January 2006

MEMBER NEWS

PGPD activities for 2006

The PGPD will hold its first meeting on 28  February. Bruce Billson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has been invited to lead a discussion at the meeting on issues raised in the recommendations for Australia's White Paper on Overseas Aid (see below for further information), in particular population, reproductive health, and developing stronger links with parliamentarians in our region.

The PGPD's program of activities for 2006 will include the following:

• March - visit by Steve Sinding, Executive Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation
• April - study tour with NZPPD to PNG
• June - visit by Sultan Aziz, Director, Asia Pacific, UNFPA (TBC)
• August - visit by representatives from Marie Stopes International and Family Planning Queensland to speak on indigenous sexual and reproductive health (TBC)

Planning for events in the second half of the year is also underway.

New members

PGPD welcomes new member Judy Hopwood, MLA, Member for Hornsby (Liberal, NSW Parliament). Mrs Hopwood has a background in nursing and bioethics. She has served as Member for Hornsby since 2002.

OTHER PARLIAMENTARY GROUPS

Philippine Congress debates contraceptive access

A bill on reproductive health was introduced into the Philippines Parliament by members of the Philippines Legislators' Committee on Population and Developoment (PLCPD) in December. Debate on the bill will begin in January.

The bill, which is facing strong opposition from those against contraception, seeks to provide the public with “free and full access to adequate and relevant information on reproductive health and a full range of family methods and devices.”

According to the 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey, 44.3 percent or almost half of all pregnancies in the country are unplanned. (Full article - Philippine Inquirer)

Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (IEPFPD) study visit to Peru

European parliamentarians made a study visit to Peru in November to learn about population and reproductive health issues in that country.

UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health Hearing on Population Growth - the Impact on the MDGs

The UK APPGPDRH will hold parliamentary hearings May – July 2006 on Population Growth-the impact on the MDGs. The hearings will focus on the effect population growth is having on the achievement of the eight Millennium Development Goals, as well as on migration.

African Parliamentary Conference on Violence Against Women, Abandoning Female Genital Mutilation: the Role of Parliaments

Parliamentarians from across Africa gathered in Dakar, Sénégal in December 2005 for a regional conference on "Violence against women, abandoning female genital mutilation: The role of parliaments". The two-day event provided parliamentarians with an opportunity to exchange views and experiences and to better understand the role they should play in ending FGM. Presentations and discussions focused on the specific actions by parliaments at the community, national and international levels that are needed most urgently and that will have the greatest impact. View the final declaration.

NEW RESOURCES

White Paper on Australia's Overseas Aid Program - Core Group Recommendations Report

PGPD has been engaged in the consultations on the White Paper, meeting with AusAID and the Parliamentary Secretary in 2005 and putting in a submission. PGPD is keen to ensure that population and RH issues feature strongly in the White Paper, in particular the empowerment of women, the integration of HIV/AIDS programs with sexual and reproductive health programs, and the level of funding for population activities.

The Core Group commissioned to provide recommendations to the Government on the future directions for the aid program has completed its report. The Government will be considering the Core Group's recommendations over the next few months during the preparation of the White Paper.

Journal Development

The December issue (Vol 48 No 4) of the journal Development is devoted to sexual and reproductive health in development.

"A particular focus is on the rights based agenda and the links between sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and macro-economic policies. The strong message of the journal is that stakes are even higher now for women and health activists to fight against the strong neo-liberal and neo-conservative agendas. There is an urgent need to keep sexual health and rights at the core of progressive, socially just human development." (Development)

The Secretariat has copies of the journal. The table of contents can be viewed online. Please email the Secretariat if you would like any of the articles from this journal.

ASIAN FORUM OF PARLIAMENTARIANS ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT (AFPPD)

AFPPD events - 2006

AFPPD will host two major meetings this year:

Further information about these meetings and the work of AFPPD is available from the AFPPD website or contact the PGPD Secretariat.

Focus Group on HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence

Meredith Burgmann, Ian Howie (UNFPA Representative to Vietnam) and Louise Pratt

PGPD members Hon Dr Meredith Burgmann MLC (NSW Parliament) and Louise Pratt MLC (WA Parliament) attended this meeting 17-18 December in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The meeting brought together some 20 participants from ten countries in Asia, to discuss the issues of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence.

Experts from UNFPA, UNIFEM, the Vietnam Government and parliamentarians addressed the meeting, covering issues of current trends in HIV, lessons learned in policy and programs, harm reduction, and factors contributing to domestic violence.

Louise Pratt chairing the session on "Harm Reduction"

Louise Pratt chaired the session on “Harm Reduction” and Meredith Burgmann spoke on the panel “What parliamentarians can do or are doing?”. Listen to her speech.

Dr Meredith Burgmann with Dr Ruquiya Saeed MP, Balochistan Provincial Assembly, Pakistan

Participants also had the opportunity to visit the Community Counselling and Support Centre (CCSC) for People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) at the District 8 Health Centre.

Louise Pratt at the CCSC

At the end of the meeting all participants made personal commitments to work towards addressing the issues of HIV/AIDS and domestic violence. Dr Burgmann and Ms Pratt made commitments to assisting the East Timorese parliamentarians with setting up their Parliamentary Group on Population and Development, as well as working on domestic violence in indigenous communities.

A report from the meeting, including a summary of Dr Burgmann's address and the personal commitments of the Australian participants, is available from the PGPD website. Download.

DOMESTIC NEWS

RU486 debate

In 2005 four Senators, three of whom are active PGPD members, introduced a bill to repeal the law requiring the Health Minister to approve any application to register the drug RU486 in Australia. Under the proposed law RU486 would be treated the same as all other drugs in Australia and be assessed by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The latest news headlines and information on the RU486 debate are available from Australian Reproductive Health Alliance website and Reproductive Choice Australia.

PGPD WEBSITE

The PGPD website www.pgpd.asn.au contains information on members, PGPD's activities, reports and photos from conferences and meetings, resources on current population and development issues. A membership brochure for parliamentarians interested in joining PGPD can also be downloaded.

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