EUROPEAN PARLiAmENTARY FORUm - EPF

Table of contentMessage from EPF President 03What we believe 04Who we are 04SRHR and the MDGS 05What we do Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve Health 06• EPF’s Previous Study Tour Highlights 2001-2006• Field Visits in 2007• Field Visits in 2008What we do BUILDING CONSENSUSto Achieve the MDGs 22• Advocacy at the UN and the PACE• Conferences, Roundtables and Seminars• 2007 Overview• 2008 Overview• About EPF Parliamentary Action• About Parliamentary Declarations and Calls to ActionWhat we do Measuring Parliamentary Success on MDG Resource Mobilisation 41EPF APPGs’ Membership 44EPF APPGs’ Secretariats 45• List of APPGs• EPF APPGs’ Secretariats’ MeetingsStrategic Partnerships 47Special Initiatives 49• Young Decision-Makers• The Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in the South Caucasus (RHIYC)• European Alliance Against Malaria (EAAM)Overview of EPF’s Key Achievements in 2007-2008 58EPF Publications and Research Tools 59• EPF Research Tools• EPF PublicationsEPF Governance & Structure 61• EPF Council• EPF Executive Committee• EPF SecretariatLiST of Abbreviations 6302

Message from THE EPF PresidentIt is a great pleasure for me to present the annual report of theEuropean Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development(EPF) which features EPF’s activities and achievement of thepast two years.The European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Developmentis the only regional Parliamentary network with a specificfocus on sexual and reproductive health and rights and globalhealth-related issues. It has filled a gap in global health andparticularly SRHR advocacy in Europe by offering a pan-Europeanplatform for the exchange of information, experiences andideas among Europe’s political decision-makers. Recent Europeanleadership on SRHR and other key health issues such asHIV/AIDS and malaria would not have been possible without agroup of well-informed and influential Parliamentarians whomade the right decisions at the right time.Since EPF’s establishment in 2000, EPF expanded its membershipand counts today twenty-eight all-party Parliamentarygroups (APPGs) all over Europe. Since 2006, EPF has built relationshipswith Parliamentarians and SRHR/Health advocatesin an additional five European countries. Altogether, EPF hadworked in 83% of European countries, with member APPGs inover half of the Parliaments in Europe.EPF has successfully mobilised Parliamentarians (MPs) everytime the ICPD Programme of Action has come under attack byopponents of free choice and condemned policies such as theGlobal Gag Rule and funding cuts to reproductive health providers.I am extremely proud that EPF increased significantly Parliamentarians’involvement and visibility in international decisionmakingsettings and I would like to congratulate all EPF’s APPGmembers around Europe for playing a key role in setting policiesto integrate HIV/AIDS and malaria into a broader SRHR context,expanding human rights protections to same-sex couples, andmobilising additional funding for ICPD and MDGs related programmes,as well as for key actors such as UNFPA, IPPF, and theGlobal Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.If we in Europe truly believe that individuals have the right tochoose freely and responsibly about their own sexual and reproductivewell-being, this consequently means that we as Parliamentariansmust ourselves make choices regarding the policies,international agreements and funding that enable this right.I hope this report will educate and inspire an ever increasingnumber of Parliamentarians that we can, individually and collectively,make a difference in the lives of many people aroundthe world.Hon. Anne van Lancker, MEPEPF President03

What we believeWho we areThe European Parliamentary Forum onPopulation and Development believesParliamentarians have the opportunityand the responsibility to promotesexual and reproductive health andrights and gender equality, which arecore elements of human dignity andare central to human development.The European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Developmentis a Brussels-based Parliamentary network that serves as a platformfor cooperation and coordination for the 28 all-party groups in Parliamentsthroughout Europe that focus on improving sexual and reproductivehealth and rights at home and abroad through national andregional health and foreign aid budgets.Because Europe is home to 32 of the world’s 43 governmental donorsof development assistance, Parliamentarians in Europe play a crucialrole in making sure international funding commitments are met andprogrammes are available where they are needed the most. Domestically,these Parliamentarians work to improve the health and rights oftheir countries’ most vulnerable populations.EPF’s expertise derives from its exclusive focus on Parliamentarians.Its core activities include conducting field visits to developing countries,supporting Parliamentary activities, organising conferences onkey topics, and providing training to develop understanding and expertisein SRHR and other health-related issues.EPF provides a pan-European framework for Parliamentarians to forgeconsensus and collaborate on resource mobilisation strategies. In addition,EPF frequently works with UN agencies, inter-governmental organisationsand non-governmental organisations on the national, regionaland international levels that have an interest in working with Parliamentarians.EPF began as a project of the International Planned Parenthood FederationEuropean Network. It was legally registered in Belgium andrecognised by Royal Decree in 2000. In 2004, EPF became a fully independentnot-for profit organisation.04

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS& THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALSIn adopting the United Nations Millennium Declaration,the international community committed itself toan ambitious goal: cutting in half the number of peopleliving in absolute poverty by 2015. The MillenniumDevelopment Goals, which are based on the declaration,set out specific targets for life expectancy, education,housing, reproductive health, gender equality,openness of trade, and environmental protection.Ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductivehealth and rights (SRHR) is crucial in and of itself.It is also instrumentally important for achievingthe Millennium Development Goals.Achieving the health Goals – improving maternalhealth, reducing child mortality, promoting genderequality and combating HIV /AIDS – dependsdirectly on making access to these services widespread(in fact, the target of achieving universalaccess to reproductive health by 2015 is included inMDG number five). Reaching the non-health Goals– reducing extreme poverty, making primary educationuniversal and attaining environmental sustainability– is contingent on improving sexual andreproductive health and gender equality.Making SRHR access more widespread would enablewomen to satisfy their desire for spacing or limitingchildbirth. It would thus provide them with the abilityto better balance household responsibilities (includingchildrearing) with activities outside the home,including economic, political and educational activities.Participating in community and political life,increasing educational attainment and expandingincome-generating opportunities improve a woman’sability to lead a more full and creative life by providingher with a greater voice in the choices thatshape her life and that of her community 1 .Avoiding unplanned births allows families to investmore in each child’s education, nutrition and health,and can reduce poverty and hunger for all membersof a household. Smaller family size can help stabiliserural areas, slow urban migration and balance naturalresource use with the needs of the population 2 .Evidence shows that investments in and access toreproductive health, including family planning andsexual health, are essential to breaking the cycle ofpoverty and freeing national and household resourcesfor investments in health, nutrition, and education,promoting economic growth with tangible returns 3 .The MDGs are interrelated and strategic efforts mustpush for progress on all targets simultaneously.These past two years, EPF has focused on linking SRHRto other policy areas in order to create a broaderparliamentary support base and raise parliamentaryinterest in these topics. Highlighting the key existinglinkages between SRHR and HIV/AIDS, malaria,global health, humanitarian and disaster relief, EPFemphasised the need for a mainstreamed approach.The MillenniumDevelopment GoalsGoal 1: Eradicate extreme povertyand hungerGoal 2: Achieve universalprimary educationGoal 3: Promote gender equalityand empower womenGoal 4: Reduce child mortalityGoal 5: Improve maternal healthGoal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria,and other diseasesGoal 7: Ensure environmentalsustainabilityGoal 8: Develop a global partnershipfor development1 UN Millennium Project 2006. Public Choices, PrivateDecisions: Sexual and Reproductive Healthand the Millennium Development Goals.2 UNFPA, 2005. Reducing Poverty and Achievingthe Millennium Goals.3 Stockholm Call to Action: Investing in ReproductiveHealth and Rights as a Development Priority.Issued at High-Level Roundtable.05

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve HealthEPF’s Previous StudyTour Highlights2001-20062005 Sri LankaEPF brought an 8-member delegation ofwomen MPs on a field visit to Sri Lanka tovisit to Tsunami affected areas and learnfirst hand how the country was copingwith the disaster.2005 Peru and BrazilEPF brought 6 MPs to Brazil and Peruto examine the influence of the CatholicChurch on the reality of women’s rights inLatin America.Study Tours as Experiential EducationIn experiential education, the learner is immersed in a new environment and/or activity so she/he can havea direct experience of the phenomena she/he is studying. New information and its application are learned atthe same time. When the immersion experience is combined with time to reflect and includes a role-playingcomponent, she/he is better equipped – and much more likely - to use her/his new knowledge to a real situation.For this reason, many educators prefer the experiential approach when trying to convey information foruse in an active or professional setting.EPF study tours are based on the principles of experiential education. There is no comparable substitutefor taking in the sights, sounds, smells and emotional impact of under-funded hospital maternity wards,fistula clinics, or hospices for people with AIDS. There is no equivalent to talking one-to-one with the doctorsand nurses who must provide care with a paucity of supplies, or visiting with girls trying to delay marriageand childbearing so they can continue their education.2005 Thailand and VietnamEPF brought 7 MPs from six Europeancountries to visit SRHR projects for youthin and around Bangkok and Hanoi.2006 EthiopiaEPF brought 12 MEPs to visit EthiopianReproductive Health Projects andto examine the unmet needs of SRHR inEthiopia.2006 BangladeshEPF brought a 5 MP delegation to visit theUNFPA/EC Reproductive Health Initiativefor Young People in Asia (RHIYA) and togain first-hand experience of the programme’simpact at country and communitylevel.07

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve HealthParticipants inthe study tour toCameroon included:Hon. Karl Addicks, MPGermany I Free DemocraticParty (Liberal)Hon. Isaura Navarro Casillas, MPSpain I United Left PartyHon. Jadvyga Zinkeviciute, MPLithuania I Labour Party (Liberal)Ms Matilda Stålbert (YDM)Sweden I Leader of ChristianDemocratic YouthAs a member of the European Alliance againstMalaria, EPF created a dedicated ParliamentaryTaskforce on Malaria launched in April 2007, andorganised a week-long tour to Cameroon in order toprovide Parliamentarians with an invaluable insighton the malaria burden and the needs to tackle thedisease in Cameroon. It enabled participants to gainfirst-hand experience of the reality of the situationin a developing country. The study tour to Cameroonwas hosted by the Cameroon Coalition against Malaria(CCAM), the Cameroon Affiliate of Malaria Consortiumbased in the UK which works at reducingdeaths and suffering due to malaria in Cameroon byincreasing mobilisation efforts to secure a comprehensiveand sustained response to malaria.The study tour included visits to various local NGOsand projects of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosisand Malaria, including malaria prevention andtreatment. The Delegation could see how Cameroon isaiming to achieve the Millennium Development Goalsrelated to health, particularly MDG6 (Combat HIV/AIDS,Malaria and Other Diseases) and had the opportunity tomeet with state officials, such as the Minister of Healthand Minister of Finance, Cameroonian Parliamentariansas well as local embassies and UN agencies.Key Study Tour accomplishments include:> Creation of the Cameroon All-Party ParliamentaryMalaria Group;> MP Nguini-Effa (Cameroon), champion for SRHRand Women’s Rights issues takes up malaria advocacy;> Suggestion presented to the Minister of Financeto create dedicated malaria budget line in everyministry such as it exists for HIV/AIDS;> Public commitment of the Minister of Finance toinvestigate the situation regarding blocked Insecticide-treatedMosquito nets in Douala Port;> Extensive press coverage of the visit on television,on print and at the radio.As a result of their participation to EPF’sStudy Tour, a number of MPs engaged invarious follow-up initiatives upon their returnfrom Cameroon:> Germany: MP Karl Addicks had a talk withthe press on 5 September 2007 and reportedabout his trip. DSW organised a Parliamentarianbreakfast on September 11th previous tothe Global Fund Replenishment Conference;> Lithuania: MP Jadvyga Zinkeviciute whois the focal point in the Committee of ExternalAffairs regarding Lithuania as a donorcountry committed to work jointly with theLithuanian Family Planning Association on10

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve Healthexploring the possibilities to increasing developmentaid for the African Region;> Spain: the main accomplishments upon returnfrom the Study Tour on Malaria to Cameroonwere made by our Taskforce member MP IsauraNavarro Casillas who presented a private billaiming at increasing funding for malaria control,including prevention and treatment andwhich was approved by the Spanish Parliamentin December 2007. She also published an articlein “El País” released on January 12th, 2008relating her experience during the study tour toCameroon on Malaria and calling for increasingmobilisation efforts to secure a comprehensiveand sustained response to malaria;> Sweden: upon return, Mrs Matilda Stålbertpublished an article on her blog about her experiencein Cameroon and opened the discussionwith the board of the Christian DemocraticYouth about the necessity to advocate for increasedsupport on malaria related issuesamong her political party.2007 PHILIPPINESFrom 4-10 November 2007, EPF and the PhilippineLegislator’s Committee on Population and Developmentbrought European Parliamentarians togetherwith Philippine decision-makers. The weeklongtour raised awareness amongst EuropeanParliamentarians about the unmet sexual and reproductivehealth needs of Filipino’s and examinedthe role that the Catholic Church plays in policymaking. Participating Parliamentarians gained firsthandexperience of the reality of the SRHR situationand the influence of the Catholic Church in a developingcountry.The Delegation had the opportunity to meet keypolicy stakeholders in favour of reproductive healthand rights in the House of Representatives, the Senateand Congress. In addition, Parliamentarianshad the rare chance to speak with representativesof the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.Meetings with the Department of Health, theHead of the EC Delegation, UNFPA and Interfaith, anetwork of faith-based organisations that promotemodern family planning methods, provided theDelegation with a detailed overview of the sexualand reproductive health situation in the countryand relevant reproductive health initiatives inministries and other political bodies.Visiting the Zone One Tondo Organisation, an activistgroup serving the urban poor, and Bohol, anisland south of Manila where the delegation had theopportunity to observe the rural SRHR situation, tomeet local governors and representatives of municipalitiesas well as health workers contributedto a detailed overview of the unmet SRH need ofmany Filipinos.Participants inthe study tour tophilippines included:Hon. Anne van Lancker, MEPBelgium I Socialist PartyHon. Maria Ofélia Moleiro, MPPortugal I Social Democratic PartyHon. Marija Pavilioniene, MPLithuania I Social Democratic PartyHon. Miguel Angel MartinSoledad, MPSpain I Popular PartyHon. Kari Kjonaas Kjos, MPNorway I Progress PartyHon. Gaye Erbatur, MPTurkey I Republican People’s Party11

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve HealthThe study tour generated significant local mediainterest. MEP Anne van Lancker (Belgium) and EPFPresident, as well as study tour participants suchas MP Martin Soledad (Spain), MP Gaye Erbatur(Turkey) and MP Marija Pavilionene (Lithuania) appearedin leading printed media of the Philippinesas well as several prime time news broadcasts.As a result of their participation to EPF’sStudy Tour, a number of MPs engaged invarious follow-up initiatives upon their returnfrom Philippines:> Belgium: MEP Anne van Lancker organiseda meeting with the EPWG (The Working Groupon Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development)about the influence of the Catholic Churchon Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights;> Lithuania: MP Marija Pavilioniene spokeon Sexual, Reproductive Health and Rights inLithuania, EU and the situation in the Philippines(during the Advocacy capacity buildingworkshop in Brussels, on November 21-242007 arranged by IPPF European network). Inthe international conference ‘Gender studiesin the Baltic countries’, in Kaunas, November29th 2007, she spoke on gender studies andpolitics. In the very successful meeting withrepresentatives of local municipalities, eventorganised together with Lithuanian Familyplanning association, they foresaw the possibilityof cooperation on sexual educationfor young people, parents and teachers. Shealso had a meeting with the Committee onEducation, Science and Culture where theydiscussed the manual for school sexual education,where anti-choice, catholic positionis expressed. Finally she met with medicalstudents and tried to invite them for volunteerwork in Lithuanian Family Planning Association.12

