Articles

Fifth International Parliamentarians Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI-ICPD)

2012-05-24T15:42:32Z

On 24 and 25 May 2012 over 300 MPs from 107 parliaments are meeting in Istanbul under the auspices of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, to discuss the progress that the world’s governments are making in their efforts to protect and empower women in their reproductive health and rights.

More time needed for finalizing the Rio+20 draft outcome document -- The Future We Want

2012-05-10T19:38:43Z

At the end of the UNCSD Informal Informal Consultations in New York, 23 April – 4 May 2011, delegations had agreed only 21 paragraphs of the draft outcome document ad referendum (pending agreement on the final text) with a further 400 remaining in brackets. With so little time remaining before the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) takes place in Rio de Janeiro on 20-22 June, a further negotiating session has been added, which will be held at UN Headquarters in New York from 29 May to 2 June.

Co-chairs for the High Level Panel on post-Millennium Development Goals announced

2012-05-10T13:45:05Z

It has been announced that the UN Secretary-Genera, Ban Ki-moon, has asked David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, President Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia and President Yudhoyono of Indonesia to co-chair the High Level Panel on post-Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They will lead the process to start identifying a new international framework for development when the current MDGs expire in 2015.

Prime Minister David Cameron, President Johnson-Sirleaf and President Yodhoyono said:

“We are delighted to have been asked by the UN Secretary-General to co-chair the High Level Panel on the post-MDG framework on development. The Millennium Development Goals have shaped the world's approach to international development for a generation, helping to put millions of children into school and save countless lives. We still have some way to go, but we also want to build on what has been achieved so far. In the years since the MDGs were agreed, we have made significant progress and learned many lessons on how to reduce poverty. We now know more about the critical role that economic growth, trade, tackling corruption, effective government and open societies play in creating wealth and unlocking the potential of the poorest countries. We look forward to working together to ensure the full realization of the MDGs, and to listening to many more voices to set out an ambitious, new agenda for ending poverty in the years beyond 2015".

Source: DFID

The Kuala Lumpur Call to Action…

2012-05-06T07:36:31Z

The Kuala Lumpur Call to Action, the Asian and the Pacific NGOs Call for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for Sustainable Development was adopted at the Regional Meeting by 121 cross-general activists, advocates and representatives of NGOs from diverse social movements from 27 countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Putting it all together...

2012-05-03T05:57:37Z

Putting it all together...While ICPD Beyond 2014, as defined in GA Resolution 65/234, is centrally important for the future implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, it cannot be viewed in isolation as several other initiatives are taking place in the period leading up to 2015 that may also have an important impact.

Parliamentarians at the NGO Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting in Kuala Lumpur

2012-05-03T05:02:53Z

Dame Carol Kidu. Source: devpolicy.orgParliamentarians from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, with support from the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, are participating in the Beyond ICPD and the MDGs: NGOs Strategizing for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region meeting organized by the Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW) in collaboration with UNFPA being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Hon Dame Carol Anne Kidu, MP from Papua New Guinea, will make the closing address.

Live Twitter updates from 'Beyond ICPD & the MDGs: NGOs Strategizing for Sexual and Reproductive Rights of women and young people in the Asia-Pacific' meeting

2012-05-02T05:36:29Z

The 'Beyond ICPD & the MDGs: NGOs Strategizing for Sexual and Reproductive Rights of women and young people in the Asia-Pacific' regional meeting is now taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and is being tweeted live by ARROW. http://twitter.com/#!/WGNRR

We look forward to posting the outcome document and results of the meeting in due course.

High-Level Commission on Life-saving Commodities for Women and Children

2012-04-28T07:33:08Z

President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria. Source: WikipediaUNICEF and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, have launched a High-Level Commission on Life-saving Commodities for Women and Children, as part of the Every Woman, Every Child movement to support achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Co-Chairs will be President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway and other members will include global stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors. UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake and UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin are its Vice-Chairs.

“Making sure that women and children have the medicines and other supplies they need is critical for our push to achieve the MDGs,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “The Commission will tackle an overlooked but vital aspect of health systems, and ensure that women and children are protected from preventable causes of death and disease.”

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway. Source: WikipediaThe Commission will pursue the following outcomes:

Reducing financial barriers to access through social protection mechanisms, such as fee waivers, vouchers and social insurance, and global financial mechanisms, such as pooled procurement;
Creating incentives for international and local manufacturers to produce and innovatively package overlooked supplies;
Identifying fast-track regulatory activities to accelerate registration and reduce registration fees for a special list of products to encourage a focus on quality medicines.

For more information on the Commission, visit www.everywomaneverychild.org/resources/un-commission-on-life-saving-commodities.

Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health

2012-04-25T09:35:09Z

The Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health, which was co-chaired by President Jakaya Kikwete of United Republic of Tanzania and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, comprising some 30 commissioners from government, civil society, academia, the UN and other multilateral agencies, was established in January 2011. It presented its advance report in May 2011 Keeping Promises, Measuring Results.

Commission on Information and Accountability for Women’s and Children’s Health

2012-04-25T09:35:09Z