Belgian Platform on Population and Development Plateforme belge pour la population et le dveloppemen

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Belgian Platform on Population and Development
Plate-forme belge pour la population et le
développementBelgisch Platform voor Bevolking en
Ontwikkeling http//www.platformpopdev.be
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• Active members of the Platform
• Objectives of the Platform
• Achievements of the Platform
• Challenges

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1. Active members of the Platform

• Is a civil society initiative - Established in
  2000
• The Platform on Population and Development brings
  together
• various NGOs focusing on international
  development programmes
• Experts/ representatives of academic/research
  institutions
• Platform meetings frequently attended by
  representatives of various ministries and of the
  federal and regional administrations
• Involved
• In Population issues
• In sexual and reproductive health and rights
  issues
• Steering Committee prepares
• Meetings agenda
• Reference documents
• Annual Conference
• No structural financial support

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1.1. Steering Committe

• Adrass
• International Centre for Reproductive Health
  (ICRH)/UGent
• ITM
• Monde selon les Femmes
• Studiedienst van de Vlaamse Regering

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1.2. Active members

• Adrass asbl
• Studiedienst van de Vlaamse Regering (SVR)
• Collectif des Femmes asbl
• Médecins du Monde/ Dokters van de Wereld Belgium
• Groupe international de la fédération laique des
  plannings familiaux
• Groupement d'hommes et de femmes africains et
  européens pour l'Abolition des Mutilations
  Sexuelles féminines (GAMS-Belgique)
• Institut de démographie Université catholique
  de Louvain
• International Centre for Reproductive Health
  (ICRH)/UGent

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1.2. Active members (2)

• Institut de Médecine Tropicale/ Prins Leopold
  Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde (ITG)
• La Fédération Laique de Centres de Planning
  Familial (FLCPF)
• Le Monde Selon les Femmes (LMSF)
• Observatoire socio-épidémiologique sida
  sexualités
• Planning Marolles
• sensoa vzw
• Service d'Information et Formation Amérique
  Latine (SEDIF)
• Sireas
• Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

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1994, Cairo, International Conference on
Population and Development (ICPD)The ICPD
paradigm shift

• Reproductive health is a state of complete
  physical, mental and social well-being and not
  merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in
  all matters relating to the reproductive system
  and to its functions and processes...
• (ICPD Programme of Action, paragraph 7.2)

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2. Objectives of the Platform2.1. General
objective

• To seek ways to enhance the implementation of the
  Cairo Programme of Action

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2.2. Specific objectives

• To formulate recommendations that can be useful
  to the Belgian government with respect to the
  development of international co-operation
  policies
• To contribute to the annual CPD at the UN (member
  of the Belgian Delegation)
• To enhance involvement of international
  development organisations in Belgium in the
  implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action
• To answer specific questions regarding population
  and development

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3. Achievements of the Platform

• International Conferences in preparation of
  annual Commissions on Population and Development
  (CPD)
• Sexual and reproductive health and rights (CPD
  2002)
• Education for all (CPD, 2003)
• ICPD 10 (CPD, 2004)
• International migration and development (CPD,
  2006)
• Changing age structures of populations (CPD,
  2007)
• Urbanisation and sustainable development (CPD,
  2008)
• Millennium Development Goals (CPD, 2009)
• Support to Belgian cooperation and development
  policy

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3.1. International Conferences 3.1.1. Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights and Development
Co-operation

• Brussels, 19-21 November 2001
• Under the auspices of the Belgian EU presidency
• Working groups
• sexual rights of young people
• the responsibilities of both men and women
• the quality of health care services
• the integration of HIV/AIDS in sexual and
  reproductive health services
• Recommendations brought to CPD in New York, April
  2002 by a representative of the platform (Member
  of the Belgian Delegation)

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3.1.2. Obstacles to Education for all

• Brussels, 27-28 February 2003
• Workshops
• Universal access to quality education
• Non-formal education (in general)
• Promote greater responsibility and awareness on
  the interrelationships between population and
  sustainable development (experience of the
  western countries).
• Recommendations brought to CPD in New York, April
  2003 by a representative of the platform (Member
  of the Belgian Delegation)

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3.1.3. Ten years after ICPD in Cairo
Realisations and challenges

• Brussels, 2 March 2004
• Workshops
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights,
  including HIV/AIDS
• International migration and development
• Recommendations brought to CPD ICPD 10" in New
  York, March 2004 by a representative of the
  platform (Member of the Belgian Delegation)

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3.1.4. Migration and Development

• Brussels, 13 March 2006
• Workshops
• Mobility and gender
• Migration and health
• Recommendations brought to CPD International
  migrations and development in New York, April
  2006 by a representative of the platform (Member
  of the Belgian Delegation)

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3.1.5. Population Ageing Towards an Improvement
of the Quality of life?

• Brussels, 1 March 2007
• Recommendations brought to CPD The changing age
  structures of populations and their implications
  for development in New York, April 2007 by a
  representative of the Platform (Member of the
  Belgian Delegation)

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3.1.6. Urbanisation and sustainable development

• Brussels, 25 February 2008
• Workshops
• Economic aspects
• Social aspects
• Environmental aspects
• Recommendations brought to CPD in New York, April
  2008 by a representative of the Platform

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Links between ICPD and the MDGs MDGs incorporate
ICPD Goals as follows

• MDGs
• Achieve universal primary education (2) Gender
  (3)
• Reduce child mortality (4)
• Improve maternal health (5)
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases (6)
• Goals 4, 5, 6
• Added as a target of MDG 5 in 2006

• ICPD Goals
• Access to primary school (4.8, 11.6) girls
  education (ICPD5, 34, 35(c))
• Reduction of infant and under-five child
  mortality (8.16)
• Maternal mortality reduction (8.21)
• Reduction in HIV infection rate among 15 to 24
  year olds (ICPD5, 70)
• Access to primary health care (7.6)
• Universal Access to RH

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Current international context

• Millennium Development Goals (adopted by 189
  countries in 2000)
• 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• 2. Achieve universal primary education
• 3. Promote gender equity and empowerment of women
• 4. Reduce child mortality
• 5. Improve maternal health
• 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• 7. Ensure environmental sustainability
• 8. Develop a global partnership for development

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•   The MDGs particularly the eradication of
  extreme poverty cannot be achieved if questions
  of population and reproductive health are not
  squarely addressed.
• And this means stronger efforts to promote
  womens rights and greater investment in
  education and health, including reproductive
  health and family planning 
• Kofi Annan, ICPD at 10 Asia Conference 2002

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3.1.7. ICPD and MDGs Convergences and divergences

• Brussels, February 17-18, 2009
• Workshops
• MDG 1 Reduce extreme poverty and hunger
• MDG 2 Ensure primary education for all
• MDG 5 Improve maternal health  

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3.2. Support to the Belgian cooperation and
development policy

• Platform representative at CPD April 2005
  "Population, Development and HIV/AIDS, with
  particular emphasis on poverty
• Active participation of the Platform in the work
  group preparing Belgian political note on sexual
  and reproductive rights and health

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4. Challenges

• Coordination with other Platforms/ Commissions
  related to SRH in Belgium
• Need to pursue the work, especially in the
  context of Millennium Development Goals

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Contact

• Secretariat at
• Le monde selon les femmes
• http//www.platformpopdev.be