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve HealthField Visits 20082008 NigerTogether with Equilibres & Populations (E&P),EPF organised a week-long study tour to Nigerfrom 05-11 February 2008 focusing on reproductivehealth, including access to essentialcommodities and supplies, and the impact ofthese on the country’s population growth. Thisstudy tour, hosted by the UNFPA Country Officeand the Nigerian Parliamentary Network on Populationand Development, offered a deep insightinto how Niger, the poorest country in the world,is developing policies on SRHR and enabled theParliamentary Delegation to investigate the impactof population and SRHR policies.The Field Visit to Niger confronted Parliamentarianswith the unmet reproductive health needsof Nigerians, including access to essential commoditiesand supplies, and the impact of theseon the country’s population growth. EPF Delegationwas able to visit projects, youth and healthcenters, and meet with numerous state officialsincluding the President o the Republic of Niger,the Prime Minister, the President of the NationalAssembly, Nigerian Parliamentarians as well askey stakeholders.During the closing press conference, EuropeanParliamentarians:> Recognised that urgent action is needed toimplement the strategies in place with the helpof local traditional and religious leaders;> Were impressed by the strategic planning thatis taking place regarding the population growthand the maternal health care sector;> Emphasised the financial and human resourceschallenge that Niger is facing and theneed to strengthen Parliamentary budgetaryscrutiny given the new trend of directing aidthrough general budget support in recipientcountries;> Committed to reporting back on these challengesto their own Foreign Ministries and DevelopmentMinisters in order to help try andshape future aid policies.The EPF and E&P Study Tour to Niger createdconsiderable media interest. Seven articles publishedin the local newspapers “Le Sahel” and“As Salam” featured the Parliamentary Delegationcoming to Niger and covering the main reasonsfor the Delegation’s interest in the country’spopulation and development situation and particularlythe challenge of demographic growth. Ina press release and during the final press conferencethat attracted significant media attention,the study tour members presented a number ofrecommendations that focused on the improvementof the living conditions of women, the improvementof maternal health in general and thechildbirth assistance in particular, the necessityto reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, promotingthe education of young girls and to ensurethe availability of reproductive health supplies toname but a few.The failure in achievingMDG5 is affecting us becauseit has a negative impact onthe improvement of women’sempowerment worldwide. MDG5must be a major political objective(...) because hundreds ofthousands of women are stillvictims of ignorance, negligenceand obscurantism”.Hon. Françoise Castex, MEP(France) member of the EuropeanParliament Working Group onReproductive Health, HIV/AIDSand Development13

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve Healthrians to Georgia to assess the situation of reproductivehealth of internally displaced persons andto evaluate the health infrastructure needs of thecountry in the aftermath of the conflict between theRepublic of Georgia and the Russian Federation. Themission has been organised upon the invitation ofMP George Tsereteli, Vice Chairperson of the GeorgianParliament and Member of EPF Executive Committeewith the cooperation of the United NationsPopulation Fund in Georgia.The delegation saw the scale of the humanitariandisaster where in August 2008:> An estimated 130,000 people are displaced withinGeorgia;> 30,000 are women of reproductive age;> 1,400 of these are pregnant;> 2,900 pregnant women remain in the conflict affecteddistricts;> Nearly 100 000 are settled in and around the Georgiancapital, Tbilisi;> As of 25 August, about 10 000 internally displacedpeople (IDP) have returned to Gori town and nearbyvillages.Recent statistics in Georgia show that 30.6% ofdeliveries encounter complications and one in everyfive deliveries (20.6%) will be through caesareansection.The Members of Delegation found necessary:> To ensure that the reproductive health needsof women, pregnant women and infants aremet. This includes family planning services andsupplies, hygiene supplies and psychosocialcounselling and care for the victims of sexualviolence;> To establish and launch the 5th ReproductiveHealth Mobile Team to serve the IDPs needs andto be able to still attend the rest of the population.The launch of the 5th Mobile Team will allowproviding more services and supplies as wellas medical and psychosocial counselling to theIDPs, including the victims of violence;> To create the new employment and incomegenerating opportunities to people who have losttheir regular occupation, including young peopleand to avoid the increase of crime or drug use.This includes free time occupation for young people;> In schools to ensure that the necessary inventoryfor classes such as school books and othernecessary items as well as transportation fromcollective centres to schools is provided;> To direct funds to rehabilitation and reconstructionof the health infrastructure in the affectedterritories to ensure the soonest re-openingand regular functioning of the health carefacilities;> At the upcoming Donors’ Conference in Brusselsscheduled to take place in October 2008 toensure that humanitarian needs of IDPs, notablysocial, health and reproductive health needs areadequately reflected and addressed in the donorcommitments and that donor efforts are well coordinatedand not overlapping.Participants inthe study tour toGEORGIA included:Hon. Kirsten Brosbøl, MPDenmark I Social Democratic PartyHon. Neena Gill, MEPUK I European SocialistParty (PSE)Hon. Carina Hägg, MPSweden I Social Democratic PartyHon. Hilde Vautmans, MPBelgium I Belgian Liberal Party(Open VLD)Hon. Jean Lambert, MEPUK I European GreensHon. Wolfgang Wodarg, MPGermany I Social DemocraticParty (SPD)17

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve HealthParliamentarian’s andthe Parliamentary Assemblyof the Council of Europe havethe immediate duty to find thefunding to enable the victims ofthe conflict to receive the healthcare they need, to return to schooland work, and to return to theirhomes.”Hon. Chris Mc Cafferty, MP (UK)Chair of the UK All Party ParliamentaryGroup on Population,Development and ReproductiveHealthMaternal mortality is oneof the biggest social inequalityissues in the world and I believethat the EU [...] has been veryslow in addressing it”.Hon. Neena Gill, MEP (UK), memberof the European ParliamentWorking Group on ReproductiveHealth, HIV/AIDS and DevelopmentAs a result of their participation to EPF’sFact Finding Mission, a number of MPs engagedin various follow-up initiatives upontheir return from Georgia:> MEP Neena Gill, MP Kirsten Brosbøl, MEPJean Lambert, MP Wolfgang Wodarg approachedtheir governments to contribute to theEU donors’ conference for Georgia especially inlight of the RH needs of the population.At its Fourth Part Session, which took placein September–October, the Council of EuropeParliamentary Assembly debated and adoptedthe Report, the Opinion and the Resolution onthe consequences of the war between Georgiaand Russia. EPF has cooperated closelywith Parliamentarians in providing the latestand up to date information on the situationof IDPs and their reproductive health needs.Parliamentarians considered, debated andincluded the Main Findings of the EPF FactFinding Mission on reproductive health needsof IDPs into the Committees’ exchanges ofviews, Assembly Debate and adopted texts;> During the Assembly Debate on 2nd October,MP Christine McCafferty Chairpersonof the Social, Health and Family AffairsCommittee gave a speech on the situation ofmaternal and reproductive health needs ofIDPs in the aftermath of the conflict betweenGeorgia and Russian Federation;> MP Wolfgang Wodarg and Chairperson of thePACE Health Sub-Committee reported back on tothe committee on the situation of IDPs in Georgiawith a special focus on their reproductive healthsituation;> MEP Neena Gill, member of the European Parliament’sWorking Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development (EPWG) strongly supportedthe European Parliament’s Resolution on “MaternalMortality ahead of the UN High-level Event onthe Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on 25September 2008” in the plenary discussion. Theresolution was adopted by a clear majority. The farreachingand forward-looking resolution expressesstrong concern over the fact that MDG5 on maternalmortality is the only MDG on which there hasbeen no progress since 2000, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The European Parliamentcalls on the Council and the Commission,ahead of the UN High Level Event on the MDGs, toprioritise realistic and evidence-based action tomeet MDG 5 targets, including the promotion ofaccess for all women to comprehensive sexual andreproductive health information and services;> Under the leadership of MP George Tsereteli,Vice-Deputy Chair of the Parliament of Georgiaand EPF Executive Committee Member, the Parliamentof Georgia created a working group on theneeds of IDPs in Georgia.18

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve Health2008 TanzaniaFrom 16 to 22 November 2008, the EPF brought 5 EuropeanParliamentarians on a week-long study tourto Tanzania. The study tour focused on Malaria Research/Vaccinesand the country’s efforts in combatingmalaria. The study tour hosted by DSW CountryOffice in Tanzania offered a deep insight into the malariaburden, the challenges and the needs to tacklethe disease in Tanzania and provided Parliamentarianswith a concrete overview of the latest progressand findings toward developing malaria vaccines.The week-long tour raised awareness amongstParliamentarians about the tragic impact thatmalaria has over the people of Tanzania and theenormous socio-economic burden on the country. Itenabled participating Parliamentarians to have abetter overview of the latest findings and developmentsregarding malaria vaccines. The Delegationwas very impressed by the level of mobilisation ofTanzanian Parliamentarians, officials, civil societyand researchers’ community having led to successfulachievements in the fight against malariain Tanzania, particularly in Zanzibar. Noting the remainingfinancial, material and human resourceschallenges, EPF Delegation also recognised theneed and urgency to significantly scale-up supportfor malaria research. Parliamentarians consequentlycommitted to report back on these challengesto their own Governments and Parliamentsin order to help try and shape future aid policies.As a result of their participation to EPF’sStudy Tour, a number of MPs engaged invarious follow-up initiatives upon their returnfrom Tanzania:> Finland: MP Heli Järvinen and MP MerjaKyllönen published various articles in Finnishnewspapers and magazines highlighting theseriousness of the malaria burden in developingcountries. They underlined the importancefor Finnish Aid to take into account the issue ofmalaria and emphasised the need to monitorand control EU aid to developing countriesmore effectively. They urges their colleagues toincorporate the issue of aid effectiveness intotheir campaign programmes;> Spain: MP María Rosa Fortuny submitteda parliamentary question to inquire about thecontributions of the parliament of Cataloniato combat malaria in order to pave the wayto further parliamentary initiatives currentlyunderway.Participants inthe study tour toTanzania included:Hon. Maria Antoniade Almeida Santos, MPPortugal I Socialist PartyHon. Teresa Caeiro, MPPortugal I Popular PartyHon. Heli Järvinen, MPFinland I Green PartyHon. Merja Kyllönen, MPFinland I Left Alliance PartyHon. Rosa Fortunyi Torroella, MPSpain I Liberal Group19

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve HealthParticipants inthe study tour toDAKAR included:Hon. Antje Blumenthal MPGermany I Christian DemocraticUnion (CDU)Hon. Carles Campuzano, MPSpain I Party of Convergenceand UnityHon. Françoise Castex, MEPFrance I European SocialistParty (PSE)Senator Alain DestexheBelgium I Reformist MovementHon. Carina Hägg, MPSweden I Social Democratic PartyHon. Malahat Ibrahimkizi, MPAzerbaijan I New Azerbaijan PartyHon. Anne van Lancker, MEPBelgium I European SocialistParty (PSE)Hon. Birute Vesaite, MPLithuania I SocialistDemocratic Party2008 DAKARFrom 7-10 December 2008, EPF brought an 8Member Parliamentary Delegation to participatein the Global Fund’s Partnership Forumincluding a Mini Study Tour to Global Fund supportedprogrammes, which took place in Dakar,Senegal. The Partnership Forum is an importantpart of the governance structure of the GlobalFund and recommendations developed at previousPartnership Fora have significantly shapedGlobal Fund policies and processes. Parliamentaryparticipation in the Global Fund’s PartnershipForum enabled the Delegation membersto better understand the decision-making proceduresand dynamics within the Global Fund.In addition, they gained a deeper insight aboutthe necessity of parliamentary involvement inthe Global Fund’s decision-making structures tosuccessfully influence and determine its futuredirection as it is one of the principal bodies inthe new aid architecture.Mini-Study TourThe Mini Study Tour to Dakar and its districtsin conjunction with the participation in the GlobalFund’s Partnership Forum raised awarenessand enabled deeper knowledge amongst Parliamentariansabout the work of Global Fund Programmesand the performance-based approachin Senegal. In addition, Parliamentarians gainedfirst-hand experience regarding the challenges ofHIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis in Senegal.Global Fund Partnership ForumThe 2008 Partnership Forum was held from 8-10December. Under the key theme Listening to theVoices: Stronger and More Effective Partnershipfor Sustained Impact it brought together around450 delegates who discussed and made recommendationsto further improve the Global Fund’sstrategy, specifically on the improvements of themechanisms in which the different public and privatepartners of the Global Fund at national, regionaland global levels work together. Delegates’discussions focused on Partnership and Gender(Women and Girls, Sexual Minorities), Partnershipand Demand, Partnership and CoordinationPartnership and Implementation. One of the majorpoints of reference for these discussions will bethe results of the Five-Year Evaluation, an externalassessment of the Global Fund which is currentlyunderway.As a result of their participation to EPF’sStudy Tour, a number of MPs engaged invarious follow-up initiatives upon their returnfrom Tanzania:20

WHAt We Do:Taking the Lead to Save Lives and Improve Health> Belgium: Senator Alain Destexhe wrote toDevelopment Cooperation Minister CharlesMichel on 16 January 2009 to request thatthe Belgian government honours its 2008-2010 funding commitment to the Global Fundwhich was made at the Berlin ReplenishmentConference in September 2007;> France/Spain: MEP Françoise Castex andMP Carles Campuzano published articles ontheir blogs, committing to continue monitoringand advocating for increased support forthe Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosisand Malaria within its own participative andconsultative bodies and structures.Suggested Follow-Up Activities for Parliamentariansafter Field Visits1. Be Accountable> Report back on your experience to your all-partyParliamentary group and the group’s secretariat;> Report back to the NGOs working on SRHR inyour country.2. Speak AboutYour Experiences> At meetings of Parliamentarians;> In committee debates;> To the hierarchy in Parliament or your political party;> To relevant Ministers.3. DemonstrateYour Commitment> Write and talk about participating in the studytour in your CV, on your website and websites of yourpolitical party.4. Take Action> Forward recommendations based on what youhave learned to relevant Ministers;> Pose Parliamentary questions;> Introduce Parliamentary resolutions;> Organise an event in Parliament;> Take action not only in your national Parliamentbut also in other Parliamentary assemblies to whichyou belong (such as the Parliamentary Assembly ofthe Council of Europe).5. Create Visibility> Write a press release and organise a pressconference upon your return;> Write articles based on your study tour experiencesand what you have learned for newspapers,parliament media, political party media and yourconstituencies.21

