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Report on Satellite Session ‘Population Dynamics, SRHR and Climate Change: Why Do Linkages Matter?’

November 6, 2009 at 3:16 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: Global Partners in Action, Report, satellite meeting

globalpartnerslogo A report on the satellite session ‘Population Dynamics, SRHR and Climate Change: Why Do Linkages Matter?’ which took place during the Global NGO Forum September 1st in Berlin is now available at the Global NGO Forum website.

Global NGO Forum Demands Concrete Action On Cairo Commitments

September 7, 2009 at 2:01 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: Berlin, Global Partners in Action, ICPD, ICPD+15, MDGs

BERLIN, September 4 — Activists for women’s health and rights today demanded “concrete, practical and fully‐funded actions” by governments to fulfill their 15 years of promises about investing in equality, human rights and social and economic development, especially for women and girls.

In a five‐point Berlin Call to Action ending the Global Partners in Action forum here, more than 400 delegates from 131 countries urged the international community to meet the 2015 deadline for achieving the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

“As urgent as the ICPD agenda was in 1994, it is even more so today,” said the declaration, which the non‐governmental organization (NGO) delegates hammered out in a late‐night session after three days of talks. “We demand that all governments fulfill the commitments made to their own people and the international community at Cairo in 1994.”

The ICPD created “a visionary global consensus” among 179 governments that overturned existing demographics‐based approaches to achieving sustainable development, reducing poverty and slowing population growth in favor of policies based on meeting the needs of individuals for human rightsand sexual and reproductive health care. Reaffirmed in many United Nations and international meetings ever since, including the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Cairo Consensus pledged investments that in too many cases have not been made.

“With five years left,” the Berlin Call to Action said, “we call on local, national and international decision‐makers to join with non‐governmental organizations to establish and implement concrete, practical and fully‐funded actions for ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights.”

The NGOs pledged cooperation with policymakers and urged immediate national, government and international action to:

Guarantee that sexual and reproductive rights, as human rights, are fully recognized and fulfilled, through legal reforms and new family policies;

Invest in comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, supplies and services as a priority in health systems strengthening, by increasing access for all (especially in emergency settings) to family planning and skilled maternal and newborn health care, and to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services, and by addressing unsafe abortion as a public health and human rights issue

Ensure the sexual and reproductive rights of adolescents and young people, by removing barriers to their access to information and services and empowering them to make policies and informed decisions aout their own lives;

Create and implement formal mechanisms for meaningful civil society participation in programs, policy and budget decisions, monitoring and evaluation, by protecting advocates as human rights defenders, involving young people, marginalized groups and NGOs in policy dialogue and guaranteeing them autonomy; and

Ensure that donor contributions and national budgets and policies meet the needs of all people for sexual and reproductive healh and rights, especially during times of economic stress.

The NGOs also asked decision‐makers to adopt principles of equity and equality, inclusiveness and transparency, accountability and sustainability, and processes free from fundamentalist doctrines that restrict human rights.

“Human beings cannot live in dignity without the full implementation of the ICPD Program of Action,” the statement said. “It is a matter of human rights, democracy and equality for all.”

Theme of the Global Partners in Action: NGO Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Development was “Invest in Health, Rights and the Future.” It was co‐hosted by the Government of Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and UNFPA, the UN Population Fund, with additional support from the MacArthur Foundation.

For additional information and the full text of the Berlin Call to Action, visit the Global NGO Forum website

Global NGO Forum Satellite Session on Population Dynamics, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Climate Change

August 28, 2009 at 12:01 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: bmz, Climate Change, DED, DSW, Global Partners in Action, gtz, InWent, kfw, satellite meeting, SRHR

globalpartnerslogo A satellite session at the Global NGO Forum, entitled ‘Population Dynamics, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and CLIMATE CHANGE: Why Do Linkages Matter?’, takes place September 1st 2009, 18:00-19:30 at Estrel Hotel Berlin, Sonnenallee 225, 12057 Berlin, Conference Wing, Estrel Room A. The session is hosted by the German Theme Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) – of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) , Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW), German Foundation for World Population (DSW) , InWent, and German Development Service (DED).

The satellite session aims to provide a general overview of the current discussion on the complex relationship between population dynamics and climate change. Participants will discuss a number of findings on the relevance of population dynamics, SRHR and climate change for civil society.

Specifically the satellite session seeks to:

Strengthen the understanding of the potential impacts of demographic change (such as ageing, urbanisation, change of household size and composition) on GHG emissions and climate change;
Identify the effects of climate change on women, men and children, particularly in developing countries as well as adaptation options;
Discuss how population policies and programmes that aim at universal access to SRHR could be tied into climate change mitigation and adaptation;
Share and discuss examples of good practice that link population and the environment/climate andidentify existing opportunities and challenges for civil society.

Registration for the satellite session does NOT include the ‘NGO Forum on Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Development’, 2-4 September 2009 in Berlin, Germany. The
satellite session will be held in English and is open to participants to the Global NGO
Forum as well as other interested organisations.

