INFORMATION SERVICE

June 2007

State of the World Population Report 2007 Focused on Urbanization

"Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth" is the title of this years State of the World Population (SWOP) Report. In 2008, more than half of the world's population, 3.3 billion people, will be living in urban areas. By 2030, towns and cities will be home to 5 billion people. The urban population of Africa and Asia will double in a generation. These unprecedented shifts could enhance development and promote sustainability, or these could deepen poverty and accelerate environmental degradation.

Half of the urban population is under the age of 25. The youth supplement published with the SWOP report, "Growing Up Urban", focuses on the huge challenges and opportunities of urbanization as seen through the eyes of young people. It also highlights the special needs of young people for education and healthcare, for protection from violence, for employment and for integration into the wider society. The report was released on 27 June around the world.  AFPPD newsletter will provide detailed coverage.

AFPPD in the 4th Central Asia Regional Congress of Medical Women

Bangkok, June 14-16: Thai Medical Women Association (TMWA) organized the 4th Central Asia Regional Congress (CARC), in a joint collaboration with the Medical Women's International Association (MWIA). The opening ceremony of the congress, with the theme "Women in Medicine: Contribution to Society", was presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn.

AFPPD facilitated the participation of a Malaysian MP, Ms. Siti Sulaiman, and three Vietnamese MPs, namely: Ms. Truong Thi Thu Hang, Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Huong and Ms. Ma Nuoi Ta In. Ms. Passawee Tapasanan, Programme Associate, and Ms. Pariyaporn Sappapan, Administrative Associate, assisted in organizing the congress. Ms. Malinee Sukavejworakit, Adviser of AFPPD, is the Vice-President of the Executive Committee of TMWA and an Advisory Board Member of CARC.

European All-Party Parliamentary Group Officials' Meeting

Istanbul, June 14-15: Officers of All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) and NGOs working with parliamentarians, and partners in parliamentary advocacy such as UNFPA and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), gathered for the European APPG Meeting to exchange experiences learned from each other and discuss possibilities for collaborative events involving parliamentarians. The meeting also provided essential information of EPF's future plans and activities. UNFPA and IPPF also gave their own perspectives.

Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director of AFPPD, presented the programme and its impact in Asia. Ms. Fatimata Deme, Executive Director of the Forum of African and Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAAPPD), and Ms. Carla Rivera-Avni, Executive Director of the Inter-American Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (IAPG), were also present.

Pacific Ministers Meet on Women and Gender Equality

Noumea, May 27-June 1: More than 150 ministers, civil servants, academics and civil society representatives jointly examined ways of advancing gender equality in the Pacific during the 10th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women held on May 27-31. The conference was followed by the 3rd Pacific Ministers Meeting on Women held on June 1. A total of 23 Pacific countries were represented.

AFPPD Parliamentarians at OECD

Istanbul, June 27-30: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) 2nd World Forum on Statistics, Knowledge and Policy brought together 900 people across the developed and developing world, from the highest levels of public, private and civil sectors comprising of ministers, parliamentarians and others. AFPPD facilitated the participation of Malaysian MPs, namely: Mr. Shaari Hassan, Mr. James Mamit and Mr. Loh Seng Kok.

Islamic Conference Tackled Population Issues

Cairo, June 7-9: An international conference on "Population Issues in the Context of Islam" was organized by the International Islamic Center for Population Studies and Research (IICPSR). The conference focused on gender issues, reproductive health and rights, adolescents' health, HIV/AIDS and MDGs from the Islamic perspectives. AFPPD facilitated the participation of two Muslim leaders from Thailand, Mr. Abdulaziz Chemamat, Vice-President of the Islamic Committee, and Mr. Virul Pornpatkul, Director of Narathiwas-Rachanakharin Hospital.

Jane Singleton, new CEO of Australian Reproductive Health Alliance

Canberra, June 29: The President of ARHA, Heather Macdonald, announced the Board's decision to appoint a high-profile media personality, public campaigner and company director Jane Singleton as Australian Reproductive Health Alliance's (ARHA) new CEO, succeeding Christina Richards, who has been CEO for the past three years. Ms. Singleton will take up the position by 9 July. ARHA is also the secretariat of the All Party Parliamentarian Group on Population and Development (APPGPD), Australia.

UNFPA Representative in Cambodia Honored

Phnom Penh: June 15: Ms. Bettina Maas, UNFPA Representative in Cambodia, received a medal from the Cambodian Government for UNFPA's significant achievements in contributing to the formulation of the National Strategic Development Plan, the key implementing tool towards addressing sustainable population development.

Contraceptive Bill, US President Willing to Veto

800 Scholarships for APCRSH

800 scholarships are being offered by Asia-Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health (APCRSH) to attend the conference on 29-31 October in Hyderabad, India. Authors of abstracts, participants of the Asia-Pacific, NGOs and others are eligible to apply. Deadline of submitting the scholarship application will be on 31 July. For more details, visit http://www.4apcrsh.org or contact Ms. Francesca Barolo, Coordinator of APCRSH, at 4thapcrsh@gmail.com

AFPPD Training on Culturally Sensitive Programming

Around 45 senior-level staffs of National Parliamentary Committees and parliaments will attend a one week training on Culturally Sensitive Programming in Chiang Mai, Thailand on 9-13 July. The training will be conducted by experts from UNFPA/CST and UNESCO. AFPPD will also have a strategy planning meeting of senior National Committee staffs to review and plan for next 3 years.

AFPPD in Action

AFPPD is currently engaged in the preparation of the following events:

• Health Minister Roundtable, with International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)-South Asia; second event Parliamentarians and NGO Dialogue, with Asia Pacific Alliance (APA) and Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the 8th International Conference on AIDS in Asia and Pacific (ICAAP) in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 19-23 August.
  2nd Afro-Asian Parliamentarians' Dialogue, with Asian Population and Development Association, in Tokyo, Japan on 28 August-2 September.
  Central Asian parliamentarians workshop in Astana, Kazakhstan on 20-22 September.
  International conference on Women Deliver in London, UK on 18-20 October. (Thirty parliamentarians from around the world will attend, together with hundreds of activists)
• 5th Asian Women Ministers and Parliamentarians Conference in Beijing, China in November.