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsAdvocacy at the UN& ParliamentaryAssembly of theCouncil of EuropeEPF members participate ininternational and regionalorganisations such as the UnitedNations and the ParliamentaryAssembly of the Council of Europe.Because they are the electedrepresentatives of tens of thousandsof people, Parliamentarians canmake use of these opportunities tomake their voices heard in a powerfulway. The EPF secretariat has helpedParliamentarians play key roles atall of the main UN ICPD+10 regionalconferences as well as UN meetingsrelated to women and sustainabledevelopment issues.EPF’s Advocacy at the UNIn 2006, EPF was granted special consultativestatus by the Economic and Social Council of theUnited Nations (ECOSOC). This means EPF maynow designate official representatives to the UnitedNations headquarters in New York and officesin Geneva and Vienna. EPF’s representatives willbe able to attend and in some cases participatein UN meetings previously closed to them. As theonly Parliamentary Network based in Europe toreceive this designation, EPF will be able to involveParliamentarians more closely in the workof the UN as it pertains to sexual and reproductivehealth and rights and other international developmentand global health issues.Creation of EPF’s Parliamentary Taskforce onthe UNIn February 2008, EPF successfully launched itsUN Taskforce in the framework of its Delegationto the 52nd Session of the UN Commission onthe Status of Women (CSW) in New York whereEPF brought a 10-member strong high-level parliamentarydelegation. The taskforce providesregular monitoring and updates on relevant UNlegislation and activities on reproductive healthand women’s rights, gender equality as well aspopulation and development issues and aims tostrengthen Parliamentarians’ role at UN level bytaking part in important UN decision-makingprocesses on the above-mentioned topics andbeyond.EPF’s Advocacy at theParliamentary Assemblyof the Council of EuropeThe Council of Europe was Europe’s first inter-governmentalorganisation; it has 46 member states. Theaim of the Council of Europe is to achieve greater unityand to seek solutions to problems facing European society,including gender inequality, poverty, traffickingin persons, violence and discrimination.In 2006, EPF was granted Participatory Status with theCouncil of Europe. Organisations with ParticipatoryStatus in the Council of Europe work with the Councilof Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and Congressof Local and Regional Authorities of Europe todevelop policies, plan conventions, create recommendationsand contribute to the decision-making processregarding the implementation of programmes.Within the Council of Europe, EPF enjoys the supportof the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography,the Committee on Social, Health and FamilyAffairs and the Equality Committee. A record number ofParliamentarians who are supportive of SRHR are nowmembers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Councilof Europe. In January 2008, EPF Member and Presidentof the UK APPG on Population, Development and ReproductiveHealth, MP Christine McCafferty (UK) hasbeen elected Chair of the Committee on Health, Socialand Family Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly ofthe Council of Europe (PACE). MP Wolfgang Wodarg,(Germany) and EPF study tour participant to Ghana22

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsand Georgia has been elected Chair of the HealthSub-Committee of PACE. Both Parliamentarians areknown as long-standing supporters and fighters forthe advancement of reproductive health and rights.In 2008, EPF Secretary Neil Datta and UNFPA-Genevaoffice Head Siri Tellier conducted a joint visit to theParliamentary Assembly to cement links with theCommittees mentioned above as well as the Committeeon Equality between Women and Men. In thisframework, EPF, as one of only two SRHR-organisationswith Participatory Status at the Council of Europe,EPF has been monitoring the progress of thelandmark report and resolution on “Access to safeand legal abortion in Europe” since March 2007 andprovided evidence to the Committees in charge ofthe report and opinion, the rapporteur as well as toindividual Parliamentarians from all political parties(from the left to the centre-right and right wingof the political spectrum) and to Parliamentarianswho have often been active within EPF and memberAPPGs over many years.EPF has also provided intelligence to the SRHRcommunity in Europe as to likely voting outcomesbased on the one hand on its analysis of politicalparty positioning and secondly on the basis of insideinformation gathered from its network of all-partyParliamentary groups across Europe and participationin political group meetings in the ParliamentaryAssembly.EPF’s thematic input, activities at policy level andclose work-relationships with Council of EuropeMembers led to a clear understanding of the abortionsituation in the majority of European countries andclarified the complexity of the issue. In addition, itenhanced the understanding of Parliamentarians innearly all political groups about the issues at stake.This advocacy exercise eventually led to the adoptionof the report with a clear 55% majority on 16 April2008. In April, over 185 Parliamentarians from the47 Member States of the Council of Europe engagedin a four hour debate and vote on a report calling forsafe and legal access to abortion in the 47 MemberStates of the Council of Europe.For the first time, an officialInstitution in Europe has adopteda text which calls on all Europeancountries:> To decriminalise abortion withinreasonable gestational limits, if theyhave not already done so;> To guarantee women’s effectiveexercise of their right to access to asafe and legal abortion;> To ensure that women and menhave access to contraceptionand advice on contraception at areasonable cost, of a suitable naturefor them, and chosen by them.The Resolution recognises certain important andnew concepts, namely that the lawfulness of abortiondoes not have an effect on a woman’s need foran abortion, but only on her access to a safe abortionand bases its logic on women’s rights, humanrights and gender equality.23

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsConferences, Roundtables and SeminarsEPF educates Parliamentarians through traditionalactivities such as conferences, seminars, writtenmaterials, and peer and expert testimonials.2007 OverviewParliamentary Hearing onObstetric Fistula, EuropeanParliament, Brussels, February2007MEP Véronique Mathieu, ViceChair of the Working Group onReproductive Health, HIV/AIDSand Development (EPWG),hosted the special session‘Obstetric Fistula –Ending theSilent Suffering’ in the EuropeanParliament on 6 February2007. It attracted Members ofthe European Parliament, aswell as representatives fromthe European institutions,embassies and NGOs, andthus brought the issue to avariety of decision-makersand stakeholders. In her keynotespeech, MEP VéroniqueMathieu shared how she firstheard about fistula in the contextof her field trip to Ethiopia, organised by EPF inMay 2006. Dr. Gloria Esegbona, a UK-based gynaecologist,who was a volunteer fistula repair surgeonduring the Nigerian ‘Fistula Fortnight’, confrontedthe participants with the cruel physical reality ofobstetric fistula and illustrated what it means tothe women who suffer from it. The Nigerian studentFatima Lawal Aliyu, who had developed fistulafollowing five days of obstructed labour in 2000,shared her own experiences as a young woman livingwith the problem. The UNFPA Representative inEthiopia, Dr. Monique Rakotomalala, presented theglobal Campaign to End Fistula, launched by UN-FPA and partners in 2003. The event concluded witha presentation of a written declaration on obstetricfistula that Parliamentarians were invited to sign.Parliamentary Hearing around Africa Malaria Day,European Parliament, Strasbourg, April 2007For the occasion of AfricaMalaria Day 2007,EPF organised a workinglunch buffet in theEuropean Parliament inStrasbourg, hosted byMEP Thierry Cornillet.This event is the first officialactivity organisedby a member of the newTaskforce on Malaria.The honourable guestsincluded Professor Awa-Marie Coll-Seck, ExecutiveDirector of Roll BackMalaria Partnership, who24

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsmentarians. EPF Staff participated in the Study Session“Improving the Health of Young People in EuropeTowards a Sexual Health Strategy” on the Developmentof a European Youth Charter on Sexual and ReproductiveHealth and Rights which took place from6-12 July 2007 in Strasbourg, France.Afro-Asian Parliamentarians’ Conference focusingon ‘Monitoring Mechanism Needs to be Developedand Implemented by Parliamentarians’, Tokyo, Japan,August 2007A monitoring mechanism needs to be developed and implementedby Parliamentarians for effective implementationof development programmes; and governmentsand development agencies should keep Parliamentariansinformed of all the development projects andcontracts for transparency and better results – were themost important outcomes of the 2nd Afro-Asian Parliamentarians’Dialogue on Population, Health and CommunityCapacity Building for Sustainable DevelopmentTowards the Tokyo International Conference on AfricanDevelopment (TICAD) IV and G8 Summit in 2008.The dialogue included 20 MPs from Asia and Africaand officials from UNFPA and the InternationalPlanned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). It was organisedby the Asian Population and Development Association(APDA) and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarianson Population and Development (AFPPD), incooperation with the Japan Parliamentarians Federationfor Population (JPFP). EPF’s Executive CommitteeMember, MP Birute Vesaite (Lithuania), spoke aboutthe G8 Summit that took place last year in Germanyand other related parliamentary events. She was ofa view that the G8 parliamentary meeting in Berlin,which was also attended by AFPPD, was instrumentalin promoting the focus on HIV/AIDS, resulting in theenhancement of funds for the disease.EC/UNFPA Reproductive Health Initiative for Youthin Asia (RHIYA) in Brussels, September 2007UNFPA and the European Commission (EC) organisedthe closing seminar of the ReproductiveHealth Initiative for Youth in Asia (RHIYA), whichbrought together main stakeholders in the AdolescentSexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) fromBangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Pakistan,Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The seminar aimed to discusswhat had been achieved and to look after thecommon strategies for scaling-up successful ASRHinterventions. Among the highlights of the seminarwas the presentation of country case studies,conducted by AFPPD’s national parliamentary committeeson population, in cooperation with UNFPAcountry offices, which assess the extent to whichEU/UNFPA-supported youth empowerment interventionsmay be mainstreamed into the nationalhealth, and the youth policies and programmes.Among the participants, the meeting was attendedby:> Parliamentarians from 7 project countries, includingMEP Anne van Lancker (Belgium) and MPHilde Vautmans (Belgium);> Representatives of EC, UNFPA and other NGOs,including Mr. Sultan Aziz, Director of the Asia-Pacific Division of UNFPA;> Mr. Shiv Khare, Executive Director of AFPPD;> Mr. Neil Datta, Secretary of the European ParliamentaryForum on Population and Development.26

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsYoung Decision Makers’ Conference on GlobalResponsibilities of Europe’s youth regardingSRHR and the MDGs in Lisbon, September 2007On 17-18 September 2007, young Parliamentariansand those active in political parties from allover Europe met in Lisbon, Portugal to discuss theGlobal Responsibilities of Europe’s youth regardingSRHR and the MDGs.The conference, partof the Young DecisionMakers initiative,was arranged aroundthe youth event of thePortuguese Presidencyof the EU, by the Portuguese Family Planning Association(APF), EPF and the Instituto Português daJuventude under the patronage of the Portuguese AllParty Parliamentary Group. 57 participants attendedthe Conference including 25 Young Decision Makersfrom all over Europe and 25 Young Decision Makersfrom Portugal. The Ministry of Parliamentarian affairsof Portugal, UNFPA, the Population Council andIPPF EN were also represented at the conference.The main goal of this two day event was the developmentof targeted advocacy strategies and the sharingof experience and information between politicalsister parties throughout Europe within the SRHRfield and to see how they can improve. Mr Tim Shandand Ms Siri Tellier gave an overview of the context foryoung people and the global status of youth SRHR.Afterwards, Dr Judith Bruce from the PopulationCouncil put the focus on the question of ‘whetheryouth programmes meet the needs of young people’.At the end of the two day event, the YDMs developeda Declaration concluding that discussing thecritical challenges facing adolescents and youngpeople is an urgent priority if social and economicdevelopment efforts are to succeed in alleviatingpoverty, curbing the AIDS pandemic and empoweringwomen and men to create a more equitableworld. Investing in programmes which meetadolescents’ education, sexual and reproductivehealth needs, and helping them build life skills, isessential in meeting these challenges.Portuguese APPG hosts High Level ParliamentariansConference in Lisbon, October 2007On 30 October, 2007, the National Assembly of Portugal,the Portuguese All-Party Parliamentary Groupon Population and Development and its Chair, MPMaria Antonia Almeida Santos, the PortugueseFamily Planning Association (APF) and the EuropeanParliamentary Forum on Population and Development(EPF) co-hosted a Conference entitled “Shapingthe Future Priorities of European DevelopmentAid - Equipping Donor Country Parliamentarians tolead efforts to meet the MDGs and Global Health”.The conference took place in the Senate room of theNational Assembly on the occasion of the third Colloquiumthat the Portuguese All-Party ParliamentaryGroup on Population and Development regularly organises,to look at the Human rights, health and reproductivehealth. For the first time, this conferencehas been expanded to invite governmental representatives,fellow Parliamentarians and internationalexperts from other European countries to discuss thedevelopment aid priorities on the regional level.Given that the HIV epidemic isaffecting a younger and more femalepopulation, investing in adolescentsis urgent if National MillenniumDevelopment Goals are to be met withrespect to:> Building a strong economic base;> Achieving universal primaryeducation;> Promoting gender equality;> Reducing maternal mortality andrelated infant mortality;> Reversing the rising tide of HIV inyoung people;> Reducing rapid population growth.27

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsFollowing the Global Fund replenishment Conferenceheld in Germany in September 2007,where European donors have significantlystepped up their financial commitments tothe Global Fund, and acknowledging that atEU level, the European Commission and the27 Member States are discussing possibilitiesto ´divide labour`, the conference broughttogether Parliamentarians from EU MemberStates, European donor countries and othercountries of the European region in order tohelp Parliamentarians understand the realityof the SRHR situation and therefore help themto become better advocates to influence Europeandevelopment aid for the years to come.In the various sessions, Parliamentarians werebriefed by experts in their field enabling themto gain first-hand knowledge on the issue inorder to meet our shared goals in relation tosexual and reproductive health and rights andto equip them with material to lead efforts tomeet the MDGs and Global Health.Participating Parliamentarians agreed upona declaration which was delivered to the PortuguesePresidency. The declaration identifiedkey areas in which committed actions needsto be taken in order to improve the efforts tomeet MDGs and Global Health. This declarationwas communicated to the PortugueseGovernment through the co-organisers of thisevent, the All-Party Parliamentary Group onPopulation and Development of PortugueseGovernment and the Family Planning Associationof Portugal.Global Conference “Women Deliver” in London,October 2007Women Deliver is a global advocacy initiativeto promote and advance maternal health as acore element of the global development agenda.During the next 4 years, the initiative’s goal isto strengthen and sustain political commitmentand investments for MDG5 at the global, regional,and national levels to improve maternal andnewborn health and ensure universal access toreproductive health. As a result of EPF’s uniquerole in parliamentary advocacy, the Forum wasinvited to participate in the Women Deliver AdvisoryGroup. In response to the call for actionfrom the Ministers Forum, and to maintain themomentum, commitments, and partnershipsmobilised at and immediately following theWomen Deliver conference, Family Care Internationalwill work with an advisory group and otherpartners to implement a global Women Deliveradvocacy initiative, which will strengthen andsustain political commitment and investmentfor MDG5. EPF’s involvement in the AdvisoryGroup will ensure adequate parliamentary involvementin achieving the initiative’s goaland to this end will play an important role inreinforcing and strengthening political will forMDG5 and in other SRHR areas.Campaign for the Establishment of a UnitedNations Parliamentary Assembly in the Palaisdes Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, November2007On 19-20 November 2007, EPF participated atthe Preparatory Meeting of the Campaign for the28

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsneed to have a more regionalised organisation ofthe campaign and having an advisory board to thecampaign comprised of Parliamentarians.Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly(UNPA). Society for Threatened Peoples Internationalhosted the meeting conducted at the Palaisdes Nations. It was devoted to the theme: AdvancingGood Governance and Democracy through a UNPA.During its formal launch, the campaign for the creationof a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly waswelcomed by Parliamentarians, individuals, academicsand civil society leaders from 106 countries.The purpose of the meeting was to discuss andcoordinate next steps and to prepare for the creationof a multi-stakeholder coalition that will takethe campaign to its next stage. EPF was presentat the meeting as the only Parliamentary Networkalready working exclusively on a specific aspect ofthe UN mandate, the MDGs. Governmental officialsof Switzerland, Parliamentarians from differentcontinents, civil society supporters, academiciansand youth activities participated at this meeting.During discussions in the working groups,the participants agreed about the necessity toinvolve more Parliamentarians in this campaign– each NGO participant will follow up in involvingcountry’s Parliamentarians in the campaign. Theorganisers and the participants also stressed theSeminar on EU Development Policy and ReproductiveHealth in Budapest, December 2007On the 3rd and 4th December 2007, the Ministriesof the Netherlands and Hungary jointly organised aSeminar on EU Development Policy and ReproductiveHealth, held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairsof Hungary, in Budapest. The organisers kindly invitedEPF to bring a Parliamentary Delegation fromnew EU Member States. The members of the Delegationincluded MP Eleni Theocharous (Cyprus),MP Jadvyga Zinkeviciute (Lithuania), as well asSenator Dan Sabau (Romania).The purpose of the Seminar was to stimulate dialogueand exchange of best practices among new EUmember States and the Netherlands on internationaldevelopment and sexual and reproductive health andrights, and to build the capacity of policy makers,researchers, and NGOs of participating countries inthe area of development cooperation and reproductivehealth. Speakers included MP Eleni Theocharouswho gave an overview of the situation in Cyprus andstressed the necessity to put more focus and effortson SRHR in the development cooperation policies ofher country. Other participants included representativesfrom the European Commission, UNFPA BrusselsOffice, IPPF-EN as well as representatives from theMinistry of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs fromCzech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic andSlovenia.29

