THE ROLE OF NGO'S IN ICPD15

1

• THE ROLE OF NGO'S IN ICPD_at_15
• Hilkka Vuorenmaa
• Chair of EuroNGOs
• Senior Advocacy Officer
• Väestöliitto, Finland

2
EuroNGOs

• European network of non-governmental
  organisations that cooperate in the field of
  SRHR, population and development.
• Seeks to translate the commitments of the
  International Conference on Population and
  Development (ICPD) into international cooperative
  programmes in the field of SRHR in low-income
  countries.
• Established in 1996 in Hanover
• Governed by a 5 member Steering Committee
  observers
• Secretariat (2 persons) in IPPF EN
• Annual General Meeting Conference on relevant
  theme provides opportunity to network
• E-mail lists/update serve as a tool for
  strengthening co-operation, fostering coherence
  and exchanging information on projects,
  campaigns, meetings and other events.
• Annual workshops on relevant themes.

3
Who is involved?

• In addition to the members of EuroNGOs,
  parliamentary groups and organisations from other
  parts of the world are a part of the network as
  associate members (30 members, 7 ass.members).
• US Foundations the William and Flora Hewlett
  Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard
  Foundation, the Wallace Global Fund, Population
  Action International, the Bill and Melinda Gates
  Foundation, Summit and John D. and Catherine T.
  MacArthur Foundations.
• IPPF and UNFPA observers

4
Global agenda

• Dominated by 3 F's financial crisis, food crisis
  and fuel crisis
• Environment and climate change
• Security issues
• Changing aid modalities
• New US President brings hope for decreased
  opposition against SRHR?

5
Challenges/opportunitiesto ICPD

• Social and human development slipping to the
  sidelines
• ICPD and SRHR especially vulnerable
• Opposition has increased within EU
• SRHR linkages with other development issues may
  provide windows of opportunity
• Obama new hope for SRHR will it have
  influence in EU

6
ICPD10

• In 2004 no official UN ICPD10 follow-up event
• Countdown 2015 major NGO led initiative
• Aim was to look both globally and regionally at
  progress, obstacles and future strategies on ICPD
  agenda
• Global Roundtable (650 participants/109
  countries)?
• Regional and national events
• Over 1600 participants in the events (NGO,
  governmetn, UN, policy-makers, academics, medical
  sector)?
• Youth Forums in majority of events organized by
  youth

7
Countdown 2015

• The recruitment of new allies, and the
  recognition of the critical role of young people
  in the next decade of efforts to both fulfill the
  commitments made at ICPD and bring real change to
  people's lives
• Action Agenda
• Report Card
• Regional Materials and Recommendations
• Countdown 2015 video

8
Role of NGOs in promoting ICPD agenda

• In light of present global agenda role of NGOs to
  promote ICPD and SRHR even more crucial
• ICPD_at_15 provides a momentum
• NGOs have a role of being the driving force
  behind advocacy efforts
• Need to take our watch-dog role seriously
• Work on national, regional and international
  levels

9
What needs to be done?

• NGOs need to come out of comfort zone
• Find allies and build up partnerships with other
  development organisations environment, human
  rights, women, children etc.
• Find linkages among SRHR and other development
  issues environment, food, security find
  justification for more support to SRHR
• Work with your southern partners bring in the
  true voices from the global South
• Work with more recent EU member states

10
National level

• Mobilize MPs/All-Party Groups parliamentary
  questions, hearings, media appearances, seminar,
  participation on European/international events
• Work with government officials hold accountable
  for ICPD PoA encourage to take part in ICPD15
  actions
• Involve young people in ICPD15 activities
• Build up alliances with other CSOs to gain
  support to ICPD
• Bring together different stakeholders for joint
  activities (eg. MPs, government officials, NGOs)
• ICPD15 campaigns media, new media

11
Regional level

• Joint efforts of European SRHR community (incl.
  EuroNGOs) statements, advocacy activities,
  conferences, declarations, campaigns etc.
• Mobilize your MEPs EPF-EPWG to keep ICPD alive
  in EP
• Work with southern partners invite as speakers,
  participants, studytours
• Support the more recent EU member state NGOs to
  advocate for ICPD in their countries (especially
  important now when opposition is increasing in
  this part of the world)

12
International level

• Joint advocacy efforts with SRHR community
• Participation in international events
• Encourage national MPs, MEPs, gvt officials,
  young people to participate in events
• Involvement of global South
• UNFPA, IPPF activities

13
What's going on?

• Global NGO Forum, NGO-led conference in Berlin by
  DSW, EuroNGOs, UNFPA first week of September
  2009 400-500 participants from all over the
  world
• Meeting on ICPD15 arranged by Swedish government
  (RFSU involved)
• MSI to launch an ICPD15 parliamentary call to
  action
• Ministerial meeting on the ICPD15, end of 2009
  in Cairo, by Dutch and Egyptian governments
• International Parliamentarians Conference on the
  Implementation of the ICPD Poa (IPCI) on ICPD15,
  end of 2009 in Cairo, UNFPA, EPF, Asian
  Parliamentary Forum
• ICPD_at_15 15 counting, IPPF campaign
• EuroNGOs plans are still open

14
THANK YOU

• www.eurongos.org