Dispatches - July
German EU Presidency Advanced Many of UNFPA’s Priority Issues
BRUSSELS – The six-month German Presidency of the European Union (EU) made considerable progress on issues related to the ICPD agenda, according to UNFPA.
The presidency, which lasted from 1 January until 30 June 2007, moved several of UNFPA’s priority areas forward, including HIV/AIDS programmes, gender equality, migration and youth.
Together with the two upcoming EU presidencies (Portugal and Slovenia), Germany included several areas of concern to UNFPA in an 18-month programme on development cooperation entitled Strengthening the European Union’s Role as a Global Partner for Development.
In the field of development cooperation, Germany used its concurrent presidency of the G8 and the EU to focus on Africa and endorsed a first outline of the Joint EU-Africa Strategy in May 2007. The strategy calls for “universal access to reproductive health by 2015 as set out by the International Conference on Development and Population (ICDP)”, strengthening national health systems and mainstreaming gender in all policies. It serves as a basis for the elaboration of the Joint Strategy to be adopted in late 2007 at the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon.
A focus on HIV/AIDS was also maintained during the German EU presidency. In March, at a ministerial conference on Responsibility and Partnership – Together Against HIV/AIDS, representatives of the EU Member States, neighbouring countries and international partners promised to provide political leadership in the fight against AIDS. They also acknowledged that “a strong linkage should be established between HIV/AIDS prevention and sexual and reproductive health and rights in policies, programmes and strategies”. A month later the EU ministers of foreign affairs reaffirmed this linkage and emphasized the need to focus on young people, especially young women and girls; on universal access to sexual and reproductive health services and related commodities; and on ending gender-based violence as a way to combat the feminization of HIV/AIDS in developing countries (click here for the conclusions).
In the field of youth and family affairs, highlights included the adoption and launch of the European Alliance for Families, which aims to create more family-friendly policies by exchanging ideas and experiences among EU Member States, as well the first EU Youth Summit, held on the eve of the EU’s 50th anniversary.
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Petersberg Communiqué on European Development Policy |
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Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: “Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in Development Cooperation” |
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Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: “From Cairo to Lisbon – The EU-Africa Strategic Partnership” |
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G8 Summit 2007 Declaration: “Growth and Responsibility in Africa” |
HIV Must be Addressed in Humanitarian Response, ECOSOC Panelists Say
GENEVA — The need to better coordinate and address HIV during humanitarian crises is greater than ever, according to speakers at a UN panel entitled ‘Addressing HIV in Humanitarian Action’.
“People don’t stop needing HIV prevention or care just because there’s a crisis,” said Sir John Holmes, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, who took part in the panel discussion. “And a humanitarian crisis is just one additional shock for people already living with HIV.” 
more...
New UN Nordic Survey Reveals Misperceptions about MDGs
COPENHAGEN — Halfway to the 2015 deadline for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a new survey reveals a deep gulf between Nordic citizens’ perception of the developing world and reality.
The survey has revealed that the quality of life of the average world citizen is actually better than what Nordic citizens think. more...
World Population Report Generates Wide Interest in Europe
LONDON — The successful launch of the State of World Population 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth, in 18 European cities has demonstrated that interest in urbanization runs high. Across Europe, ministers, parliamentarians, government officials, demographers, private organizations and the media gathered at press conferences and launch seminars to discuss how urbanization can contribute to the fight against poverty. UNFPA was widely acknowledged for bringing up the issue in this year’s report. more...
Swiss Parliamentarians Meet to Follow Up on South Africa Study Tour
BERN, Switzerland — Several Swiss parliamentarians who recently returned from a study tour to South Africa met here on 22 June to share their experiences, discuss the tour’s outcomes and identify follow-up activities. In addition to the tour group, the meeting included the KAIRO+ group of parliamentarians (which has constituted itself to support follow-up to the ICPD), Swiss ministries, including the Swiss Development Corporation, and representatives of the South African Embassy, non-governmental organizations, UNFPA and others.
“The meeting focused on three particular outcomes of the tour,” said Siri Tellier, Director of the UNFPA Office in Geneva, which organized the South Africa tour. “First, the discussions between parliamentarians of Switzerland and South Africa were seen as particularly useful and eye-opening, providing an entirely new level of dialogue and openness across the political spectrum.
“Second, we all appreciated the emphasis now given to the issue of gender-based violence, including the 365-day campaign that was launched last year. One project we thought particularly interesting was the Thutuleza project, which uses a cross-cutting approach by placing housing, social counselling, medical treatment, police and prosecutors under a single roof. This, among other things, cuts down the time from when an accusation is launched until a verdict is reached – from three years to three months.
“And finally, we focused on HIV/AIDS, one of the most pressing problems facing southern Africa today.”
Materials and information gathered during the study tour were used extensively by the group upon their return, including during the G8 Summit held earlier this month in Germany, where study group members co-authored parliamentary calls for support for ICPD.
A number of future activities were discussed, including further collaboration on the campaign to combat gender-based violence.
The study tour to South Africa took place in mid-May and included members of two major Swiss political parties. The meeting concluded that the tour was well worth the investment of all concerned.
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