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsAs a result of the research findings,the by Stop AIDS Alliance, EPF andits partners urged EU decisionmakersto:> Recognise the substantial role thatcommunities play in the responseto HIV/AIDS and to ensure that thesecommunities have access to fundingand resources, support, and areincluded in decision making processesin order to play this role effectively;> Reiterate the importance of usinga mix of financial mechanismsappropriate to individual contexts, toensure the most effective response toHIV, including addressing the specificneeds of key populations, in the contextof scaling up towards Universal Access;> Develop and strengthen policiesand programmes that supportcommunities and people living with oraffected by HIV/AIDS to play a leadingrole in stigma and discriminationreduction through advocacy, promotinghuman rights, peer education and theirinvolvement in policy development anddecision making.2008 OverviewYoung Decision Makers take part in UNFPA YouthCampaigning Consultation, January 2008From 30-31 January 2008, the World AIDS Campaign,in partnership with the United NationsPopulation Fund (UNFPA), held a Youth CampaigningConsultation. 30 participants from 24 differentorganisations took part in the Consultation.Out of these, 25 (83%) were young people, belowthe age of 30. Participants represented constituenciesfrom people living with HIV and AIDS, media,harm-reduction, Parliamentarians, women, labourand faith. Bartosz Lech, from the European Greens(FYEG) and member of the YDMs steering committee,participated from EPF’s Young Decision MakersInitiative (YDMs).The objectives of the consultation were:> To set out a process and “roadmap” for the HIVand AIDS youth constituency to work together in2008 and beyond that aligns messages and campaigningactivities for youth toward universal accessby 2010 commitments;> To strengthen more inclusive efforts in campaigningand mobilisation towards universal accessincluding youth-specific prevention, treatment,care and support by strengthening links andcommunications between youth stakeholders, andcreating a clear campaign platform and structureof support for youth activities and organisations;> To highlight accountability and leaders to keeptheir promises to stop AIDS and specifically theprevention of HIV among young people and proposepotential support needed to achieve this;> To coordinate and orchestrate a more effectiveyouth collaboration around key events, especiallypreparations for World AIDS Day 2008.EPWG meeting on “presenting new findings inHIV/AIDS research: from evidence to policy – HIVresults from the field”, European Parliament,Brussels, February 2008On 13th February 2008, EPF and the Stop AIDS Allianceco-organised a meeting in the European Parliamentto present the Horizons’ research findingson HIV/AIDS. The meeting was hosted by MEP Annevan Lancker, with the participation of MEP ThijsBerman. It brought together policy makers, expertsand advocates to discuss the research results andthe policy implementations of the Horizons’ findingswhich were presented in three different categories:> The role of communities in addressing HIV/AIDS;> HIV prevention amongst key populations, includingsex workers, men who have sex with men,and HIV-positive individuals;> Reducing stigma in communities and institutions.30

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGs52nd Session of the UN Commission on the Statusof Women (CSW) in New York, February 2008In February 2008, EPF brought a 10-strong highlevelparliamentary delegation to the 52nd Sessionof the UN Commission on the Status of Women(CSW). Participants agreed that the delegationvisit contributed to a heightened awareness andunderstanding of the complex UN system and thetopics that are under review with regard to SRHRand women’s rights. It also contributed to understandthe immediate need to start enlarging theparliamentary presence during relevant UN meetings– a gap the newly created EPF ParliamentaryTaskforce on UN Affairs is dedicated to fill.As an immediate result of the study tour, Delegationmembers felt the need to better engage withtheir respective governments prior and during theCSW. There has been an apparent lack of informationand cooperation on both sides leading to thefact that government delegations were either notaware that Parliamentarians from their countrieswere attending the conference, nor was there anycooperation with regard to the negotiations on thedraft conclusions of the CSW that would serve asthe basis for discussions during the “Third HighLevel Forum on Aid Effectiveness” held in Accra,Ghana in September 2008.As a result of their participation in the EPFDelegation to the CSW, a number of EuropeanParliamentarians undertook follow-upinitiatives upon return:> MEP Alexander Graf Lambsdorff the Chairmanof the EU-UN Working Group in the EuropeanParliament became an outspokensupporter of women’s rights and SRHR issuesin the European Parliament. The knowledgegained thanks to his participation to the CSWenabled him to successfully include SRHR languagein various Reports and Resolutions inthe European Parliament. More specifically;> During the European Parliament’s plenarydebate on the Report on Gender Equality andWomen Empowerment in Development Cooperationin Strasbourg on March 13th 2008,MEP Graf Lambsdorff demanded a bettercoordination between the national, EU andUN level with regard to development cooperationin general and the promotion of women’srights and gender equality in particular. MEPLambsdorff asked Louis Michel, EU-Commissionerfor Development and Humanitarian Aidto be more stringent with those of our partnerswho present different versions of their efforts topromote women’s rights and gender equality dependingon whether they are speaking at home,in Brussels or in New York;> On May 21st 2008, the European Parliamentadopted the own initiative report by MEP RiaOomen-Ruijten on the 2007 report on Turkey’sprogress towards accession. MEP AlexanderGraf Lambsdorff who is also a Member of theEuropean Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Commit-31

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsMaternal mortality ratesremain unacceptably high inmany developing countries, withmore than 500 000 women dyingeach year from treatable andpreventable complications relatingto pregnancy and childbirth.Therefore we urge EU MemberStates to dramatically step upefforts and funding so as to ensureuniversal access to sexual andreproductive health informationand services, which are essential.”Hon. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff,MEP (Germany)tee succeeded in introducing an amendmentstressing that “the new constitution shouldensure gender equality, avoid the use of vaguecriteria such as general morality, refrain fromperceiving women primarily as family or communitymembers and reaffirm women’s humanrights, including their sexual and reproductiverights, as their individual rights”. With theadoption of the amendment during the vote inplenary, it is the first time that SRHR languagehas been introduced in a progress report onTurkey, which is composed on a yearly basis;> On July 9th 2008, the European Parliamentapproved a resolution on the EU priorities forthe 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly.Under the leadership of MEP Alexander GrafLambsdorff and Rapporteur of the Report theParliament made a number of recommendationsto the Council of the European Unionand it presented its official position for the63rd Session of the UN General Assembly.Reproductive Health Services and EU MemberState’s commitments to increase real aid andspeeding up efforts to fulfil the MDGs are emphasised.More specifically, the EP requests:“that the Council supports the calls by PresidentBarroso and Commissioner Louis Michelfor Member States to draw up clear, bindingnational timetables and budgets to increasereal aid in order to reach the promised collectivetarget of 0.56% of gross national incomein 2010 and 0.7% in 2015”.Media Training in Amsterdam,March 2008From 29 February until1 March 2008, EPF togetherwith Catholicsfor Choice conductedan interactive media training workshop entitled“Making the Media Work for You: CommunicatingSupport for Sexual and Reproductive Health andRights,” that was held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.The workshop brought together a selectedgroup of Members of Parliament from around Europewho support SRHR to discuss with media andadvocacy experts the challenges of communicatingsupport for this issue in different environmentsand venues. The workshop involved practicing anddeveloping skills regarding appearances on televisionand radio as well as training in message communication.As a direct result, the majority of Parliamentariansfelt more confident in speaking infront of cameras. Analysing their performance andone-on-one sessions contributed to this self-confidenceand a new set of presentation techniques onhow to deal with sensitive SRHR questions led tothe success of this workshop.EPF Working lunch around the first World MalariaDay, European Parliament, Strasbourg, France,April 2008On the occasion of World Malaria Day 2008, EPForganised a working lunch in the European Parliamentin Strasbourg on Wednesday 23rd April 2008with as a key theme “Investing in Malaria pays”. Theworking lunch was hosted by MEP Thierry Cornil-32

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGslet, member of EPF Taskforce on Malaria and MEPAnne van Lancker, EPF President. The key messagefor this first World Malaria Day was “Malaria is adisease without borders” and that it is necessary tointensify efforts to control the disease worldwide.During the working lunch, Dr Jan van Erps,from the Roll Back Malaria Partnershippresented the Global MalariaBusiness Plan, a long-term strategytowards the elimination and the possibleeradication of malaria, Dr. MarkGrabowsky, Malaria Coordinator at theGlobal Fund who presented the role andthe achievements of the Global Fund in terms ofmalaria control, and Mr. Gerald M. Walterfang, ChiefExecutive Officer of the Kenya NGOs Alliance againstMalaria gave a general overview of successful malariacontrol efforts and achievements in Kenya. MEPAnne van Lancker and EPF’s President, emphasisedthat “World Malaria Day should give us, Parliamentariansaround the world, the opportunity to raiseawareness and to mobilise the resources that areneeded to eradicate this disease”.International Parliamentarians’ Conference: “Europeon the brink: who decides over your body”Uppsala, Sweden, April 2008From 28-30 April 2008, more than 70 Members of Parliamentacross Europe, representatives from InternationalOrganisations such as UNFPA and the Councilof Europe, researchers, scientists, SRHR experts andNGO representatives gathered in Uppsala/Sweden todiscuss the future agenda of sexual and reproductivehealth and rights, gender issues, women’s rightsand how to deal with a growing opposition movementtowards SRHR. The conference was organised by EPF,the Swedish Family Planning Association (RFSU) andthe Swedish All-party Parliamentary Group.The 3-day conference that generated significantmedia coverage throughout Sweden not onlytook stock of the present SRHR situation inEurope from a political and legal point ofview. Participants also engaged in strategicdiscussions on how to deal with newscientific, societal, cultural and politicalchallenges, such as immigration, the integrationof (ethnic) minorities and their access toSRHR, the influence of religion in decision-makingprocesses, the growing opposition movement, theneed for a comprehensive sex education in school,a better integration and a heightened respect for theneeds of young people in this process.This conference also saw the much appreciatedlaunch of “Political Party Mapping” and led to thecreation of a new APPG in Poland and equally contributedto the formation of new alliances betweenresearchers and decision-makers, between writers,teachers and civil society. It has also created anenhanced understanding about the linkages betweenreligion, sex-education and social behaviour,between migration, women’s rights and culture.Carefully clarifying and identifying these links attracteda number of decision-makers, that for thefirst time, have participated in an EPF event, suchas MEP Gabriela Cretu (Romania), MP ZdzislawaJanowska (Poland), MP Elzbieta Streker-Debinska(Poland), MP Amira Skaka (Bosnia & Herzegovina),MP Valentina Leskaj (Albania).The Media Training wasvery interesting and rewarding formy future work. There is always aroom for improving communicationskills in our work with mediaand developing specific strategiesfor reaching better results whenaddressing public at different talkshows, while giving interviewsor writing articles. When talkingabout SRHR it is crucial to givegeneral public more informationabout the need for reproductivehealth and the reasons why weare supporting budgetary allocationsfor developing adequatereproductive health services inthe country”.Hon. George Tsereteli, MP (Georgia),Vice Speaker of the GeorgianParliament, Head of Health andSocial Affairs Committee inGeorgian Parliament and Memberof EPF Executive Committee33

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsI found the Media Trainingvery interesting and rewardingfor my future work. There isalways a room for improvingcommunication skills in ourwork with media and developingspecific strategies for reachingbetter results when addressingpublic at different talk shows,while giving interviews or writingarticles. When talking about SRHRit is crucial to give general publicmore information about the needfor reproductive health and thereasons why we are supportingbudgetary allocations fordeveloping adequate reproductivehealth services in the country”.Hon. Anne van Lancker, MEP(Belgium), EPF PresidentStrategic EuroNGOs Workshop: “SRHR – Population– Environmental Degradation – ClimateChange”, in Istanbul, Turkey, May 2008In order to stimulate a first discussion on the opportunitiesand challenges to integrate environmentaland climate change issues in our right’s basedSRHR advocacy in Europe, the European NGOsfor Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights,Population and Development (EuroNGOs), in closeco-operation with its member organisation, EPF,organised a strategic workshop on “SRHR – PopulationGrowth – Environment – Climate Change”linkages. The workshop took place in Istanbul onthe 15-16 May 2008.The 2-days workshop, which also served as apreparation for EuroNGOs Conference and AdvocacyGroup Meeting 2008, focused on providingan overview about current research and discussionabout the (possible) interdependence betweenSRHR, population patterns, environmental degradationand global climate change, the ethicalimplications to link these issues, as well as anexchange of information and of best practices/lessonslearned examples from the field.The primary objectives of ourworkshop were:> to provide an overview about currentresearch and discussion aboutthe possible interdependences betweenpopulation growth, environmentaldegradation, consumptionand climate change in the differentregions of the world;> to stimulate discussion on how to best approachthese interdependences as right’s based SRHR organisations;> to Initiate the development of a common strategyon how to respond to current population and climatechange discourses as a SRHR platform withregards to future advocacy and communicationstrategies, including the identification of commonpoints to be shared with other Civil Society groups(ecological, “age”, women’s rights, migration,etc.).The event, which brought together 32 SRHR, environmentaland humanitarian aid experts from theEU member states, the USA, and African countries,was governed by lively and thought-provoking discussions.The key findings and suggestions of thisworkshop were used as a basis for the EuroNGOsconference and annual general meeting held inOctober 2008 in Lyon, France.EPF Working Lunch with Judith Bruce on: “YouthPolicies and Girls in Developing countries”,Brussels, June 2008.On the occasion of a visit from Dr Judith Brucefrom the US-based Population Council to Brussels,EPF organised a working lunch to discussthe role of young people and specifically girlsregarding sexual and reproductive health andrights around the world. EPF’s partners in theBrussels community of NGOs working in SRHR,Members of the European Parliament, representativesof youth political parties and UN agenciesand other international organisations attendedthe lunch.34

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsJudith Bruce is a Senior Associate and the Directorof the Population Council’s Gender, Family, andDevelopment Program. She has developed andcoordinated programmes and policy-oriented researchrelated to the social and economic developmentof adolescents (particularly girls), women’sroles and status, gender relations and quality ofreproductive health care. Dr Bruce’s research hasmapped on a sub-regional basis the extent of thevulnerability to sexual and reproductive ill healthof various categories of young people, specificallygirls and offers insights into possible interventionswhich could improve the lives of millions ofthe young girls and young women most at risk ofviolence, HIV and STIs.Parliamentary Delegation to the G8 ParliamentarianConference in Tokyo, July 2008EPF brought a Parliamentary Delegation to the G8Parliamentarians’ Conference in Tokyo which focusedon Global Health, Climate Change and the MDGs, andhosted by the Japan Parliamentary Federation andthe Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Populationand Development (AFPPD). Previous G8 ParliamentaryConferences have shown the added value theparliamentary component can have.The European Parliamentarians from Germany,France and the European Parliament emphasisedthe need for the G8 leaders to renew existing aid andhealth commitments made in Gleneagles and Heiligendamm.Specifically, the European Parliamentarianscalled on the G8 to deliver on existing commitmentsin terms of funding, to ensure a transparentfollow-up mechanism to G8 commitments and therecognition of the mutual responsibility between developingand donor countries in reaching the MDGs.The Parliamentarians concluded with a very strongstatement, entitled the “Statement on GlobalHealth, Climate Change & Food Security” whichwas delivered to the Heads of State and Governments.The appeal is amongst others calling uponthe G8 Heads of State to recommit to the objectiveof universal access to HIV/AIDS-prevention, treatmentand care by 2010, to commit to achieving theMDG 5 target of universal access to reproductivehealth by 2015, address the unmet need for familyplanning supplies and to agree on comprehensivefunding and action plans with clear timetables onthe commitment of Heiligendamm (2007) to fundUSD60 billion for the fight against HIV/AIDS, Malariaand Tuberculosis. Most of the recommendationswere taken on board in the final G8 SummitDeclaration.High Level Conference on “The Future of ParliamentaryInvolvement in Global Health and Development”in Brussels, October 2008On Monday, 20 October 2008, EPF, the Belgian AllParty Parliamentary Group on the MDGs and theGlobal Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Ma-35

