INFORMATION SERVICE

October 2004

APDA Discuss Population and Development for Central Asia in Almaty

Around 50 parliamentarians from the Asia, the Pacific and Central Asian Countries assembled in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 28-29 September for an Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians Seminar on Challenges for ICPPD+20: Toward a new decade of ICPD PoA. Population and Development was discussed with a specific focus on Central Asia. UNFPA Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Kunio Waki and Ms. Safiye Cagar, Director of IERD and Mr. Nesim Tumkaya, UNFPA Representative for Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan and Mr. Niurtai Abykaev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan addressed the Seminar.

The Executive Committee of AFPPD reviewed the work on ICPD and parliamentarians in Asia and the Pacific, approved allocation for the Japan Trust Fund for NGO and parliamentarians and decided to organize AFPPD General Assembly in October 2005.

Mrs. Nohno is Justice Minister in Japan

H.E. Chieko Nohno, Senator in Japan and a very active member of Japan Parliamentarians Federation on Population (JPFP) and women parliamentarians group in Japan has been named as the Minister for Justice in the Japan Government. She has attended several AFPPD events.

Around one hundred very high-level government and UN officials, parliamentarians and Japanese NGOs participated at the Population 2050 organised and AFPPD supported International Symposium, which discussed various aspects of reproductive health and rights and HIV. Parliamentarians from Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Japan participated. Mr. Anruwal Chowdhury, Under Secretary General of UN and Mr. Jyoti Singh of Partners also spoke at the symposium.

The two-year advocacy project with UNFPA-IPPF-AIDCOM-AFPPD came to completion with political support workshop of parliamentarians organized by AFPPD and attended by all partner representatives in Bangkok on 22-24 September. It brought together around 40 parliamentarians and government officials. The workshop was opened by Mr. G. Giridhar, Director of UNFPA CST Bangkok and Senator Dr. Malinee Sukavejworakit, Secretary General of AFPPD.

UNICEF Bangkok Regional office has published “What Parliamentarians Can do about HIV/AIDS, Action for Children and Young People” This publication is the result of the African Leadership Consultation on Orphans and Vulnerable Children held in September 2002. Copies can be obtained from UNICEF offices in your country.

Australian Election

Kelly Hoare, MP (Labour) and Chair of the AFPPD Standing Committee on Women and Michael Johnson, MP Chair of the Australian All Parliamentary Group on Population and Development have been reelected; only one member of the group could not be elected.

Parliament at ICPD Session at General Assembly

Several member of parliament around the world will be attending the UN General Assembly special session on ICPD on 13-14 October in New York. Senator Rodolfo Biazon of the Philippines and Senator Tutkushev of Kazakhstan from AFPPD will attend. Ms. Carla Rivera-Avni of Inter American Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (IAPG) with the Inter-European Parliamentarian Group and the Asian Forum is organizing a special panel discussion on the occasion of the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development. The topic is “Parliamentary Dialogue on the Implementation of the ICPD Plan of Action”. Senator Biazon of AFPPD will be one of the three speakers.

International Parliamentarians Conference on ICPD

Around 130 members of parliament around the world will assemble at Strasbourg, France at the parliament hall at the Council of Europe for the International Parliamentarians Conference on ICPD on 18-19 October 2004. Twenty-five Asian parliamentarians and parliamentary groups staff will attend. The conference is organized by UNFPA in cooperation with all regional parliamentary groups on population and development.

Did you Know?

A child born in the industrial world adds more to consumption and pollution levels in one lifetime than do 30 to 50 children born in developing countries.