Introduction

Africa (Sub-Saharan)

Arab States

Europe

Asia and the Pacific

Latin America and the Caribbean

Interregional Programmes

A day care in Egypt, a country in which UNFPA supported a project
to prevent female genital mutilation

In the Arab States region, activities centred on reviewing progress made towards achieving the goals laid out in the ICPD Programme of Action. Countries in the region, with two exceptions, indicated that their development plans contained references to population goals or programmes. However, only 11 out of the 21 had established clear-cut population policies.

In the area of gender equality, the review found that the participation of women in higher administrative and political positions remained limited. This lack of progress was evident despite the governments' commitment to promoting equality, including the introduction of legal and administrative measures. Most countries, the review noted, still do not have a comprehensive approach to gender analysis as it relates to policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation. Moreover, only three countries in the region have incorporated the concept of gender into their population policies. 

On a positive note, the review showed that 11 Arab countries have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, albeit sometimes with certain reservations. NGOs, it was noted, continue to play an important advocacy role in this area. For its part, UNFPA is collaborating with other United Nations agencies to assist governments in mainstreaming gender concerns into their policies and programmes. Government efforts in this area were aided by the establishment of national committees and by participation in the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women. 

During 1998 the Fund devoted greater attention to expanding the array of reproductive health services and integrating those services into primary health care systems. Attention was also focused on measuring achievements and progress in terms of both policy and programme objectives.

In the Arab States region, activities centred on reviewing progress made towards achieving the goals laid out in the ICPD Programme of Action. Countries in the region, with two exceptions, indicated that their development plans contained references to population goals or programmes. However, only 11 out of the 21 had established clear-cut population policies.

In the area of gender equality, the review found that the participation of women in higher administrative and political positions remained limited. This lack of progress was evident despite the governments' commitment to promoting equality, including the introduction of legal and administrative measures. Most countries, the review noted, still do not have a comprehensive approach to gender analysis as it relates to policy formulation, monitoring and evaluation. Moreover, only three countries in the region have incorporated the concept of gender into their population policies.

On a positive note, the review showed that 11 Arab countries have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, albeit sometimes with certain reservations. NGOs, it was noted, continue to play an important advocacy role in this area. For its part, UNFPA is collaborating with other United Nations agencies to assist governments in mainstreaming gender concerns into their policies and programmes. Government efforts in this area were aided by the establishment of national committees and by participation in the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women. 

During 1998 the Fund devoted greater attention to expanding the array of reproductive health services and integrating those services into primary health care systems. Attention was also focused on measuring achievements and progress in terms of both policy and programme objectives.

Most countries in the region have introduced measures to increase awareness of reproductive health and rights. However, in many countries, adolescents and young people are denied access to information and services. The Arab States continued to promote the involvement of civil society in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action, although to varying degrees in different countries. Sustained progress in this area requires support from governments and international and bilateral  development agencies in enhancing the participation of NGOs. 

Most UNFPA-supported country programmes in the Arab  States region provide significant assistance to upgrade physical  facilities, improve the skills of health-care providers, integrate  basic counselling services into reproductive health programmes,  widen the mix of available contraceptives, and  institutionalize quality assurance systems to monitor and  upgrade reproductive health services. Access to reproductive  health services has been increased through the construction of  new primary health care facilities and the provision of a comprehensive  package of reproductive health services. This  package includes components on safe motherhood and family  planning, the prevention and management of STDs (including  HIV/AIDS), and female genital mutilation. 

There are numerous examples of how the Programme of  Action is being translated into reality at the country level. IEC  and income-generating activities and integrated reproductive  health and women-in-development projects have been undertaken  in underserved geographical areas in Jordan, the Sudan  and Yemen. Similar efforts have taken place in Morocco, where  decentralization was bolstered under a UNFPA-supported project  designed for 13 of the most underserved provinces. 

