in the US Senate early February. This new legislation, the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) would make Violence Against Women a priority of the US government and an enhanced factor of its foreign policy and assistance programs. The bill is a five year, one-billion dollar plan authorizing projects in a number of countries with severe levels of violence against women. If passed it would require the US government to respond to critical outbreaks of gender based violence, such as former rape camps of the 1994 Rwanda genocides. Furthermore, the bill would require all US funded international programs to incorporate training to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. (Inter Press Service).

4.UNESCO releases guide on sexual education

UNESCO in partnership with UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO has developed the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education. This guide aims provide a framework to develop a framework to ensure young people have access to medically accurate and age appropriate information to make safe and healthy decisions. It serves as a practical resource for decision makers and professionals working within educational and health fields which maps out core concepts of sexuality education in an age appropriate schematic for each grade level. The goals of Guidance include giving students accurate information, having students explore values and encouraging youths to make responsible and informed decisions. (UNESCO) 

5.Australia to host UN NGO conference on global health

Australia will host a major annual United Nations Conference on global health issues. The 63^rd UN Department of Public Information/ Non-Government Organization Conference will be held in Melbourne from 30 August to 1 September 2010. This will be the first time Australia has hosted a UN event this size and only the third time this Conference has been held outside of New York. With a major aim of this year’s Conference being the attraction of participation of NGOs in the Asia-Pacific region, the Conference will bring together NGO representatives worldwide to discuss global health as it relates to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These goals include reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other preventable diseases (United Nations) 

6.Parliamentary Networks meet in New York

UNFPA organized a strategic review meeting in partnership with the Regional and International Parliamentarian Group networks in New York on 18-19 February. The meeting was opened by Ms. Mari Simonen and chaired by Ms. Safiye Çagar, Director of Information and External Resource Mobilization Division, UNFPA.

The achievements of the parliamentary advocacy in 2009 including ICPI / ICPD. Addis Abba was reviewed and plans for the year 2010 to 2011. Regional Parliamentary groups presented their future plans including ICPI in Panama in 2011.

From Asia-Pacific Regional Offices of UNFPA Ms. Deressa Galanne and Mr. Shiv Khare from AFPPD attended. 

7.New Zealand Parliamentarians’ Launches Report on Maternal Health in the Pacific

New Zealand Parliamentarians’ group on Population and Development (NZPPD) calls on the New Zealand, Australian and Pacific Island governments to take immediate action to improve the maternal health situation in the Pacific. The report, Making Maternal Health Matter is the result of an Open Hearing on Maternal Health held by NZPPD in September 2009. The report brings together key messages during the hearing, with recommendations from NZPPD on where urgent action is needed.

Quoting Dr. Jackie Blue MP, NZPPD Chair, “…access to family planning services and contraceptives, more midwives and better facilities, to name a few are urgently needed. It also requires the political willingness to prioritize and invest in this area” (www.fpi.org.nz) 

8.World Hunger to ‘one billion’

One billion people throughout the world suffer from hunger, a figure which has increased because of the global financial crisis, says UN’s Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) that figure was a record high, which has also been contributed by persistently high food prices. The UN said almost the entire world’s undernourished live in the developing countries, with 642 million people, living in the Asia Pacific region. In sub-Saharan Africa, the next worst-hit region, the figure stands at 265 million. Just 15 million people are left hungry in the developed world.

Director of FAO, Jacques Diouf stated that the ‘silent hunger crisis” poses a serious risk for world peace and security. He also urgently called for a forging of a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world and to take the necessary actions.

The AFPPD holds that FAO does not see the linkages to hunger with population size and growth. As f befiore the financial Crisis, there was no hunger. “They should face reality.”.

9.Victory for Women in Spain of Battle over New Abortion Law

Marysa Navarro-Aranguren, Chair of the Board of Catholics for Choice, welcomed the victory on 24 February for women in Spain, after the senate voted to ease the country’s restrictions on abortion, rejecting the opposition of the Catholic Church over access to safe and legal abortion. Navarro stated that the Spanish government has done the right thing, and that despite statements from the Vatican, it is possible to “support…abortions and be a good Catholic”.

The new law recognizes a woman’s right to abortion, legalizing it up to 14 weeks of gestation, as well as allowing 16 and 17-year olds to have abortions without parental consent.

In a predominately Catholic society, there is a strong and widespread support in Spain for legal abortion. Sixty-two percent support the basic right to abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy, leaving the decision up to women and their doctors. (Catholics for Choice) 

10.EPF elects new President and Vice President and inducts new member

The European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) had its Council meeting on 28 February 2010 in Brussels, attended by 30 Parliamentarians all active on population, Development and global health issues at national, European and international levels. In this meeting, the PEF elected Hilde Vautmans MP, Belgium as EPF President and George Tsereteli MP, Georgia and Chantal Gill’ard MP Netherlands as Vice Presidents. The EPF Council also welcomed as a new associate member the Catalonian All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development. The Autonomous Community of Catalonia in Spain with its regional Parliament created its own official development aid budget and policies which currently amounts to close to US$ 60 million.

On 1 March, EPF organized two additional simultaneous events, the first being a Parlliamentary Conference within the context of Action for Global Health (AFGH) in the European Parliament, hosted by the Green Group in the EP and Eva Joly, MEP, President of the EP Development Committee entitled “Delivering the Right to Health with the Health of the MDGs” and the second being the EPF delegation to the 54^th session of the UN CSW in New York focusing on “The Future of Women in the UN” 

11.Parliamentarians act on their pledge on Women’s Day

International Women’s day is on 8 March. While there is much to celebrate, violence against women, affecting up to 70% of women worldwide, remains a major obstacle to achieve women’s rights.. AFPPD is asking parliamentarians around the world, especially male parliamentarians, to join this drive that will raise awareness and inspire others.  

12.World Youth Conference in Mexico

The World Youth Conference is going to be held in Mexico City from 24 – 27 August in Mexico City. The Ambassador of Mexico, Cecilio Garza visited AFPPD in February to discuss possible involvement of Youth Parlimentarians as well as the regional youth conference in Bangkok in preparation of the Mexico Conference. Organizers are also planning an International Young Parliamentarians meeting during the Youth Conference in Mexico.  

13.Asia Europe Parliamentary ASEP meeting

Belgium- The Asia- Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP) Meeting organized by the Asia-Europe Foundation will be held in Belgium on 30 May until 21 June to discuss economic, political and cultural Issues.

14.Finnish MP Meet with AFPPD

Eleven member delegation of Members of Parliament from Finland are visiting Thailand, Cambodia and Laos from 3-5 March. Mrs. Sirno Minna, Finland MP and Chair of All Party Parliament Group of Population and Development met with Senator Dr. Pinit, Secretary-General of AFPPD and Shiv Khare, Executive Director of AFPPD to exchange views on possible cooperation in the Parliamentary of Thailand on 3 March. 

15. Senator Dr. Pinit Kullavanijaya attends OECD High Level Parliamentary Seminar

Senator Dr. Pinit Kullavanijaya Secretary General of AFPPD participated on OECD Parliamentary Seminar on Sustaining Global Recover on 18 February. Chaired by Mr. Anthony Gooch, Director of Public Affairs and Communications Directorate of OECD, the seminar focused on the impacts that world in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Stefano, Head of the Division for Employment and Analysis Policy in OECD discussed how the financial and economic crisis has turned into a social crisis from unemployment. Rolf Alter, Director for Public Governance and Territorial Development of OECD, and Grant Kirkpatrick, Acting Head of Corporate Affairs also of OECD iterated how transparency and integrity are central to the health of the world economies and their stabilities and emphasized the need for regulatory reform.

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