INFORMATION SERVICE

December 2006

Indonesian Forum Highlights Human Trafficking and MDGs

Indonesian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IFPPD), with the support from UNFPA and AFPPD, held interactive exhibition on anti-human trafficking and women parliamentarians' meeting on MDGs at the Indonesian Parliament from December 6 to 8, 2006. The exhibition featured photos, posters, leaflet, books, and others related to human trafficking issues. IFPPD also conducted interactive dialogues on human trafficking issues in Indonesia as an integral part of the exhibition by inviting experts, MPs, NGO workers, students, government officials and international donors to discuss the issues and provide inputs on the law-making process on anti-human trafficking. The anti-human trafficking bill is expected to be approved soon in early 2007. The exhibition was opened by Dr. Meutia Hatta Swasono, Minister of Women Empowerment.

IFPPD, with the support from AFPPD and UNFPA, also held a women parliamentarians' seminar on MDGs in the conference hall of the Parliament. The seminar was opened by Mr. Zainal Maarif, Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives. The meeting was attended by women parliamentarians from provinces, women organizations and women parliamentarians' caucus. The meeting agreed that women parliamentarians must do more to solve the problems in order to achieve the MDGs.

Multi-Purpose Parliamentarians' Activities in Vietnam

In cooperation with Save Children-UK, Vietnamese Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (VAPPD) organised the seminar on "People-Elected Officials and Migrant Labors Policy and Law", during December 22 and 23, 2006, in Can Tho City. About 90 participants from Parliament, People council, Ministries and some NGOs attended the seminar which is aimed at reviewing and analysing the legal framework and policies on urban migration and providing recommendations in order to improve laws and policies concern migrants including migrant children to protect their lawful rights and interests.

VAPPD also organised a workshop on HIV/AIDS prevention, child-malnutrition prevention, and policy for the elderly, in Yen Bai City, during December 26 and 27, 2006, with support from UNFPA and UNICEF with subject on HIV prevention and child-malnutrition prevention, and elderly policy. Over 120 participants, including parliamentarians and government officials, attended the workshop.

Throughout this period, VAPPD continued to rewrite and restructure the draft of Law on domestic violence after open discussion during the Parliament session during the first week of Dec. With strong support from AFPPD, the bill on domestic violence was proposed by VAPPD. Hopefully, the bill will be approved by the end of 2007.

New Zealand Hearing on Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health   

On December 4, the New Parliamentarians' Group on Population and Development (NZPPD) held an open hearing on youth sexual and reproductive health, providing ministries, NGOs and health professionals an opportunity to speak frankly to MPs about sexual and reproductive health issues for youth in New Zealand.

Funded by UNFPA, the hearing was held at New Zealand's parliament and run similar to a select committee hearing, with organisations working in the area of young people and sexual and reproductive health presenting submissions that focused on current practice and made recommendations for change. The findings of and recommendations from the hearing are being developed into a report which will feed into the next Pacific Parliamentarians on Population and Development (PPAPD) meeting, which will be focusing on youth in the Pacific.

South Korean MPs Visit Kumamoto and Minamata, Japan  

Hon. Won Hye-Young, MP (South Korea) and President of the Korean Parliamentary League on Children, Population and Environment (CPE), Hon. Ahn Myeong Ock, MP (South Korea), Hon. Kim Young-Sook, MP (South Korea), and Hon. Chang Bok Shim, MP (South Korea), were on a field visit to Kumamoto and Minamata, Japan, in December. They met the Governor of Kumamoto and Mayor of Minamata. The study visit on population and environment was to learn and discuss about the response system and current situation of the patients suffering from Minamata Disease, a well-known neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning.

Interviews for Person-to-Person Advocacy Project on the way in Laos

Lao Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (LAPPD) launched interview session with Lao parliamentarians on December 18. The sessions would be concluded after four weeks, followed by data analysis. The project is funded by AFPPD.

Democrats Oppose Family Planning Appointment

On December 20, Reuters reported that Democrats in Congress strongly opposed the appointment of Dr. Eric Keroack to run the nation's family planning program. Keroack, a devout opponent of birth control, was selected by the Bush administration in November to oversee the $280 million Title X program that provides contraception to poor women. "We believe the appointment of Dr. Keroack is a horrendous mistake for the safety of women's health in the United States," said the letter, which was signed by 107 Democrats and three Republicans. As head of the Office of Population Affairs at Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Keroack oversees a program that funds birth control, pregnancy tests, breast-cancer screening and other health services for 5 million poor women annually.

Philippines Redirects Funds for USAID Pullout

On December 19, the Sun Star reported that the Philippine government has redirected a $50 million fund that would have supported family planning supplies and services by The Natural Family Planning program when USAID pulls its programs out of the Philippines next year. The reason, the story indicated, was that in 2005, only 1.4 percent of Filipinos using family planning used natural family planning methods, while the most common form of birth control was oral contraceptives at 33 percent.

Drop in Female Births Alarming in India

On December 19, the Associated Press reported on new evidence indicating that about 7,000 fewer girls than expected are born each day in India. Indians have traditionally discriminated against girls, often aborting female fetuses, and the "disappearance" of female babies and children is common. The government must "rise in revolt against the male-child mania," lawmaker Gurudas Dasgupta said during a parliamentary debate.

Dr. Toshio Kuroda Passes Away at 97

Dr. Toshio Kuroda, prominent Japanese demographer and the recipient of the 1997 UN Population Award, passed away on December 30, at the age of 97.

Dr. Kuroda was president of JOICFP and director emeritus of the Nihon University Population Research Institute. The global population and development community will dearly remember his research and leadership contributions in the field in Japan and throughout Asia and the world. AFPPD also joins in mourning his death.

Upcoming AFPPD Events

• Asian Parliamentarians' Workshop on HIV/AIDS with Focus on Accountability and Transparency, January 24-25, 2007, Bangkok, Thailand
• The 23rd Asian Parliamentarians Meeting on Population and Development: Population and Sustainable Development-Toward the Next Quarter Century, February 22-23, 2007, Tokyo, Japan