INFORMATION SERVICE

March 2008

AFPPD Reviewed Advocacy Techniques for Working with Parliamentarians

Bali, March 26-28: AFPPD has been working with parliamentarians for the last 27 years, and has been experimenting with several approaches to reach and motivate them into action. Twenty-two parliamentarians and parliament staff from 10 countries reviewed what approaches and techniques in working with parliamentarians have been most effective. Three days of intensive analysis of various approaches were evaluated by the parliamentarians themselves. Organized in cooperation with UNFPA-Indonesia and the Indonesian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IFPPD), the "Regional Workshop to Review Advocacy Techniques for Working with Parliamentarians" gave guidance for future approaches. Mr. Zahidul Huque, Representative of UNFPA-Indonesia, and Ms. Aisyah Baidlowi, MP (Indonesia) and Chair of IFPPD, opened the workshop. 

Parliamentarians at the Population, Peak Oil and Climate Change Conference in Australia

Canberra, March 14-15: Sustainable Population Australia organized a conference with support from AFPPD and others on the impacts of population, peak oil and climate change on the Millennium Development Goals - addressed by parliamentarians and ministers such as Mr. Bob McMullan, MP (Australia); Mr. Andrew McNamara, Minister for Sustainability of Australia; Ms. Jill Pettis, MP (New Zealand) and Chair of the New Zealand Parliamentarians' Group on Population and Development; and Dr. Mal Washer, MP (Australia) and Chair of the Australian Parliamentary Group on Population and Development. It was mentioned that eradicating hunger is going to be almost impossible. Rising population, changing weather patterns and rising oil prices make growing food harder. As food supplies become scarcer, people are forced to find other areas to farm and grow biofuels. In the process, they cut down trees and exacerbate biodiversity loss. This is totally at odds with MDG7, namely environmental sustainability. The conference urged the policymakers to consider population while making legislations.

International Women's Day in Bangkok

Bangkok, March 7: "Investing in Women and Girls" - which highlights the importance of financial resources for the promotion of women's empowerment, and the effects of investing in women on a country's development - was the theme of International Women's Day. Those who gave their opinions on the panel were Mr. Shigeru Mochida, Deputy Executive Secretary and Officer-in-Charge of UNESCAP; Ms. Gwi-Yeop Son, Resident Coordinator of UN-Thailand; Ms. Thelma Kay, Chief of the Emerging Social Issues Division of UNESCAP; and Ms. Jean D' Cunha, Regional Programme Director of UNIFEM-East and Southeast Asia. A message from Ms. Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, was also delivered. AFPPD was represented by Programme Associates: Ms. Passawee Tapasanan and Ms. Carla Benham.

Thai Minister Underlined the Threat of Increasing Population to the Environment

Bangkok, March 18: "Increasing population in communities near the forests leads to increased deforestation. The best way to prevent forest encroachment is birth control", according to Ms. Anongwan Thepsuthin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in Thailand. There are more than 1 million families of forest dwellers who are living in protected areas. Over population leads to sanitation problems and untidiness, that will have negative impacts on Thailand's tourism industry. She added, "A serious birth control scheme should be implemented among communities. I don't think birth control violates human rights. We have to do this because the increasing population is posing a serious threat to the forests".

Parliamentarians are Urged to Refocus Commitment to ICPD PoA

"Our goal in the future must be to refocus our attention on strengthening the political commitment and support for the achievement of the International Conference on Population and Development's Programme of Action (ICPD PoA)", wrote Mr. Jyoti Singh in the UN's Inter Press Service Journal. He is the former Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA and the Permanent Observer of the Partners in Population and Development. The achievement of ICPD must be seen as part of the comprehensive efforts to implement the Millennium Development Goals. Support for maternal health services remains low while the pregnancy-related maternal deaths have not gone down in 20 years. The basic research, data and population policy analysis programmes also suffer from inadequate funding.

US Congressional Study Tour in Ethiopia

India's Public Accounts Committee Seeks Validation of AIDS Figures

New Delhi, March 14: Raising doubts over the reliability of the new data on HIV/AIDS prevalence in India, the Public Accounts Parliamentary Committee has sought validation of these figures. As per official figures, the national adult prevalence of HIV/AIDS is 0.36 percent - 2.5 million people. The number has come down to 50 percent, from 5.14 million in 2004. The committee feels that the reliability of this data needs to be validated because inflated figures can take away resources and energy from equally important health programmes, and underestimates can result in ignoring the problem.

Ms. Thoraya Obaid Welcomed Islamic Conference Focus on Poverty

Dakar, March 17: UNFPA welcomed the focus on peace and economic development at the 11th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference. "We welcome the focus on poverty eradication", said Ms. Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA. Improving the health and education of women will reduce poverty by increasing productivity and empowerment. "Women have an important role to play because they care about their families, communities and nations; and they can make a positive contribution to peace, development and social cohesion", she added.