The International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of ICPD took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 27-28 October. Parliamentarians from some 115 countries pledged to promote sexual and reproductive health as well as women’s rights to decide how and when they give birth. It was hosted by the Government of Ethiopia and organized by UNFPA in cooperation with AFPPD and other regional parliamentary groups.
The two-day gathering in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, saw hundreds of legislators and ministers support the principles and goals of the landmark ICPD held in Cairo in 1994, when 179 governments explicitly recognized sexual and reproductive health as a human right. “We are here to ensure that greater progress is made to advance human rights, including the right to sexual and reproductive health, and to hold governments accountable,” UNFPA Executive Director Ms Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said.

Ending the needless death and suffering of women during pregnancy is one of the greatest moral, human rights and development challenges of our time, agreed more than 150 delegates that met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 26 October for the High-Level Meeting on Maternal Health – Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG5). The meeting was held to push maternal health higher on the political agenda and increase political and financial commitment for improving maternal health at the country level. The one-day event was organized by Bert Koenders, Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands and UNFPA and was hosted by the Government of Ethiopia.
Ministers, parliamentarians, and representatives of regional intergovernmental organizations, youth groups, private sector and civil society from around the world discussed policy challenges to achieve MDG5—which is still lagging behind—and ways to mobilize political and financial commitments. They also shared experiences and lessons that would help attain the goal. The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Addis Call to Urgent Action for Maternal Health that recommended specific steps to reach the goal by 2015. (UNFPA)

The 5th Asia-Pacific Conference on Reproductive Health and Rights was held in Beijing from 18-20 October and attended by over 1,000 NGOs, UN officials, parliamentarians and ministers. The conference focused on universal access to reproductive and sexual health and rights and regional priorities in achieving the ICPD agenda and MDGs. Several symposia and satellite sessions were organized by groups such as Partners in Development, ARROW, AFPPD, ICOMP and APA. Mr Jose Rimon from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Musimbi Kanyoro from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and Dr Akiko Hagiwara from JICA were on hand to provide impressive insights on future funding for MDG 5.

On 18 October, in cooperation with UNFPA and with support from the Government of Japan, AFPPD organised a satellite session on ‘engaging men and boys in prevention of violence against women and girls’ at the 5th Asia-Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights in Beijing, which took place from 18-20 October. This was a follow-up action to the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarians’ Meeting on Engaging Men in Prevention of VAWG in Bangkok. Ms Purnima Mane, Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, gave a keynote address and a panel of male parliamentarians who are also members of the Standing Committee of Male Parliamentarians on Prevention of Violence against Women and Girls, shared their experience and strategies at the country-level. The session attracted over 100 conference participants and was also attended by Ms Nobuko Horibe, Director of UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office and Dr Bernard Coquelin, UNFPA Representative in China.

In Bangkok, AFPPD with UNFPA and the Government of Japan organized a week-long training course for parliament and parliamentary committee staff on project management and logical framework. More than 30 staff from Asia-Pacific and Central Asia participated in this course which was conducted by Mr Gopa Kumar of Save the Children and Ms Nureyan Zunong of China.

First formed in November 2008 under a UNDP project, the Pakistan Women Parliamentary Caucus had gained impetus under the leadership of the first ever women Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Fahmida Mirza. There are twenty three Caucus members representing a broad spectrum of Pakistani politics and they are also present in each of the Standing Committees that review and approve proposed laws before they are passed by the Parliament. Capitalizing on this representation, UNDP is now planning to build the capacity of the caucus members to mainstream gender in legislation and ensure that the needs of women are addressed in policies across the board.