Asia and the Pacific
Reproductive health
Population and development strategies
Advocacy
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Africa
Arab States
Central and Eastern Europe
Latin America and the Caribbean
Interregional Programmes
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AdvocacyUNFPA supported a range of advocacy activities in the region to
build the momentum of progress towards achieving ICPD goals, including the commitment of
national resources; to catalyze national consensus and public support; and to promote
collaboration among various stakeholders, including the Government, civil society,
national teaching and research institutions, and NGOs. In some countries, advocacy and IEC
efforts also focused on the sensitization of religious leaders to reproductive health and
family planning issues. For example, study tours were organized for religious leaders from
Pakistan to visit programmes in Bangladesh and Indonesia.
Proactive promotion of the ICPD Programme of Action was a major undertaking in the South
Pacific subregion. Advocacy activities involved media personnel, decision makers,
programme implementors, politicians and national NGOs. In response to the commitments made
at various international conferences, the Governments of the South Pacific countries
convened the Pacific First Ladies Conference on "The Family, Women and
Opportunities".
A number of countries undertook activities to mobilize the involvement of parliamentarians
in population and development issues. In Pakistan, for example, the Parliamentary Group on
Population and Development was reconstituted with 40 member parliamentarians; the group
began its activities by initiating a dialogue with the Asian Forum for Parliamentarians on
Population and Development. In Viet Nam, UNFPA supported the Government in conducting a
workshop to discuss ICPD issues and to organize two national advocacy seminars on
"Women’s Empowerment in the Population and Development Programme" and
"Adolescent Reproductive Health". The workshop and seminars resulted in greater
support from political leaders and parliamentarians. In Nepal, advocacy has helped
increase the involvement of NGOs in providing adolescents and women with reproductive
health information and services. In the Philippines, NGOs have been especially effective
in the area of advocacy, particularly in promoting innovative approaches for reproductive
health service delivery. |