Reproductive health services have also been integrated into  the assistance provided to populations in special circumstances,  such as internally displaced persons and refugees. For  example, the second phase of a project supporting the  Women's Centre in the Al Burej camp for Palestinian refugees  was launched to respond to the need for reproductive health  services, social assistance, legal counselling and community  education. 

To meet the needs of young people, Tunisia and Morocco undertook innovative programming for youth and adolescents,  and Bahrain developed a strategic national framework for adolescent  reproductive health. In Morocco, puppet shows were  used in youth centres to convey messages on STDs, including  HIV/AIDS, and on reproductive health and rights. The impact  went beyond the intended audiences of the youth centres with  a spillover effect on their families and friends.

Addressing the need for accurate and reliable data, a number  of countries, with technical assistance from the Fund, undertook efforts to generate meaningful indicators to monitor  policy and programme achievements. With assistance  from The Population Council, two situation analyses were conducted in Yemen and Jordan. The analyses aimed to help  the respective Ministries of Health assess the quality of  services in the public health facilities and to design appropriate  interventions. Another goal of the studies was to  transfer the methodology know-how to the participating  national institutions. 

As a contribution to a region-wide data bank on demographic and reproductive health indicators, the results of the  Morocco survey of the Pan Arab Project for Child Development  were disseminated. The results revealed unprecedented achievements in reducing infant and child mortality rates and  fertility levels. 

Other initiatives were carried out in the Sudan and the  Occupied Palestinian Territories. In the Sudan, a complete registration and baseline survey conducted in the catchment  areas of UNFPA-funded projects provided reliable indicators  for monitoring progress made in achieving ICPD goals. In the  Occupied Palestinian Territories, the 1997 census results were made available, providing an up-to-date, reliable picture of the  population in terms of size, characteristics and distribution. The CST in Amman, Jordan, assisted the Palestinian Central  Bureau of Statistics in a project aimed at ensuring the effective  utilization of census data and at strengthening local capacity  for data analysis. 

Breakthroughs were made in advocacy with such partners as the International Islamic Centre for Population Research. In  February, the Centre organized the International Conference on  Population and Reproductive Health in the Muslim World, held  in Cairo under the auspices of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar.  Designed to enhance dialogue among Muslim scientists, intellectuals  and policy makers on population and reproductive  health issues, it drew participants from 42 Muslim countries  and representatives from Islamic and other organizations,  including NGOs. The conference made recommendations on  population, reproductive rights and women's issues and reaffirmed the ICPD Programme of Action and 23 principles it  termed consistent with the Shariah. 

In-kind assistance and local financial support for UNFPA  programmes and projects increased significantly during the  year. In Egypt, the Government committed 10 per cent of the  finances required for the country programme under a trust  fund arrangement. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic made its third payment under an agreement that  increases the funds available for the fifth country programme  by approximately 10 per cent. The Lebanese Government  continued to demonstrate its strong commitment to population  issues by allocating $2.5 million to the UNFPA-assisted  programme. 

UNFPA actively supported the CCA and the UNDAF in the  region. In Morocco, the CCA and the first UNDAF were completed  in 1998. In Turkey, UNFPA contributed to the CCA  planning exercise that took place in 1998. In the Syrian Arab  Republic, UNFPA started discussions with other United Nations agencies to mainstream the Country Population Assessment  within the CCA exercise that will begin in 1999, in preparation  for the UNDAF starting in 2001. 

Algeria. During 1998, Algeria formulated and consolidated  the finalization of the subprogrammes and the component projects  under the new approved country programme. The process  of relationship-building with government counterparts was  strengthened. 

Egypt. During 1998, UNFPA continued to collaborate with  government counterparts in completing the subprogramme and component project documents, nearly all of which were  finalized by year's end. An innovative new project aimed  at preventing female genital mutilation was formulated with  UNICEF, WHO and the Ministry of Social Affairs. The  project's intersectoral approach calls for the provision of information,  education and services to women and adolescents  who have been affected by FGM or are in danger of being  circumcised.