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGslaria organised an International High Level Conferenceon: “The Future of Parliamentary Involvementin Global Health and Development”. The Conference,held in the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels,Belgium was opened by Mr. Charles Michel, theBelgian Minister for Development Cooperation.Bringing together more than 80 participants,including Parliamentarians, health experts andrepresentatives of leading global health actorssuch as the Global Fund, UNFPA, UNAIDS, theWHO, RBM, Stop TB Partnership, French and BelgianGovernment Officials, European Commissionrepresentatives, representatives of innovativefinance mechanisms such as UNITAID and Debt-2Health, as well as civil society organisations. TheConference enabled Parliamentarians to have abetter understanding of the new development aidlandscape as well as a clear picture of the currentaid volume and effectiveness. Participants wereable to exchange views and best practices on globalhealth, sexual and reproductive health, and developmentaid issues leading to a comprehensiveand structured dialogue to achieve the MDGs andmeet ODA Commitments for global health whileentering a period of financial crisis. It was highlightedhow Parliamentarians can play a key rolein making their Governments accountable to theirInternational ODA commitments and in advancinghealth issues on the political agenda at national,European and international level.As a key outcome of the Conference, Parliamentariansadopted a Declaration which has beensigned by nearly 200 Parliamentarians around Europe.Recalling that as the world’s largest donor, itis Europe’s responsibility to honor its commitmentsand highlights the need for a continued, predictableand sustainable support for Global Health andDevelopment, Parliamentarians called for a strongsupport to the new financing mechanisms aimingto mobilise additional resources for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis,malaria and sexual and reproductivehealth and rights, and specifically pointed out thenecessity to enhance and increase the involvementof Parliamentarians and Parliamentary structures36

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsin the national, European and international decision-makingsettings in order to ensure that commitmentsare respected and turned into practice.Theatre Play in the European Parliament, Brussels,December 2008On 3rd December 2008, MEP Anne van Lancker,EPF President and Chair of the European Parliament’sWorking Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development (EPWG), MEP FrançoiseCastex and MEP Thierry Cornillet, members ofEPF Malaria Taskforce in collaboration with EPF,Equilibres & Populations (E&P), the EPWG and theUnited Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) hosteda joint event in the European Parliament combiningthe performance of a unique theatre play onmalaria with the presentation of UNFPA’s State ofWorld Population (SWOP) report 2008. The eventgathered European Parliamentarians, representativesof the European Commission, UNFPA and civilsociety NGOs.Following her participation to a study tour organisedby E&P to Burkina Faso on malaria and pregnancy,MEP Françoise Castex invited performers from theASMADE NGO (Burkina Faso) to show European Parliamentariansand civil society NGOs working in the fieldof sexual and reproductive health and rights aroundEurope, southern local ways of raising awarenessabout malaria. Malaria is affecting mainly pregnantwomen and children under five and the play provideda key example of a successful method of promotinghealth prevention and treatment measures in themost remote areas of the country. In the frameworkof the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, MEPAnne van Lancker emphasised that the theatre playcombined with the presentation of the UNFPA SWOPReport highlighted the importance of the dialogue betweencultures and gave an example of the importantrole that cultural expression can play in developmentefforts. The presentation of the UNFPA State of WorldPopulation 2008 report “Reaching Common Ground:Culture, Gender and Human Rights” emphasised theexisting synergies between human rights, values, andcultures in helping advancing the Millennium DevelopmentGoals.Participantsto the G8Parliamentarians’Conferenceincluded:Hon. Sibylle Pfeiffer, MPGermany I Christian DemocraticUnion (CDU)Hon. Sascha Raabe, MPGermany I Social DemocraticParty (SPD)Hon. Anne van Lancker, MEPBelgium I European SocialistParty (PSE)Hon. Danielle Bousquet, MPFrance I French SocialistParty (PS)Hon. Françoise Castex, MEPFrance I European SocialistParty (PSE)37

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsAbout EPF Parliamentary ActionIn 2007 and 2008, EPF successfully engaged in arecord number of advocacy and dialogue interventionsat national and European level that improveddecision-makers’ understanding of SRHR issuesand the existing linkages with other policy fields.EPF members take action within Parliament byspeaking out and posing Parliamentary questions totheir government, in order to open a discussion withthe government about an important issue or to sendthe government a message about the Parliament’spriorities. Parliamentarians also offer Parliamentarymotions, resolutions to register their opinions aboutan issue, organise Parliamentary hearings, meetwith government ministers, and participate in budgetnegotiations to mobilise resources. This sectionprovides a selection of several types of successfulAPPGs and Parliamentary initiatives resulting fromParliamentarians’ participation to EPF’s activities.AzerbaijanAs a result of her participation in numerous EPFevents, the Parliament of Azerbaijan under theinitiative of MP Malahat Ibrahimkizi, Chair of theAzerbaijan APPG (Member of EPF) conducted thefirst hearing on the new draft law of the Republicof Azerbaijan on Reproductive Health of the Population.The hearing was held within the frameworkof the EC/UNFPA Reproductive Health Initiative forRHIYC, partnered with EPF. The law, drafted jointlyby MP Malahat Ibrahimkizi and MP Musa Guliyev,Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Social Affairsintroduces for the first time the notion and definitionof sexual and reproductive health and rights.BELGIUMOn the occasion of this year’s Mothers Day, theBelgian All-Party Parliamentary Group “Parliamentariansfor the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs)” organised a series of actions and meetingsto raise awareness about the problematic ofMaternal Mortality. The APPG organised an awareness-raisingevent in the Belgian Parliament tosensitise their colleagues about this tragedy. In theframework of this action, the Parliamentary Grouppresented their resolution on Maternal Mortalitywhich demands the Belgian Government to implementits policy note on “The Belgian DevelopmentCooperation on Sexual and Reproductive Healthand Rights” and urges the government to financiallyand practically support its partner countriesenabling them to ameliorate their health care systems.The resolution was adopted.EUROPEAN ParliamentIn 2007, the Development Assistance Committee ofthe OECD concluded that “most donors are not ontrack to meet their stated commitments to scale upaid and will need to make unprecedented increasesto meet the targets they have set for 2010”. As aresult of her participation in various EPF led studytours (to the Philippines, to the G8 in Tokyo, etc.),conferences and media trainings, MEP Anne vanLancker, EPF President, in a letter to the Chairs ofEPF’s All-Party Parliamentary Groups, NGO’s andother stakeholders, expressed her “profound disappointmentwith these figures that highlight starklyjust how much we are failing to meet our commitments,and thereby costing many people in developingcountries their lives and health”. Addressing38

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsParliamentarians living in the world’s wealthiestdonor region accounting for over 60% of all ODA shestressed that “we must understand our responsibilityand act upon it in the areas where we can”.GEORGIAUnder the leadership of MP George Tsereteli,Vice-Deputy Speaker of the Georgian Parliament,and EPF Executive Committee Member, the ParliamentaryInternally Displaced People (IDP) workinggroup met to report on the status in each IDP settlementin Georgia. It was noted that the majorityof these settlements have seen improvements ofthe conditions in which IDPs live. The progress ofdistribution of food products purchased by Parliamentarystaff members and the coordinationwith other charitable organisations providing humanitarianaid were discussed. The meeting alsoaddressed the issue of infant feeding which stillremains a burning problem for the IDPs. Upon theinvitation of MP George Tsereteli and UNFPA, sixParliamentarians participated in an EPF-led factfindingmission to Georgia to gain first-hand informationto assess the reproductive health situationof internally displaced persons and to evaluate thehealth infrastructure needs of the country in theaftermath of the conflict between the Republic ofGeorgia and the Russian Federation.GERMANYUpon return from EPF study Tour on malaria toCameroon, in a press release, MP Karl Addickshighlighted that “next to HIV/AIDS, Malaria remainsa killer disease claiming millions of livesevery year, although we have the knowledge andthe means to control this disease in a few years”.MP Karl Addicks, EPF’s Taskforce on Malaria andmember of DSW’s Parliamentary Advisory Committeeinitiated the establishment of ParliamentaryWorking Group on Health in Developing Counties.POLANDFollowing her participation in the EPF/RFSU conferenceon: “Europe at the Brink: who decides overyour body” in Uppsala/Sweden, MP ZdzislawaJanowska (Poland) accelerated the creation of aPolish APPG with the support of the Polish FamilyPlanning Association TRR and EPF. The Polish APPGbecame a formal member of EPF in October 2008.SWEDENAs a result of her participation in various EPF activitiessuch as the fact-finding mission to Georgia,the Parliamentarian’s Conference on “The future ofParliamentarian Involvement in Global Health andDevelopment” and her activities as a Member ofthe Council of Europe, MP Carina Hägg, EPF Vice-President and Executive Committee Member hasput forward a parliamentary question on “Abortionas a Human Right” to the Swedish Minister of Integrationand Gender Equality, Nyamko Sabuni. Inher parliamentary question, MP Hägg argued that“abortion should be legal, safe and accessible forall women”, and that “abortion should be seenas part of international conventions on humanrights”. She urged that abortion must have a selfevidentplace during the Swedish EU presidencyand at the same time at UN level. Therefore, MPCarina Hägg asked Minister Sabuni if she plansto take any actions to ensure that abortion should39

WHAt We Do:Building Consensus to Achieve the MDGsAbout ParliamentaryDeclarations and Calls to Actionbe seen as a part of the European Convention onHuman Rights as well as international conventionson human rights. The answer provided by SwedishMinister for Foreign Affairs, Carl Bildt, highlightedthat access to safe and legal abortion is one of theprioritised issues within Sweden’s work on SRHR,emphasising that the Swedish government intendsto strengthen its work to achieve MDG 5 through additionalinitiatives within the development cooperationframework that aims to increase the accessto safe and legal abortion for women.EPF coordinates the development and circulationof Declarations and Calls to Action by Parliamentarianson the importance of global health andparticularly sexual and reproductive health andrights in international development programmes.In 2007 and 2008, EPF coordinated more than 10Parliamentary Declarations/Calls to Action whichenabled cross-party consensus, and gave Parliamentariansthe opportunity to set priorities andcoordinate joint efforts around global health andSRHR related issues.UKHaving participated to numerous EPF led eventsand study tours, MP Christine McCafferty, Chairof the UK All-Party parliamentary group on Population,Development and Reproductive Health initiateda number of Parliamentary Questions to theUK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State forInternational Development Rt. MP Gareth Thomas.The questions focused on what percentageof overseas development aid assistance was spenton population and reproductive health from 2001– 2007, and to what extent national parliaments,and sexual reproductive health and rights organisationswill be involved in the preparation of theEuropean Commission MDGs contract proposalsand the monitoring of results.40

WHAt We Do:Measuring Parliamentary Success on MDG Resource MobilisationIn 2007 and 2008, EPF continued to thrive as afully independent organisation, thus testifying tothe commitment of European legislators to liveup to their responsibilities to mobilise resourcesand create an enabling environment for populationand SRHR. EPF confirmed its role as a leadinginnovator in the field of parliamentary advocacy,providing an example and the catalyst for advocatingfor increased resources to population andSRHR and protecting the ICPD Programme of Actionthroughout 2008.EPFs managed to increasingly include SRH, genderequality, young people’s issues, malaria andHIV/AIDS from a population dynamics perspectivewithin UN inter-agency mechanisms and intergovernmentalprocesses. EPF has been uniquelyable to amplify the voice of European Parliamentarianson European and global level throughout2008. The following sections give an overview ofselected EPF’s engagement in parliamentary advocacysuccesses.AzerbaijanAzeri Parliament proposes SRH supplies budgetlineMP Malahat Hasanova and Chair of the EPF MemberParliamentary Group in Azerbaijan has for thefirst time in the country’s history proposed thecreation of a dedicated budget-line in the 2008state budget on reproductive health (RH) supplies.The new group in Azerbaijan, created in late 2006at the initiative of MP Hasanova working with EPFand UNFPA within the framework of the EC/UN-FPA Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in theSouth Caucasus, held a meeting in October whichtook stock of the legislative situation in the countryand charted a course to fill any legislative gaps.The proposal to create such a dedicated budgetline on RH supplies is a first step in the implementationof this parliamentary group’s plans forAzerbaijan.FinlandFinnish MPs fight for funding to MSI Afghanistanprojectupon hearing that the Finnish Government maycease its funding to a Mary Stopes InternationalSRH project in Afghanistan, MP Minna Sirnö, Chairof the Finnish All-Party Parliamentary Group andEPF’s Executive Committee member, immediatelymade an oral parliamentary question on the issue.As a result the Minister for Foreign Tradeand Development requested for more informationwhich Vaestoliitto provided. MP Minna Sirnö andother MPs from the Finnish APPG also met withthe Minister personally. MP Minna Sirnö gave apress release on the issue and again took it up in a41

WHAt We Do:Measuring Parliamentary Success on MDG Resource MobilisationParliamentary Plenary discussion on developmentissues in November 2007. Two other MPs from theFinnish group, MP Janina Andersson and MP JohannaSumuvuori, were also very active in promotingthis issue in their party group and towards theGovernment. The Minister has since promised tomaintain funding.GERMANYGerman MP increases voluntary contribution toUNFPA by 1 Million EurosMP Sybille Pfeiffer, Chair of one of EPF’s membergroups in Germany, the DSW Parliamentary AdvisoryCouncil, and host of this year’s G8 ParliamentariansConference in the German Bundestagin May and member of EPF delegations to Ghanain June and to Women Deliver in October, of herown initiative introduced a proposal to increaseGermany’s voluntary contribution to UNFPA in theBundestag’s budget committee by 1 Million Euros.Thanks to concerted follow-up by other members ofthe Parliamentary group and German NGO, DSW,MP Sybille Pfeiffer’s proposal was adopted inearly December 2007.LithuaniaLithuanian MPs push for country’s first voluntarycontribution to UNFPAIn 2007, MP Marija Pavilioniene, Chair of EPF’sMember Parliamentary Group in Lithuania, alongsidewith MP Birute Vesaite, EPF Executive CommitteeMember and MP Jadvyga Zinkieviciute,focal point for Lithuania’s development as a donorcountry in the Committee of Foreign Affairs andparticipant in numerous EPF activities, have jointlywritten to the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairsin support of a request by Asger Ryhl, headof UNFPA’s Nordic Office in Copenhagen, for a firstvoluntary contribution to the Fund from Lithuania.While the Minister has responded favourably to thecross-party parliamentary request, Parliamentariansare remaining vigilant as to the timely deliveryof the Minister’s promise.portugalPortuguese All-Party Group doubles contributionto UNFPAAt the occasion of an official visit of Thoraya Obaid,Executive Director of UNFPA, to Portugal in October2007, the Chair of the Portuguese All-Party ParliamentaryGroup, MP Maria Antonia de Almeida Santoswith the cross party support of the entire All-PartyGroup was able to convince State Secretary JoaoCravihno to double Portugal’s voluntary contributionto 200.000 Euros in 2008 and thereafter double thiscontribution on an annual basis. APF provides thesecretariat to the Portuguese All-Party Group andtechnical assistance to the Portuguese State Secretariatfor international cooperation and developmentwhich is currently overhauling its ODA delivery to bein line with OECD and EU requirements, making thisannual doubling of contribution to UNFPA possible.SpainSpanish MP successful in increasing funds formalariaMP Isaura Navarro, member of EPF Malaria Taskforceas well as the Spanish Parliamentary Inter-Group on Population and Development and participantin EPF’s malaria study tour to Cameroon in42

