INFORMATION SERVICE

Celebrating 25th year

January 2006

AFPPD sponsors Thai senators to South Asian parliamentarians HIV/AIDS meetings

AFPPD sponsored Sen. Pol. Lt. Col. Chachvan Bunmee and Sen. Chao Maneewong, from Thailand, to attend the Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA)-organized Second South Asian Conference on HIV/AIDS, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from January 26 to 27, 2006. Dr. Nafis Sadik, former UNFPA Executive and current UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia, also addressed this meeting. In an interview with the local press, she praised the idea of involving Muslim religious leaders on HIV/AIDS prevention and education. With AFPPD sponsorship, Sen. Bunmee also attended the PGA-organized Provincial Parliamentary Seminar on HIV/AIDS Policy, from January 30-31, 2006, in Karachi, Pakistan.

IPPF-ESEAOR to host UNAIDS Technical Support Facility

The UNAIDS Technical Support Facility (TSF) has recently been awarded to International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) East and South East Asia and Oceania Regional Office (ESEAOR) which is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The selection highlights IPPF's spearheading role in an array of HIV/AIDS agenda. The major aims of this regional TSF are to: improve country partner access to timely and quality assured technical assistance in agreed priority areas; strengthen the capacity of country partners to manage technical assistance effectively; assist in the professional development of national and regional consultants; and encourage a harmonized and collaborative approach to the delivery of technical assistance in support of country partner-owned and partner-led action plans. The TSF will offer services, upon request, to national AIDS coordinating authorities, government ministries and departments, civil society, NGOs, the business sector, and development agencies in South East Asia and the Pacific.

With a record-low birthrate, Japan looks for new approaches

Japan, faced with fresh data that has suggested the first natural decrease in its population since the data had been first collected in 1899, needed an urgent new blueprint for its population policy. An increasing number of ruling coalition members called for effective measures to address Japan's decline in birthrate. Many politicians pressed for an increase in budget for this matter. According to the government's population trend report which has been released recently by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of domestic births fell to a record low of 1,607,000 in 2005, down 44,000 from a year ago and marking the fifth straight year of decline, while the number of deaths increased by 48,000 to 1,077,000. The population balance is now minus 10,000.

Philippine journalists win their first population and development media awards

With the support from the UNFPA, the AFPPD-affiliated Philippine Legislator's Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD) spearheaded the acceptance and evaluation process for the first Annual Population and Development Media Awards. The awards have been given to a reporter and former Editor-In-Chief of Manila Standard Today and a staff member of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). The awards paid tribute to print-media journalists who had covered and written exemplary news, feature and opinion articles on population and development issues.

APA officials step to strengthen Asia-Pacific Alliance

Ms. Gill Greer, New Zealand Family Planning Association (NZFPA), Ms. Terry Bartlett of Population Action International (PAI), USA, and Ms. Sumie Ishii. Japanese Organization of International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP), have visited Bangkok to meet members and partners of Asia-Pacific Alliance for ICPD (APA) to have consultations to further strengthen the organization.

Two population activists become Minister in India

Mr. Vylar Ravi, MP, an active member of Indian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IAPPD) and alumnus of AFPPD, and Mr. Murli Deora, MP, former Chair of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), have been named Cabinet members in India 's recent Cabinet reshuffle. There are a few AFPPD alumni who are already members of the Indian Cabinet.

AFPPD events

• AFPPD and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will organize a regional parliamentarians' seminar on food security and poverty in Hanoi, Vietnam, in the last week of March.
• The World Bank, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), and AFPPD will organize a regional parliamentarians' seminar on development on February 27 and 28, 2006, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for parliamentarians from selected countries.
• AFPPD and UNFPA will organize the 2006 International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, on November 21 and 22, 2006, in Bangkok, Thailand.

AFPPD participation

• Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (IEPFPD) is organizing a training for the staff of sub-regional parliamentary groups in Europe, on February 2 and 3, 2006, in Brussels, Belgium. Mr. Manmohan Sharma, IAPPD, will attend on behalf of AFPPD.
• Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC) and IEPFPD will organize an interactive media training workshop on, “Making the Media Work for You: Communicating Support for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights”, from February 11 to 12, 2006, in Budapest, Hungary. AFPPD will be represented by Rep. Gilbert Ceaser Remulla, from the Philippines.