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The JPA met from 30 November - 3 December in Luanda (Angola) and adopted several resolutions, notably on climate change and on the impact of the financial crisis on ACP countries. The resolution on climate change stresses the urgent need to take account of the situation of women when analysing the impact of climate change, and the link with MDG 5 (maternal health) and MDG 3 (gender equality). The JPA also adopted the “Luanda Declaration” on the second revision of the Cotonou Agreement, highlighting the growing fear among ACP and certain EU partners of erosion and weakening of the status of the EU-ACP partnership. For a full overview of the JPA, please click here.  

From 27-28 October 2009, over 400 participants, including parliamentarians and ministers from around 115 countries, met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the fourth International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI/ICPD) on its 15^th anniversary. The main outcome IPCI was the adoption of the Addis Ababa Statement of Commitment calling notably to: Increase budgets for population assistance to at least 10 per cent of national budgets and development assistance while ensuring the 0.7% target on ODA is met; Review all laws and practices that still restrict access to SRH services and; Strengthen parliamentary capacity for oversight and budget analysis, particularly gender budgeting, to increase accountability and achieve the ICPD goals and MDG 5.

The 15^th anniversary of the ICPD (Cairo, 1994) was marked with different events. In September, UNFPA and the German government hosted in Berlin a Global NGO Forum for SRH and Development. About 400 delegates called for more funding for women's health as way to lift families and communities out of poverty and adopted the Berlin Call to Action, urging national, government and international action to implementing the ICPD PoA. The Berlin Call to Action is accessible here: http://www.globalngoforum.de/fileadmin/templates/downloads _outcomedocuments/NGO%20Forum%20CfA%20englisch.pdf. The 4^th International Parliamentarians Conference on the implementation of ICPD (IPCI/ICPD) took place in Addis Ababa on 27-28 October. IPCI brought together 400 Parliamentarians, representatives of international organisations and UN Agencies, Ministries, NGOs and CSOs, to evaluate the progress the implementation of the ICPD PoA and discuss strategic priorities that need to be addressed in five remaining years of the PoA. IPCI adopted the Addis Ababa Statement of Commitment where Parliamentarians expressed their determination to increase budget allocations to at least 10 per cent of national budgets and development assistance budgets for population assistance, and to review laws and practices that still restrict access to SRH. They also committed to concrete and systematic actions to implement the ICPD Programme of Action, including strengthening health systems and addressing climate change and emerging population issues. The EPWG was represented at IPCI by Hon. Françoise Castex MEP and Hon. Antonyia Parvanova MEP. More information on IPCI can be found here: http://www.unfpa.org/public/ parliamentarians/ipci2009. IPCI was preceded by  High Level Meeting on Maternal Health on 26 October chaired by Bert Koenders, Minister for Development of the Netherlands, which adopted the Addis Call to Urgent Action for Maternal Health, urging decision-makers to place maternal health high on the political agenda and provide sufficient and adequate funding for MDG 5. The Call to Action urges Parliamentarians to mobilise colleagues on SRHR, to increase budget allocations for RH services and supplies and to strengthen partnerships with donors, NGOs and the private sector. The Addis Call to Urgent Action for Maternal Health can be accessed here: http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/news/addis_call_action.pdf.

The European elections will be held for the first time in the 27 EU Member States on 4-7 June 2009. 736 MEPs will be elected by proportional representation to represent some 500,000,000 European citizens, making these the biggest transnational elections in history. Since 1979, the EP has been elected every five years in direct elections and has progressively become a full-fledged legislative body, sharing decision-making with the Council of Ministers in about 75% of European legislation. If and when the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, co-decision will be the applicable procedure in almost 100% of areas of competence of the Parliament, thus making it even more powerful and influential over EU legislation. For more information and regular updates on the 2009 European Elections, can be found on the EP elections webpage:

www.europarl.europa.eu/elections2009/default.htm

The 42nd session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (UNCPD) took place in New York on 30 March – 3 April. The UNCPD adopted notably a resolution on the contribution of the Programme of Action of the ICPD to the internationally agreed development goals, including the MDGs. For a full overview: http://www.un.org/esa/population/cpd/cpd2009/comm2 -009.htm

The 53rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) took place in New York on 2-13 March and discussed the issue of “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care-giving in the context of HIV/AIDS.” For further information: www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/53sess.htm&nb -sp

EPF will organise important events in the months to come. A study tour on reproductive health supplies will take place on 16-23 May in Lusaka, Zambia. EPF is coordinating the participation of 30 parliamentarians to the 2009 International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI) due to be held on 26-28 October 2009 in Cairo, Egypt, coinciding with the 15^th anniversary of the ICPD. Interested MEPs can contact the EPF Secretariat at the following email address: nadine(at)iepfpd.org.

The 53^rd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will meet from 2-13 March in New York to discuss this year’s theme, “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care-giving in the context of HIV/AIDS.” Since its inception in 1946, the Commission on the Status of Women has been the UN’s leading body for policy making on gender equality and women’s rights issues. More than 5,000 individuals representing nearly 500 NGOs are expected to participate in the conference, along with representatives from the Commission’s forty-five member nations and delegates from UN Member States at large.

The 17th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly will be held on 4-9 April 2009 in Prague. On 7 April, the EPWG in cooperation with MSI and the International Planed Parenthood Federation European Network European Network (IPPF EN) will organise a side event hosted by Ms. Glenys Kinnock MEP, Co-President of the JPA. The side event will have for main theme the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. The organisers will present the Global Parliamentary Call for Action on the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action which has been launched in collaboration with the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF).

 

EPF will organise three important events in the course of March/April. A major Conference on Climate Change and Population will take place on 23-24 March in Oslo, Norway. Two study tours will be organized respectively: a Reproductive Health Supplies Study Tour to Burkina Faso, 5-12 April 2009 and; a study tour on the fight against malaria in Cameroon, 28 March-04 April 2009. Interested MEPs can contact the EPF Secretariat at the following email address: silvia(at)iepfpd.org.

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