WHAt We Do:Measuring Parliamentary Success on MDG Resource MobilisationAugust, proposed a measure in the Spanish Congressof Deputies to pave the way for Spain to startfunding the prevention, treatment and diagnosisof malaria in Spain’s increasing ODA. The proposalwas adopted by the Congress of Deputies DevelopmentCommittee on 11 December 2007 based onthe technical advice and support of the SpanishFamily Planning Federation (FPFE) which providesthe secretariat to the Inter-Group.Spain starts funding IPPFThanks to the work of the Spanish ParliamentaryInter-Group on Population and Development, andits Chair, MP Clemencia Torrado Rey and theFPFE, the AECI (Spanish Agency for InternationalDevelopment) has approved a first ever project forIPPF and its work in Sudan. In 2008 Spain provideda greater support for the international NGO, IPPF,thanks to the leadership of State Secretary for InternationalDevelopment, H.E. Leire Pajin, herself aformer MP and participant in an EPF study tour toIndia in 2001 and member of the Inter-Group whostill works closely with FPFE.ydmsYDMs fundraises for peer education in TanzaniaMs Ann-Pascale Mommerency, Executive Responsiblefor the Youth of the European People’s Party,started a fundraising tour of Flanders meeting withvarious entrepreneurs to raise funds for a DSW peereducation project she visited during the EPF studytour to Tanzania.43

EPF APPGs’ MEMBERSHIPSince 2006, EPF expanded its membership and accounts 28 All-Party Parliamentary Groups in 25 European countries.Austria > Parteiübergreifende ParlamentarierInnengruppezur reproduktiven GesundheitArmenia > Parliamentary group on PopulationHealth and DevelopmentAzerbaijan > Azeri All-Party Parliamentary Group on Populationand Development: “Future Generation”Belgium > Parliamentarians for the MDGsBosnia- > Parlamentarna grupa zaHerzegovina populaciju I razvoj BiHDenmark > Danish All-Party Parliamentary Networkon Sexual and Reproductive Health and RightsEuropean > European Parliament WorkingParliament > Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS anddevelopment in the European ParliamentFinland > Finland Eduskunnan väestö- ja kehitys- TyöryhmäParliamentary All-Party Group onPopulation and DevelopmentFrance > Assemblée Nationale Groupe d’études Population> Assemblée Nationale Délégation aux droitsdes femmes et à l’égalité des chancesentre les hommes et les femmes> Sénat Groupe d’étudesdémographie et population mondialeGeorgia > Georgian Parliamentary Group onPopulation and DevelopmentGermany > Parlamentarischer Beirat der DeutschenStiftung Weltbevölkerung> Deutsches Parlamentarisches Forum für sexuelleund reproduktive Gesundheit und RechteIreland > All Party Oireachtas Interest Group on SRHR,Population and DevelopmentLithuania > Visuomenes pletros, reprodukcinessveikatos ir teisiu parlamentine grupeNetherlands > Het Meerpartijen Initiatief tweedekamer over HIV/AIDSNorway > Stortingsgruppen for seksuell ogreproduktiv helse og rettigheterPoland > Polish Parliamentary Group onPopulation and DevelopmentPortugal > Grupo Parlamentar Portuguêssobre População e DesenvolvimentoRomania > Subcomisia privind Demografia,Populatia si DezvoltareaRussia > Committee of the State Duma ofthe Russian Federation on PopulationScotland > Cross Party Group in the ScottishParliament for Sexual HealthSpain > Intergrupo Parlamentario Españolsobre Población, Desarrolloy Salud ReproductivasSweden > Riksdagsgrupp om SRHR,gender och utvecklings-samarbete(Informal all-party group on SRHR,gender and development co-operation)Switzerland > Parlamentarische Gruppe “Kairo+”Parliamentarian Group “Cairo+”groupe parlamentaire “Caire+”Turkey > Parliamentary Group of The Grand NationalAssembly of Turkey on Population & DevelopmentUK > UK All Party Parliamentary Groupon Population, Developmentand Reproductive Health44

EPF APPGs’ secretariatsAustriaArmeniaAzerbaijanBelgiumBosnia-HerzegovinaDenmarkEPFinlandFranceGeorgiaGermanyIrelandLithuaniaNetherlandsNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaScotlandSpainSwedenSwitzerlandTurkeyUK> Austrian Family Planing Association> APPG Secretariat in Parliament> APPG Secretariat in Parliament> Sensoa> Association for Sexual and Reproductive Health XY> Sex & samfund> Marie-Stopes International> Vaestolitto> Equilibres & Populations> French Movement for Family Planning (MFPF)> APPG Secretariat in Parliament> Profamilia> German Foundation for World Population (DSW)> Irish Family Planning Association> Family Planning and Sexual Health Association> APPG Secretariat in Parliament> NSSR> Polish Family Planning Association> Portuguese Family Planning Association> APPG Secretariat in Parliament> Russian Family Planning Association> APPG Secretariat in Parliament> Spanish Federation for Family Planning (FPFE)> RFSU> Planes> Turkish Family Planning Association> APPG Secretariat in Parliament45

EPF APPGs’ secretariatsEPF APPGs’ Secretariats’Meetings2007 APPG Secretariats Meeting in IstanbulThe All-Party Parliamentary Group’s Secretariatmeeting brought toge-ther 37 participants whowork on a daily basis with Parliamentarians toexchange experiences, learn from each other anddiscuss possibilities for collaborative events involvingParliamenta-rians. Participants gained anoverview of Parliamentary activities taking place ona national level and discussed experiences of successfulparliamentary advocacy. Techniques to improveadvocacy on sexual and reproductive healthand rights were also debated during the meeting aswell as how the connection between advocacy workon a Brussels level and the national level can bestrengthened and built upon. Two wor-king groupsessions took place on the final day of the meeting,the first focusing on how to work with Southernbased advocacy groups and the second looking atpractical steps for starting and sustaining Parliamentaryadvocacy in countries new to this field. Theevent was hos-ted by EPF and its partner in Turkey,the Turkish Family Planning Association, which isalso the secretariat to the Turkish ParliamentaryGroup on Population and Development.2008 APPG Secretariats Meeting in BrusselsIn 2008, the APPG Secretariats Meeting washeld on 2-3 December in Brussels. Next to theSecretariats of the All-Party ParliamentaryGroups which are EPF Members APPG Secretariatsthat are Members of EPF, ParliamentaryGroups receiving funding from UNFPA andother partners were invited to this meetingwith a total number of 37 participants representing23 APPG Secretariats. An update onParliamentary initiatives, exchange of experiences,brainstorming and networking featuredon the agenda as in the past APPG Secretariatsmeetings. This year, UNFPA also providedan in-depth technical capacity-buildingsession on its 2008-2011 Strategic Plan andwhat this means for UNFPA’s partners/granteesin donor countries. APPG partners highly valuedthis informal but very fruitful and constructiveexchange of views and ideas for providing newimpetus to advance SRHR issues in their nationalsetting. As a result of its activities andforward-looking thinking on SRHR, populationand development policies, EPF has increasinglybecome the recognised focal point for parliamentaryadvocacy on global health issues, andmost particularly SRHR at the European level.46

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPSEPF is a member of several consortia such asCountdown 2015 and Eurongos, and succeeded inopening up new and promising partnerships witha number of lead organisations in their respectivefields of engagement, such as the Global Fund toFight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the ReproductiveHealth Supplies Coalition (RHSC).Countdown 2015Countdown 2015 Europe brings together a group ofleading European non-governmental organisationsworking in the field of sexual and reproductive healthand rights. Under the lead partnership of IPPF-EN,Countdown 2015 Europe aims to ensure that withonly a few years to go before both the 20th Anniversaryof the ICPD and 2015 that universal access toreproductive health becomes a reality. In order toachieve this target, the availability of reproductivehealth supplies is essential, since having access toreproductive health services makes no sense whenthere are no reproductive health supplies. Experiencedin advocacy for reproductive health in OfficialDevelopment Assistance (ODA), Countdown 2015 Europeconducts activities in 15 European countries andwith the EU Institutions aiming to achieve increasedfinancial support of European donors for reproductivehealth supplies (RHS) and to improve European coordinationand coherence to narrow the gaps betweenthe needs, demand and availability of reproductivehealth supplies as an essential step toward achievingthe MDGs. As a key consortium partner, in 2007and 2008 EPF organised numerous successful activitieswith its partners, under Countdown to 2015.EuroNGOsThe European NGOs for Sexual and ReproductiveHealth and Rights, Population and Development(EuroNGOs) seek to translate the commitmentsof the International Conference on Population andDevelopment (ICPD) into international cooperativeprogrammes in the field of sexual and reproductivehealth in low-income countries. The EuroNGOs networkhas 30 members, 6 associate members and2 observers. EuroNGOs secretariat is coordinatingthe network and enables its members to developskills, exchange information and forge partnershipsand joint campaigns. This has been assistedby EuroNGOs annual conferences. EuroNGOs is veryactive in addressing the challenges posed by theEU enlargement and involving new Member States’organisations into its work.Reproductive Health SuppliesCoalition (RHSC)The RHSC is a global partnership of public, private,and non-governmental organisations dedicated toensuring that all people in low- and middle-incomecountries can access and use affordable, high-qualitysupplies to ensure their better reproductive health.Since 2004, the Coalition has been at the forefrontof international efforts to secure reproductive healthsupplies by increasing resources, strengtheningsystems, and building effective partnerships. Firstcontacts with the RHSC have been established in theframework of Countdown 2015 Europe, a consortiumof 18 leading European non-governmental organisationsworking in the field of sexual and reproductive47

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPSTremendous progress hasbeen made in expanding essentialhealth services in developingcountries. However, many people,especially the poorest of the poorstill cannot access effectiveprevention and treatment. Despiteglobal progress women still dieat childbirth, people get infectedwith HIV, tuberculosis (TB) andmalaria”Hon. Hilde Vautmans, MP(Belgium), Member of EPFExecutive Committeehealth and rights where EPF is a consortium partner.Since 2008, EPF sits on the Executive Board of theRHSC. Where appropriate, EPF and RHSC have joinedforces to educate Parliamentarians about the needand their role to urge governments to better coordinateand increase funding for reproductive healthsupplies (RHS). To this end, RHS is increasinglyperceived as an essential part of the SRHR issueby a number of Parliamentarians who have becomeoutspoken about the need to increase the availabilityof RHS in developing countries and have engaged inrespective policy development.Global Fund to Fight AIDS,Tuberculosis and MalariaIn 2007 and 2008, EPF successfully engaged in cooperationwith the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosisand Malaria. This new partnership resulted ina High Level Conference on “The future of ParliamentaryInvolvement in Global Health and Development”that was held in October 2008 in the Palais d’Egmont,in Brussels. The conference brought together morethan 80 participants, including 30 Parliamentarians,health experts and representatives of leading globalhealth actors. The conference resulted in a strong,forward-looking declaration on “The future of parliamentaryinvolvement in global health and development”called the “Brussels Declaration”, which wassigned by nearly 200 Parliamentarians.to the Global Fund’s Partnership Forum - one of thegoverning bodies of the Global Fund- held in Dakar,Senegal, pointing out the key role Parliamentariansand Parliamentary structures can play in the GlobalFund’s decision-making processes. Key discussionshighlighted how Parliamentary structures dedicatedto Global Health and Development, such as EPF, caneffectively ensure democratic parliamentary involvementin global health decision-making.In December 2008, as a follow-up event to thehigh-level parliamentary meeting in Brussels, EPFbrought an eight member parliamentary delegation48

SPECIAL INITIATIVEs: YOUNG DECISION MAKERSINITIATIVE (YDMI)2007-2008 Initiativesand Activities’ OverviewYDMs meets Summit Foundation: The Summit Foundation,EPF’s main donor to the YDMs Initiative, invitedEPF to have a YDMs meeting and address theBoard of the Summit Foundation on 10 November2007. EPF Secretariat invited Ms Ann-Pascale Mommerency,Executive Responsible for the Youth of theEuropean People’s Party to speak to the FoundationBoard of her experiences on the EPF study tour toTanzania and her subsequent efforts to prioritiseinternational SRHR in Europe’s leading centre-rightyouth political party.Norwegian YDMs: YDMs from all of Norway’s politicalparties met on 1 December 2007 in the NorwegianParliament, at the initiative of the Norwegian all-partyparliamentary group and EPF member as well as theNorwegian Family Planning Association to discussyouth political involvement in SRHR. Bartek Lech,Spokesperson for the Federation of Young EuropeanGreens, represented EPF’s YDMs at this event andspoke on the need to find consensus among youth politicalparties on issues which address them directly,namely SRHR, and to continue supporting a high levelof ODA from Norway.EPF YDMs invited to Youth Global Consultation onAIDS: the World Campaign on AIDS invited EPF in November2007 to designate a representative to takepart in the global youth consultations under preparationin view of the UN General Assembly Special Session(UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS scheduled to take placein New York in June 2008. The youth consultation willaim to ensure that a youth perspective is included inthe UNGASS discussions and a first meeting will takeplace in Amsterdam at the end of January 2008. EPFis currently consulting with the YDMs Steering Committeeas to a suitable representative to the YouthConsultation.YDMs starts fundraising tour for SRHR: Ms Ann-Pascale Mommerency, Executive Officer responsiblefor the Youth of the European People’s Party, hasstarted a fundraising tour of Flanders meeting withvarious entrepreneurs to raise funds for a DSW peereducation project she visited during the EPF studytour to Tanzania in August 2007.YDMs-MEP Assistants Briefing Meeting: YDMs andMEP Assistants discussed the future of SRHR at EUlevel. The meeting, conducted in this innovative wayfor the first time, presented an opportunity for youngpoliticians and assistants to the MEPs to meet andnetwork with their European counterparts and todiscuss the New Aid Architecture and its challengesregarding Health and Population issues.Briefing of Swedish YDMs: they were introduced toEPFs YDMs and its activities and briefed on SRHRdevelopments at EU level, the methodology and practiceof parliamentary advocacy as well as the importanceand impact of engaging with MEPs on SRHRat EU level.49