For more information read the invitation letter.

Female Condom Advocacy and Programming Session at Global NGO Forum

August 28, 2009 at 10:47 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: CHANGE, Female Condom, Global Partners in Action, Prevention Now!, satellite meeting

A side event entitled “Female Condom Advocacy and Programming: breaking down the barriers!” takes place Tuesday, 1^st of September 2009 from 18:00 to 19:30, in room Estrel Hall C. as part of the Global Partners in Action: NGO Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Development in Berlin.

Panelists are

Musimbi Kanyoro, Director, Population and Reproductive Health Program, David and Lucile Packard Foundation,

Ilze Smit, Advocacy Officer for Universal Access to Female Condoms Joint Programme, World Population Foundation, and

Kimberly Whipkey, Senior Associate for Advocacy and Outreach, Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) and Prevention Now! Campaign.

At this session, panelists and participants will discuss the following questions: What is the current state of affairs of the female condom? What are the barriers for universal access? What are examples of successful female condom programming, policy advocacy and network-building? What can we do as NGO participants to make a difference?

The event is hosted by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The event is open to participants outside the NGO Forum and participation is limited to 120 guests.

For more info contact: i.smit@wpf.org

Call for Applications: NGO Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Development “Global Partners in Action”

May 6, 2009 at 10:39 am | Posted in Forum | Leave a comment
Tags: Civil Society, Conference, EuroNGOs, Forum, Global Partners in Action, registration, UNFPA

globalpartnerslogo

Global Partners in Action: NGO Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Development

Invest in Health, Rights and the Future

Berlin, Germany

September 2 – 4, 2009

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Please circulate widely

In recognition of the 15 yr. anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), Global Partners in Action: NGO Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Development aims to strengthen NGOs working in partnership to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights for sustainable development in an uncertain and interdependent world. The Government of Germany and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are the co-hosts of this forum. A website with more information on the Forum will be set up at http://www.globalngoforum.org/ by 8 May.

Global Partners in Action is led by NGOs and is for NGOs, with considerable emphasis placed on ensuring significant participation from the Global South and of young people. Global Partners in Action will be a highly interactive working meeting, where participants will be able to contribute to approximately 30 breakout sessions, as participants, facilitators, resource persons or rapporteurs. In addition, orientation sessions and regional meetings are being planned for the first day. Participants will furthermore have the opportunity to network and share their work and experiences in a marketplace and at a global café. Plenaries featuring high level speakers will also inspire Global Partners in Action. Finally, all participants will be welcome to assist in the drafting process for the Call to Action throughout the duration of the Forum and outcomes from discussions in various sessions will feed into the Call to Action and an NGO Action Plan.

There will be 400 participants at Global Partners in Action. Out of these, 225 will come from the Global South and will, as far as possible, be fully funded to attend. There are 100 spots for Northern NGOs; these will not generally be funded to attend. However, there will be no registration fee. The forum steering group aims to ensure diverse representation from as many countries, regions and NGO’s working in different fields of health and development as possible. Youth participation is also a priority and a commitment has been made to have at least 25% of participants under the age of 30. In recognition of the vital role that Regional Networks play in implementing and monitoring the ICPD Programme of Action, a commitment has been made to have at least 30 Regional Networks participate at the Forum.

Global Partners in Action is inviting applications from individuals representing NGO’s around the world that:

Are committed to the principles of the ICPD Programme of Action;
Focus on activities that address key aspects of the ICPD Programme of Action (for example: sexual and reproductive health and rights, women’s rights, HIV and AIDS, youth participation, gender equity, etc.);
Work at either a local, national, regional or international level;
Are interested and able to share best practices, lessons learned and areas for capacity building;
Can commit to collaborative follow-up to Global Partners in Action, guided by the NGO Action Plan and Call to Action that will be produced during the Forum. Can commit to collaborative follow-up to Global Partners in Action, guided by the NGO Action Plan and Call to Action that will be produced during the Forum.

Eligible candidates are invited to complete the application form. The interest expressed about potential breakout session topics (question 12) will feed into the Forum’s programme, so applicants are encouraged to carefully select topics that are most relevant to their NGO’s work.

The deadline for applications is Monday May 25, 2009. Applicants are highly recommended to submit their application using the online application form on the Global Partners in Action website, http://www.globalngoforum.org , or as a second option, by email. If neither of these is an option, applications can also be received by fax at 1 (212) 297 4906.

Applications will be reviewed by an NGO-led Selection Committee, which has set up several measures to ensure a transparent and objective process. For example, an external consultant will remove all personal and organizational information from initial applications to make them anonymous. They will also be assigned a code that identifies their region, country and age group. The anonymous applications which fill all of the selection criteria will then be analyzed for content and relevance to the ICPD agenda and the objectives of the forum. Full details about the selection process will be available on the Global Partners in Action website.