INFORMATION SERVICE

May 2007

Pacific Parliamentarians' Conference Prioritized Youth Issues in the Pacific

Apia, May 21-25: The 2nd General Conference of the Pacific Parliamentary Assembly on Population and Development (PPAPD), organized by UNFPA, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and AFPPD, gathered together parliamentarians from Pacific countries to discuss matters of the Pacific parliamentarians' assembly, and to revisit its goals and operations, with a view to strengthen its vision and functions in the region. Alongside the general conference, a thematic conference titled, "Safeguarding Pacific Youth: Accelerating Actions Through Partnership with Pacific Parliamentarians", was also organized to discuss and focus on youth issues in the Pacific. The conference engaged the parliamentarians in the discussion of priority youth issues, provided them opportunity to respond to these issues, and to develop plans to work with development partners and agencies to strengthen young initiatives in the Pacific.

Mr. Najib Assifi, UNFPA Representative in Fiji, and Mr. Jimmie Rodgers, Director General of SPC Noumea, played important roles, in cooperation with the parliament of Samoa, in organizing the event. UNICEF, UNESCO and other NGO officials attended the event. Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director of AFPPD, also addressed the conference.

Lao Parliamentarians' Orientation Workshop, Maternal Health Focused

Vientiane, May 18-19: The orientation workshop for Lao parliamentarians, organized by Lao Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (LAPPD) - in cooperation with Lao National Assembly, UNFPA and AFPPD - was opened and chaired by Mr. Douangdy Outthachak, Chairperson of the Social and Cultural Affairs Committee and President of LAPPD.

The sessions of the workshop covered the updating of LAPPD's terms of reference, progress, constraints and lessons learned in the implementation of the work plan of 2006; drafting of the work plan for 2007, as well as opportunities for resources mobilization; updating the membership on the recently passed National Population and Development Policy; prioritizing maternal health as the new focus for 2007; and discussion on the role of National Assembly members in improving the Reproductive Health (RH) in Lao PDR. Ms. Mieko Yabuta, UNFPA Representative in Lao PDR, spoke at the workshop.

UNFPA Discussed Activities and Projects in South Korea

Seoul, May 11: UNFPA officials - Mr. Sultan Aziz, Director of Asia and the Pacific Divison, and Ms. Safiye Cagar, Director of Information, Executive Board and Resource Mobilization Division - visited the South Korean National Assembly for the briefing of UNFPA's activities and discussion on the project of the population census in North Korea. Planned Parenthood Federation of Korea (PPFK) and Korean Parliamentary League on Children, Population and Environment (CPE), a member of AFPPD, organized the briefing meeting.

Australian Parliamentarians' Report Launched

Canberra, May 30: The report, "Sexual and Reproductive Health and the Millennium Development Goals in the Australian Aid Program - the Way Forward", was launched by members of Parliamentary Group on Population and Development (PGPD) at a press conference in the parliament and the launch received wide media coverage on both radio and television.

The recommendations of the report included rescinding the AusAID current family planning guidelines which effectively ban the use of aid funds for some types of contraceptives, and for the information and services about abortion; family planning, contraception, and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services be integrated with HIV/AIDS programs; and the proportion of Australia's overseas aid budget devoted to SRH be increased to at least 10 percent.

Medical Parliamentarians at the 60th World Health Assembly

Geneva, May 14-23: The World Health Assembly had convened its 60th session to discuss a number of public health issues and to adopt two key resolutions on pandemic influenza preparedness, public health, innovation and intellectual property. Other issues discussed included the application of the International Health Regulations, smallpox eradication, non-communicable diseases, better medicines for children and progress in the rational use of medicines.

The assembly was attended by delegations from 193 member states. The International Medical Parliamentarians Organization (IMPO) sent medical parliamentarians from Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia and Thailand to the conference. Mr. Prat Boonyawongvirot, member of the National Legislative Assembly of Thailand, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, and Secretary General of AFPPD, also attended.

G8 Parliamentarian Conference Focused on Africa, HIV/AIDS and SRH Issues

Berlin, May 30-31: The Parliamentary Advisory Committee of Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevolkerung (DSW) and the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) convened a meeting of parliamentarians to create support for the G8's commitment to devise a set of actions for the fight against HIV/AIDS and for Africa's development. The two-day parliamentarian conference examined and focused on the economic rewards of investing in HIV/AIDS prevention and health, influence of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) issues, and best practices and lessons learned in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

AFPPD was represented by Ms. Ahn Myoung Ock, MP (Korea), and Mr. Osamu Kusumoto, Secretary General of Asian Population and Development Association (APDA).  On the occasion, Mr. Kusumoto presented the statement of Mr. Yasuo Fukuda, MP (Japan) and Chairman of AFPPD.

Key Issues of Asia's Future Addressed at ADB Annual Meeting

Kyoto, May 4-7: Asian Development Bank's (ADB) 40th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors was opened by Mr. Haruhiko Kuroda, President of ADB. The event provided valuable insights into how ADB can evolve with a changing Asia. More than 2,500 participants - including government ministers, financiers, academics, media, and representatives of international organizations and civil societies - gathered for the four-day event. The meeting discussed the growing income inequality, environmental problems, promotion of regional cooperation and the future of the Asia-Pacific region.

Mr. Masanori Takemoto of Asian Population and Development Association (APDA), AFPPD's Tokyo office, attended the meeting.

Japanese Parliamentarians' Study Visit to Pakistan

Japanese parliamentarians' delegation visited Islamabad from April 30 to May 5 under the "Study Visit Programme" of the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA), Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population (JPFP) and AFPPD, under the sponsorship of International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and UNFPA. The delegation observed local projects implemented by UNFPA, IPPF and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the areas of population and development, water safety, poverty, HIV/AIDS, public health, and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH). They also had a dialogue with the local MPs and ministers.

The visit was helped organized by the Senate of Pakistan and UNFPA. The participants were: Mr. Shin Sakurai, MP, Vice Chairperson of JPFP and former Chairperson of AFPPD; Ms. Kayoko Shimizu, MP, Secretary General of JPFP; Mr. Kenya Akiba, MP; Mr. Osamu Kusumoto, Secretary General of APDA; and Ms. Ryoko Kimura, Manager of APDA.

1 Million USD for Meechai's NGO

Washington DC, May 31: Population and Community Development Association (PDA), a non-profit family-planning organization founded by Mr. Meechai "Condom King" Viravaidya of Thailand received "Gates Award for Global Health" worth 1 million USD for its outstanding family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention works. The award - established in 2000 to honor organizations that have made major and lasting contributions to the field of global health - was conferred to Mr. Viravaidya during the Global Health Council's 34th Annual Conference in Washington DC.

PDA was chosen from more than 90 nominees by the jury of global health leaders. PDA was set up in 1974 to provide family planning education to women in rural Thailand.

Special Note

Please note that the list serve email afppd@inet.co.th will be replaced by asianforum@afppd.org. Further, all correspondence emails are to be sent to afppd@afppd.org.