SPECIAL INITIATIVEs: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INITIATIVEFOR YOUTH IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS (RHIYC)This Programme is co-funded by European Union United Nations Population FundThe Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in theSouth Caucasus (RHIYC) action aims to make sustainableimprovements in the sexual and reproductivehealth of young people in Armenia, Azerbaijanand Georgia. The main target group is youth ages 15to 24, particularly the most vulnerable youth. Youth isinvolved in project design, implementation, monitoringand evaluation. This initiative is a partnership led byUNFPA with the EPF, with the support of the EU.This project empowers youth to realise their rights toaccessible, youth-friendly, high quality sexual andreproductive health services and supplies in order toreduce unwanted pregnancies, prevent the spread ofsexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS,and eliminate gender based violence. The officiallaunching ceremony of the RHIYC took place in thecapital of Georgia, Tbilisi on June, 13th 2006, attendedby governmental representatives from Armenia. Usingbest practices from around the world, the RHIYC isdesigned to meet the SRHR need of youth, reaching atleast 50 % of the region’s 2, 850,000 youth.2007-2008 Selection of initiativesand activities in the threeproject countriesNational Youth Reproductive Health and RightsForum in Yerevan, Armenia, November 2007On 29 November 2007, UNFPA Armenia organiseda National Youth Reproductive Health and RightForum conducted in Yerevan. The purpose of themeeting was to gather Governmental officials,Parliamentarians, representatives of the civilsociety and young people and to discuss the currentchallenges that young people in Armenia arefacing in regards to their health and reproductivehealth. Minister of Health and Social of Armenia,Minister of Education, Head of Health and SocialCommittee in the Parliament, Parliamentarians,UN representatives attended the meeting. It waschaired by Head of the Education Committee of theParliament, MP Hranush Hakopyan. Young peoplepresented their questions and received answersThe main activities are:> Informing, educating and communicating withyouth about their SRHR;> Improving availability of and access to qualityyouth friendly SRHR services;> Strengthening the SRHR policy environmentthrough national and inter-country networking.50

SPECIAL INITIATIVEs: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INITIATIVEFOR YOUTH IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS (RHIYC)from the governmental officials and Parliamentarianson burning issues. All participants stressedthe necessity for new legislative projects. EPF asa partner organisation was present at the meetingand stressed the necessity of organisingParliamentarians and involving them in the furtherdialogue on regional and European level. TheParliamentarians are now planning to establishthe Working Group and present the candidate forEPF membership.First Hearing in Parliament on the Draft Law onReproductive Health in Baku, Azerbaijan, October2008On 25 October 2008, the Parliament of Azerbaijanunder the initiative of MP Malahat Hasanova,Chair of the Azerbaijan All-Party ParliamentaryGroup on Population and Development (Member ofEPF) conducted the first hearing of the new draftlaw of the Republic of Azerbaijan on ReproductiveHealth of the Population. The law, drafted jointly byMP Malahat Hasanova and MP Musa Guliyev, ViceChairperson of the Committee on Social Affairs introducesfor the first time the notion and definitionof sexual and reproductive health and rights andconsists of 23 chapters.The draft law ensures the right of the Azerbaijanpopulation to reproductive health choice, modernfamily planning methods and incorporates the 12reproductive health rights as elaborated by IPPF.It includes the right to benefit from assisted reproductiontechnologies, ensures the proper informationof the citizens and their right to full andinformed RH choice. It ensuresthe right of women to decideover their bodies in case of anunwanted pregnancy. It underlinesthe need to promotehealthy lifestyles through educationas well as through massmedia campaigns. The last twochapters are elaborating therole of the government and its policies in ensuringreproductive health and rights and the statebudgeting and financing of activities addressingRH. Chapter XIX on Youth SRHR ensures provisionof free of charge information and counselling foryoung people on sexual and reproductive health byspecially trained and educated personnel and thecreation of a special environment for adolescentsto encourage them to use modern RH services. Afterthe Hearing, Parliamentarians attended the officialopening of the first Youth Friendly ReproductiveHealth Centre, opened within the framework ofEC/UNFPA Reproductive Health Initiative for Youthin the South Caucasus. The Centre will offer theyoung population of Azerbaijan medical and counsellingservices, RH information and will providethem with modern RH supplies.The South Caucasus AnnualYouth Reproductive Health andRights Forum, March 2007, Tbilisi,GeorgiaOn 22-24 March the South CaucasusAnnual Youth ReproductiveHealth and Rights Forum took51

SPECIAL INITIATIVEs: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INITIATIVEFOR YOUTH IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS (RHIYC)place in the Parliament of Georgia in Tbilisi, organisedby EPF and UNFPA Georgia. The Conferencewas opened by the First Lady of Georgia, Mrs. SandraElisabeth Roloefs and Minister of Health, Mr.Vladimir Chipashvili. The two day event ga-theredmore than 150 participants – governmental officials,Parliamentarians and civil society representativesfrom Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and theEuropean Union - who discussed the challenges inimproving the situation of young peoples’ reproductivehealth and rights in the three countries.The participants signed the Statement of Commitmentfor achieving sustainable improvements in the field ofreproductive health and rights of young people in theSouth Caucasus and elaborated a National Frameworkfor Action that spells out concrete actions to be takenby each stakeholder to further mobilise resources andcreate an enabling environment for the improvementof the SRHR of the young people of the region.Prior to the conference, anew youth friendly ReproductiveHealth Centre wasopened at the MedicalUniversity in the capital ofGeorgia, Tbilisi. The Centreprovides young peoplewith information, modernRHS as well as youthfriendly counselling related to their reproductivehealth/rights and family planning. Within theRHIYC Initiative, 4 more youth friendly reproductivehealth centres will be opened in the country’s capitalTbilisi and 10 in rural areas of the country.South Caucasus Youth Festival CAUCASUSHEALTHY WAVE September 2007, Batumi, GeorgiaThe second South Caucasus Youth Festival wasone of the most distinguished three-day regionalevents taking place on the Black Sea coast, Batumi,Georgia. It brought Armenian, Azerbaijani,Georgian and European youth together with governmentaland parliamentary officials, representativesof civil society organisations, UNFPA officialsand EC delegation, famous musicians and mediarepresentatives from South Caucasus to betterreach out to young people and promote healthylifestyle. To promote exchange of best practices EPFfacilitated participation of two Young Decision Makersfrom Denmark: A young woman from Danish SocialDemocratic Youth and a young man from SocialLiberal Youth of Denmark, who shared their country’sexperiences of dealing with youth SRHR.The festival was supported by the Government ofthe Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Georgia andthe municipality of Batumi. A Variety of indoor andoutdoor events were carried out during festivaldays. It offered interesting educational, sport andother types of outreach activities. 14 different youthteams were created and participated in football andvolleyball tournaments, 130 youngsters took part ina 3 km distance marathon. Free concerts and moviesessions were one of the most amusing and educationalactivities for the teenagers.52

SPECIAL INITIATIVEs: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INITIATIVEFOR YOUTH IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS (RHIYC)Projects’ Key AchievementsLaunched in 2006, the RHIYC action hasmade sustainable improvements in thesexual and reproductive health of youngpeople aged 15 to 24 in Armenia, Azerbaijanand Georgia. Reaching at least 50 % of 2,85million youth of the South Caucasus, RHIYCaimed at empowering them to realise theirrights to accessible, youth-friendly, high qualitysexual and reproductive health servicesand supplies in order to reduce unwantedpregnancies, prevent the spread of sexuallytransmitted infections including HIV/AIDS,and eliminate gender based violence.Reproductive HealthInitiative for Youth in the SouthCaucasus (RHIYC) is the bestexample of involving politiciansin improving youth education,information on reproductive rightsand access to the reproductivehealth services.”Hon. George Tsereteli, MP(Georgia), Member of EPFExecutive CommitteeIn 2007 and 2008, EPF has been successful increating two APPGs in Armenia and Azerbaijanwhich enabled to increase Parliamentaryawareness and mobilisation for sexual andreproductive health and rights and led to theintroduction of a draft law on sexual and reproductivehealth in Azerbaijan.Through inter-country and country activities, the project has greatlycontributed to expansion of SRH services in line with InternationalConference on Population and Development and Millennium DevelopmentGoals. Within three years, more than 80 new youth friendlyreproductive health centres opened across the region, 30 000 youngpeople received information on their sexual and reproductive healthand rights, 1 765 medical care providers received trainings onmo-dern reproductive health care and provision of family planningser-vices and new legislative acts on reproductive health, familyplanning and healthy and harmonious education are in the makingin Azerbaijan and Georgia.53

SPECIAL INITIATIVEs: EUROPEAN ALLIANCEAGAINST MALARIAMalaria Fast facts:> 40% of the world’s population is atrisk of contracting Malaria;> Malaria is putting 3.2 billion peopleat risk in 107 countries;> Malaria is a major public healthproblem in more than 90 countries;> Malaria is the number one killerdisease in Africa;> An estimated 247 million clinicalmalaria cases occur every year;> Every year, Malaria causes morethan 1 million deaths (WHO estimates);> More than 60% malaria cases and90% of malaria deaths occur in Africa;> The most vulnerable people arechildren and pregnant women;> Malaria costs poor countries anestimated USD 12 billion every year;> An estimated USD 3.2 billion peryear is needed to fight against malaria;as of now, only one third of the fundsare available (Global Fund)In 2006, EPF -in partnership with 10 other civil societyorganisations from Brussels, France, Germany,Spain and the United Kingdom all working in the fieldof global health and development - launched a threeyearproject called “European Alliance Against Malaria”(EAAM) aiming through advocacy to increasepublic and political awareness and funding for malariaat Member State and EU level. Since 2006, EPFhas been working with Parliamentarians to increasesupport and awareness on malaria and demandingrigorous and resolute action to fight malaria as partof global efforts to reduce poverty and meet the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs).Creation of EPF Taskforce on MalariaIn 2007, EPF organised an Inter Parliamentary meetingin the British Parliament for the creation ofthe Parliamentary Taskforce on Malaria, which washosted by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group onMalaria and Tropical Neglected Diseases (UKAPPMG).EPF’s Taskforce meeting was attended by nine Parliamentariansfrom Albania, Georgia, Ireland, Lithuania,Sweden and the United Kingdom, including twomembers of EPF’s Executive Committee.Thanks to the creation of a dedicated ParliamentaryTaskforce on Malaria composed of over twenty-fiveParliamentarians, EPF has identified a core groupof Malaria Champions from Europe’s donor countries(Belgium, Finland France, Germany, Ireland, Italy,Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK) andEuropean countries where malaria is endemic (Georgia),committed to improve the political policy andfunding environment to combat the suffering andmortality caused by malaria.The aim of the Taskforce is to:> Provide a focal point in Europe for Parliamenta-riansinterested in Malaria andconnect them with experts on Malaria;> Develop a cohesive partnership andraise awareness, knowledge and supportamongst Parliamentarians in Europe aimingto increase funding and promote solutionsfor effective malaria reduction;> Promote the exchange of knowledge, information,good practices, share lessons,support and coordinate the work of Parliamentariansaround specific events (e.g.World Malaria Day).The main activities included:> Inter-Parliamentary visits;> Parliamentary Hearings on issuesrelated to malaria;> Parliamentary Study Tours to developingcountries in order to be made aware of theneed to address malaria control in developmentcooperation efforts;> Support for Parliamentary reports,resolution, questions on Malaria;> Joint/coordinated media event.54

SPECIAL INITIATIVEs: EUROPEAN ALLIANCEAGAINST MALARIA2007-2008: key initiativesand achievementsof EPF Malaria TaskforceEPF’s Malaria Taskforce has been very successful in:> Fostering political dialogue on malaria and scaling-uppolitical supportEPF’s Malaria Taskforce members, including EPF’sExecutive Committee members became strong advocatesfor scaling-up political support for malaria.As a key example, at the G8 Parliamentarians’ Conferenceheld in Tokyo in July 2008, Parliamentariansdeveloped key recommendations regarding healthMDGs which were taken on board in the final G8Summit Declaration, including a malaria specificcommitment of 100 000 bed nets by 2010;> Creating structures and strengthening ParliamentaryoversightHaving participated in EPF’s study tour to Cameroonon malaria in August 2007, German MPKarl Addicks mentioned: “We have seen someprojects, we have seen problems… we are goingback to invite our governments to get involved.”Upon return, he joined EPF Malaria Taskforce andinitiated the establishment of a ‘ParliamentaryWorking Group on Health in Developing Countries’.Since then, Dr Addicks became the focal point onmalaria in his party;> Building cross-party consensuson the issue of malariaThe example of the UKAPPMG isunique as it is the only Parliamentarygroup with a specific malariafocus in Europe. The UK APPMG isa key example of successful initiativesand achievements aiming atmobilising Parliamentarians fromdifferent political backgrounds inorder to raise awareness and increase funding formalaria. “I asked 160 Parliamentary questions in theBritish Parliament”, said MP Stephen O’Brien, Chairof the UK APPMG;> Mobilising resourcesA number of EPF’s Malaria Taskforce members fromBelgium, France, Germany, Spain, and the UK undertookimportant initiatives to this end, such asasking parliamentary questions regarding developmentaid and malaria funding. Among key taskforcemembers’ achievements resulting from successfulEPF’s study tours, 2 motions for increasing resourcesfor malaria prevention, treatment and researchwere initiated and adopted in Germany and Spain,with the support of respective partners, DSW Germanyand the Spanish Federation of Family Planning.We need to advocate formore and better aid and invite ourGovernments as well as the Councilof the European Union and theEuropean Commission to intensifytheir efforts in order to achievethe MDGs, and particularly MDG5 and 6”Hon. Françoise Castex, MEP,(France), Member of EPF’s MalariaTaskforce55

SPECIAL INITIATIVEs: EUROPEAN ALLIANCEAGAINST MALARIAMalaria kills mostlypregnant women and childrenunder five, there is a clear linkagebetween sexual and reproductivehealth, gender and malaria”.Hon. Heli Järvinen, MP (Finland)Member of EPF’s Malaria Taskforce> Supporting developing countries accountabilityDr. Esther Tallah, Manager of the Cameroon CoalitionAgainst Malaria (CCAM) highlighted how beneficialand useful hosting and accompanying EPF’s ParliamentaryDelegation had been. “We were very happy tohost EPF’s Parliamentary Delegation, it really enabledus obtaining an increased visibility, credit and accessto public institutions.”> Encouraging peer to peer exchangesEPF’s Malaria Taskforce is providing its memberswith a framework for sharing best practices. Either byorganising or participating in hearings, conferences,study tours, it appeared that exchange of best practicesled to a substantial raise on malaria awarenessas well as an increased number of motions, reports,parliamentary questions, events and interventions onmalaria both at national and European level. EPF’smalaria Taskforce members were also given the opportunityto exchange best practices with their peersfrom the South during parliamentary study tours. Thekey example is the way exchanges between Europeanand Cameroonian Parliamentarians led to the creationof an All Party Parliamentary Malaria Group inthe Cameroonian;> Mainstreaming Malaria into Parliamentary advocacyEPF’s Malaria Taskforce members have been successfulin mainstreaming malaria and promotingintegrated approaches between malaria and HIV/AIDS, malaria and SRHR, malaria and Gender, andalso malaria and research. In order to provide a fewexamples, in 2008 EPF brought a Parliamentary Delegationto the XVII International AIDS Conferenceheld in Mexico, where participating Parliamentarianswere able to learn more about the existing links betweenHIV/AIDS and Malaria and the need to tacklethe diseases together. As a result, the members ofEPF’s Delegation signed the Petition “A Demand forAction: HIV/AIDS and Malaria”. Upon return, BelgianMP Martine de Maght asked 2 written Parliamentaryquestions to the Belgian Vice-Prime Minister andthe Minister of Health and Minister for Development,regarding the funding for sexual and reproductivehealth, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria.Another way of successfullymainstreaming malariahas been by identifyinga focal point for malariawithin EPF’s APPGs’ members.As a key example,Finnish MP Heli Järvinen,member of the Finnish AllParty Parliamentary Groupon Population and Development,joined EPF’s MalariaTaskforce upon return froma study tour and becamethe focal point for malariawithin the Group;> Providing leardership and visibility for malariaEPF’s Malaria Taskforce members have been ableto show leadership and provide visibility for the issueof malaria thanks to the continuous support ofnational NGOs providing regular malaria updatesand technical expertise to members. Since the56

SPECIAL INITIATIVEs: EUROPEAN ALLIANCEAGAINST MALARIAcreation of EPF Malaria Taskforce there were anincreased malaria related activities in Parliamentsat EU and National Level, specifically around WorldMalaria Day where several Taskforce members organisedvarious awareness-raising events in theirrespective Parliaments (European Parliament, UK,Germany, and Georgia).EPF’s Malaria Taskforcemember French MEPThierry Cornillet consecutivelyorganised 2working lunches in theEuropean Parliamentaround World MalariaDay.The past few years, EPF’s Malaria Taskforce membersgave a greater cover to the issue of malariacontrol by publishing press releases, articles,reports, statements of support, giving interviewsetc. Catalan MP María Rosa Fortuny who joinedEPF’s Malaria Taskforce upon return from EPF’sstudy tour to Tanzania on malaria research, turnedinto an outspoken advocate on the fight againstmalaria. She gave an extensive interview in TV3,the Catalonian public TV where she mentioned “Ididn’t know anything about malaria before thestudy tour. We really need to scale-up politicaland financial support for malaria”. In her politicalparty, MP María Rosa Fortuny became the focalpoint for malaria related issues. She mentionedrecently, “I’m very proud of being a member ofEPF’s Taskforce on Malaria, and be sure that I willdo my best”.> Mutually reinforcing relationship for the fightagainst malariaEPF has been successful in mutually reinforcingrelationship with key partners, such as the RollBack Malaria Partnership (RBM), always amongthe key guests malaria speakers in EPF’s events,but also the Global Fund which sponsored the HighLevel Parliamentary Conference on global healthand development as well as the participation ofEPF’s parliamentary delegation to the PartnershipForum in Dakar, and finally PATH MVI which providedsupport to EPF’s study tour to Tanzania onmalaria research.EPF has been successfully working with its APPGmembers towards mainstreaming and raisingawareness on malaria, identifying malaria championscalling for increased support for malariacontrol.Every year, Malaria causesmore than one million deathsworldwide, touching particularlyyoung children and pregnantwomen (...) it is Parliamentarians’responsibility to urgently addressthis issue”.Hon. Thierry Cornillet, MEP(France), Member of EPF’s MalariaTaskforce57

Overview of EPF’s Key Achievements in 2007-2008EPF continues to thrive as a fully independent organisation, thus testifying to the commitment of European legislators to live up to their responsibilities tomobilise resources and create an enabling environment for global health, development, population and SRHR. In 2007 and 2008, EPF confirmed its roleas a leading innovator in the field of parliamentary advocacy, providing an example and the catalyst for advocating for increased resources to population,global health, including SRHR and protecting the ICPD Programme of Action. 2008 has been the most successful year for EPF since its existence.Main 2007-2008 ActivitiesInfluence MEPs and YDMs for advancingtheir commitment to ICPD andMDGs, by increasing their knowledgeon population, development and SRHRSupport the establishment of APPGs onpopulation and development and buildsthe capacity of their secretariatsEnsure its own sustainability, in termsof parliamentary support and donorresourcesInvolve European MPs in UN relatedmeetings, including in the Council ofEurope working through the newlycreated EPF UN TaskforceInvolve European MPs in Global FundPartnership ForumConduct Secretariat’s Activities includingExecutive Committee and CouncilMeetingsIPCI/ICPD Steering Committee MeetingAPPGs’ Secretariats MeetingEPF PublicationsKey Achievements of EPF> Greatest number of study tours to developing countries;> Involved a record number of Parliamentarians in Global Health/SRHR activities and events;> Creation of a Parliamentary Taskforce on Malaria;> Sustained and recorded follow-up activities by MPs from all EPF activities in relationto resource mobilisation for ICPD and MDGs.> New Parliamentary Groups in the Netherlands, Romania, Poland and Armenia. Progress underway in Moldova,Cyprus, and Latvia for 2009;> Greatest number of NGOs actively taking up EPF model for parliamentary advocacy than ever before (over 30);> Continued implementation of UNFPA/EPF RHIYC project in the South Caucasus.> Multi-annual funding commitments totalling over USD 1.2 Million for 2006-2009 with diversified funding base.> Record number of MPs involved in UN Meetings;> Creation of UN Taskforce to ensure involvement and continuity of MP engagement in UN affairs;> Achieved adoption of landmark reports through dedicated parliamentary involvement.> Record number of MPs involved in Global Fund monitoring and decision-making process;> The EPF held 4 Executive Committee meetings in 2007 and 2008, as well as two EPF Council meetings.> EPF brought two European Parliamentarians to the IPCI/ICPD Steering Committee Meeting in Tunis/Tunisia.> In 2007 and 2008, EPF organised two APPGs Secretariats meeting with more than 37 participants representing 22APPG Secretariats, Parliamentary Groups and other partners.> EPF has published monthly newsletters and published bi-monthly RHIYC newsletters in English and Russian;> In 2008 the EPF-brochure was updated; and in 2007 and 2008 EPF published Political Party Mapping (PPM) and Euromapping.58

EPF PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH TOOLSIn 2007 and 2008, EPF succeeded to publish thefollowing innovative research tools, news briefsand other publications 4 :EPF Research ToolsEuroMapping 2007 & 2008EPF together with the GermanFoundation for World Population(DSW) developed the “EuroMapping”study that scrutinises EUcountries’ development aid forpopulation assistance and reproductivehealth, and provides thelatest scientific facts, numbersand developments with regard toSRHR at national, European andglobal level. After the successof the last EuroMapping exercise in 2007, EPF andDSW published an updated and enlarged versionincluding new countries, namely Canada, USA, NewZealand, Australia. EuroMapping is an instrumentthat combines data from multiple sources suchas the European Commission, the Organisation forEconomic Cooperation and Development (OECD)and the Nederlands Interdisciplinair DemografischInstituut (NIDI) to produce analysis specificallycalibrated to meet the needs of SRHR advocatesand decision-makers. EuroMapping 2007 and 2008monitored the financial flows and their allocation,particularly the ODA spending on health, includingsexual and reproductive health and family planning,in order to follow up on the government’s internationalcommitments. The publications were widelydisseminated to partner NGOs, European decisionmakers,and to the EU Commission officials whoperceived the EuroMapping findings and analysis ofvalue. Since their publications, Parliamentarians,SRHR Advocates and civil society organisations, EUOfficials and civil servants at national level haveused these figures in speeches, policy documents,reports and media releases to argue for more fundingwith regard to SRHR, to raise awareness aboutthe various linkages between SRHR, the MDGs, thefight against HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosisetc.Political Party Mapping (PPM)The innovative EPF research projectPolitical Party Mapping has mapped88 political parties in 14 Europeancountries including the parties inthe European Parliament accordingto their line on issues like sexual orientation,international developmentand termination of pregnancy. Thisground-breaking research exercise isthe first of its kind. The findings andresults were considered a great leapforward to a better understanding ofpolitical parties’ voting patterns on these sensitiveissues by Parliamentarians, NGOs, SRHR advocatesbut also civil servants in ministries across Europe.The findings of PPM have helped to win politicalmajorities for landmark reports in the Councilof Europe report and in the European parliament.PPM has generated a considerable interest in themedia and amongst decision-makers, civil soci-4 All EPF’s research tools and publications areavailable on EPF’s website at: www.iepfpd.org59

EPF PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH TOOLSety and non-governmental organisations. PoliticalParty Mapping has been presented at a number ofmeetings and was used to build capacity amongSRHR advocates, Representatives of APPG Secretariats,Young Decision Makers and Civil SocietyOrganisations to adapt their advocacy strategiesto anticipated changes in the political party landscape.PPM findings have also been used as a basisto familiarise non-SRHR groups with EPFs workand goals and enabled EPF to draw attention to theimportant field of SRHR and its linkages to otherpolicy field to a wide circle of auditors. PPM helpedto educate decision-makers, advocates and otherrelevant stakeholders about the upcoming changesin Europe’s political landscape that is likely to becomemore conservative, which implications thismight have to win the necessary parliamentary majoritiesfor SRHR issues and how to adapt advocacystrategies accordingly.EPF Voting AnalysisIn 2008 EPF undertook two innovative and substantivevoting analyses. One for the ParliamentaryAssembly of the Council of Europe Report on “Accessto Safe and Legal Abortion in Europe” and anotherfor the European Parliament’s Resolution on“Maternal Mortality ahead of UN high-level Eventon the Millennium Development Goals to be held on25 September 2008”. Both analysis contributed tothe understanding of decision-makers, advocatesand NGOs on how SRHR issues are dealt with atEU respectively at Council of Europe level. In addition,they created a deeper understanding aboutthe political dynamics and voting behaviour thatexists in both institutions, how necessary majoritiescan be created and which factors need to betaken into account.EPF PublicationsEPF Monthly NewsletterEPF is issuing a monthly newsletter to its partnersand friends. This newsletter presents monthlyhighlights of EPF’s and its member parliamentarygroups’ activities, developments and achievements.EPF newsletter provides an overview oflegislative and Parliamentary initiatives on sexualand reproductive health and rights and internationaldevelopment in Europe and around the worldon the part of the global community of Parliamentarianscommitted to the International Conferenceon Population and Development (ICPD). Since June2008, EPF has included an “EPF – EU News Supplement”into its monthly newsletter featuring news,developments, initiatives and activities around theupcoming elections to the European parliament.The EPF newsletter reaches approximately 1.000addressees in Europe and internationally.EPF RHIYC NewsletterEPF RHIYC Newsletter is published on a bi-monthlybasis featuring news, initiatives, activities and developmentswith regard to the RHIYC project in theSouth Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan).The newsletter is made available in Englishand Russian and reaches approximately 500 addresseesin the South Caucasus but also in theEuropean Union.60

EPF GOVERNANCE & STRUCTUREEPF CouncilThe EPF Council consists of representativesof the EPF membership (the 28 allpartyParliamentary groups throughoutEurope that focus on SRHR and development).EPF Council meetings are heldonce a year and the key EPF Council’sresponsibilities include: the admissionof new members and observers: the approvalof a yearly budget and multi-yearstrategic plan for the Secretariat; the appointmentof auditors; the review of theprogress achieved and the election of theExecutive Committee. In 2007, EPF CouncilMeeting took place in Lisbon, and in2008, it took place in Brussels.EPF Executive CommitteeThe eleven member EPF Executive Committeeoversees the implementation ofEPF Council decisions, monitors the Secretariat’sannual budget and evaluatesits progress within the multi-year strategicplan. In addition, Executive Committeemembers represent EPF at national,regional and international events.EPF Executive Committee Meetings areheld quarterly. Their aim is to strategiseon upcoming SRHR and global healthrelated issues, discuss and fine tune theannual work plan and priorities of EPFand consult on urgency issues, initiatives,successes and challenges at national andEuropean level.The Executive Committee as of October 31st 2008First Vice-PresidentCarina Hägg, MPSwedenRiksdagen (Parliament)Honorary TreasurerDr. Mary HenryIrelandMemberAntje Blumenthal, MPGermany,BundestagMemberLyn Brown, MPUnited Kingdom,House of CommonsMemberGeorge Tsereteli, MPGeorgiaGeorgian ParliamentPresidentAnne van Lancker, MEPBelgium - EuropeanParliamentMemberHilde Vautmans, MPBelgium,Belgian ParliamentMemberBirute Vesaite, MPLithuania,Seimas (Parliament)MemberMinna Sirnö, MPFinland,Eduskunta (Parliament)MemberChantal Gill’ard, MPNetherlands,Tweede KamerMemberDanielle Bousquet, MPFrance ,Parlement français61

EPF GOVERNANCE & STRUCTUREEPF SecretariatThe EPF secretariat is based in Brussels and is responsible for implementing all EPF activities. EPFmaintains a website with information about its activities and a monthly News Update on the activitiesof Parliamentarians, SRHR, global health and development policy and related items. It can befound at www.iepfpd.org.As of 1st September 2008, the EPF Secretariat staff is composed as follows (in alphabetical order):Neil Datta Secretary ndatta@iepfpd.orgMarina Davidashvili Network and Knowledge Sharing Facilitator / RHIYC marina@iepfpd.orgNadine Krysostan Senior Advocacy Officer nadine@iepfpd.orgMiguel Ongil Programme Officer miguel@iepfpd.orgSaskia Pfeijffer Programme Associate saskia@iepfpd.orgSilvia Theodoridis EU Advocacy Officer silvia@iepfpd.orgVincent Villeneuve Advocacy Assistant vincent@iepfpd.orgEPF is a member of:> The European Alliance against Malaria;> Countdown 2015 Europe;> The Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in the South Caucasus (RHIYC);> The Steering Committee of the International Parliamentarians’ Conference;of the Implementation of the IPCI Programme of Action (IPCI/ICPD).EPF:> Is an Associate Member of EuroNGOs;> Has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council;> Has Participatory Status with the Council of Europe.62

List of abbreviationsACP–EU JPA Africa Caribbean Pacific–EU Joint Parliamentary AssemblyAECI Spanish Agency for International DevelopmentAFPPD Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and DevelopmentAPDA Asian Population and Development AssociationAPF Portuguese Family Planning AssociationAPPG All-Party Parliamentary GroupASRH Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive HealthCCAM Cameroon Coalition Against MalariaCCM Country Coordinating MechanismCSW Commission on the Status of Women of the United NationsDEMYC Democrat Youth Community of EuropeDSW German Foundation for World Population (DSW)E&P Equilibres & PopulationsEAAM European Alliance Against MalariaEC European CommissionECOSOC Economic and Social Council of the United NationsECOSY Young European SocialistsENDYL European Network of Democratic Young LeftEPF European Parliamentary Forum on Population and DevelopmentEPWG European Parliament Working Group on Reproductive Health,HIV/AIDS and DevelopmentEU European UnionEuroNGOs European NGOs for Sexual and Reproductive Health and RightsFPFE Spanish Federation For Family PlanningFYEG Federation of Young European GreensGlobal Fund Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and MalariaHLM High Level MeetingICPD International Conference on Population and DevelopmentIDPs Internally Displaced PeopleIPPF International Planned Parenthood FederationITNs Insecticide-treated netsJPFP Japan Parliamentarians Federation for PopulationLYMECMDGsMEPMEXFAMMPNGONIDIOECDODAPACEPATH MVIPPMRBMRFSURHIYARHIYCRHRHSRHSCSRHRSTIsSWOPUK APPMGUNUNAIDSUNFPAUNGASSUNPAWHOYDMsYEPPEuropean Liberal YouthMillennium Development GoalsMember of the European ParliamentMexican Family Planning AssociationMember of ParliamentNon Government OrganisationNederlands Interdisciplinair Demografisch InstituutOrganisation for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentOfficial Development AssistanceParliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropePATH Malaria Vaccine InitiativePolitical Party MappingRoll Back Malaria PartnershipSwedish Family Planning AssociationReproductive Health Initiative for Young People in AsiaReproductive Health Initiative for Youth in the South CaucasusReproductive HealthReproductive Health SuppliesReproductive Health Supplies CoalitionSexual and Reproductive Health and RightsSexually Transmitted InfectionsState of World PopulationUK All-Party Parliamentary Groupon Malaria and Neglected Tropical DiseasesUnited NationsThe Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDSUnited Nations Population FundUnited Nations General Assembly Special SessionUnited Nations Parliamentary AssemblyWorld Health OrganisationYoung Decision MakersYouth of the European People’s Party63

for contact DetAils:European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF)Rue Montoyer 23 - 1000 Brussels - BelgiumTel: +32 (0)2 500 86 50 - Fax: +32 (0)2 511 67 62secretariat@iepfpd.org - www.iepfpd.org00