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Asia Pacific NGO Forum: ICPD+15
15
September 2009, Bangkok, Thailand
Building
Effective GO-NGO Partnerships
Towards the Achievement of the ICPD
POA and MDGs
Harry
S. Jooseery
Executive Director, Partners in Population
and Development (PPD)
As
we celebrate the 15th anniversary
of ICPD, let us sit back and briefly
make an analysis of what has been
achieved before looking at the role
played by civil society.
Indeed
there is much to celebrate on this
occasion. The conceptual framework
of reproductive health, including
family planning has been universally
accepted and this has indeed refocused
family planning and reproductive health
policy in many countries around the
world. The new dynamism and synergy
created by the paradigm shift from
family planning to sexual and reproductive
health ushered a revolution in the
ways social welfare was looked up.
The spirit generated at ICPD was echoed
at the Beijing Conference in 1995
and subsequently at UNGAS, World Conferences
on HIV/AIDS, Millennium Development
Goals, Maputo Plan of Action, the
Glion Call to Action and the New York
Call to Commitment (2004) to mention
just a few.
Impressive
gains have been achieved since ICPD:
-
Over 50% of the couples worldwide
are now using family planning
- Annual
world population growth is now 73
million compared to 93 million in
1994
- Life
Expectancy has increased from 61
to 63 years
- Childhood
death has decreased by 10%
- More
girls are in school and status of
women has improved
On
the other hand we need to note the
sad reality that maternal mortality
has shown no decline in absolute numbers
and we are still talking of 500,000
women that die yearly due to avoidable
complications related to pregnancy
and childbirth, most particularly
in the less developed countries. The
scourge of HIV/AIDS has devoured millions
of lives, seriously affecting the
prospects of the economic and social
development in the many countries
in Asia and Africa. New challenges
and crises related to food security,
violence against women, migration,
refugees and aging require new thinking
and determined action. ODA in general
for family planning and reproductive
health lags far behind in meeting
unmet needs.
It
is unfortunate that international
commitments made by governments have
not always been translated into policies
and concrete actions, especially in
the developing countries. One of the
fundamental factors that have impeded
on the progress is governance. In
all political democracy there are
two forces: the governor and the governed.
It is unfortunate that very often
and more frequently in the developing
countries, the governed which constitutes
the big chunk of society remains disengaged
and deprived in the policy decisions
or any actions if ever they take place.
In such a situation, it is imperative
that the “Third Force”,
as they are called, assumes the responsibility
of linking the governor and the governed
to bridge the gap. That “Third
Force” is the NGOs.
Policy
making is so multifarious and complex
that it cannot be left to the care
of governors only. There is need for
engagement and active participation
of a much broader section of the society
that will guide, influence and check
on the governors to ensure that the
interest of all constituencies are
effectively catered. The ICPD Program
of Actions fostered on the need for
strong partnership with the civil
society and NGOs to attain its goals
in recognition that no government
can claim to be able to achieve its
goals without coalition building.
The 8th MDG emphasized the need for
promoting partnership with all stakeholders
for the attainment of all other goals.
Governments
always shy away and fear to tread
on socio-cultural and religious issues
that are likely to divide the population,
for political reasons. History has
shown that all family planning movements
first started with NGOs and governments
stepped in only when the socio-cultural
climate became propitious. In my own
country, family planning movement
started in 1957 and was integrated
into government MCH Program after
15 years. There was a time when the
word “Condom” was considered
socially indecent to use. In my country,
abortion is completely illegal and
not permitted even to save the life
of a woman. And yet abortion is widely
available, and accessible with the
government’s blessings. Government
hospitals do not perform abortions,
and yet treats abortion complications.
The
conspiracy of silence
from the government betrays the government’s
recognition of the need to provide
abortions, its inability to make them
available through its services, and
also the recognition of the important
role NGOs play in SRH program.
Other
issues on which NGOs always take the
lead and governments shy away are
those related to provision of sex
education to adolescents, and provision
of contraceptive information services
and diverse sexual orientations. NGOs
have always taken the lead either
in initiating actions and provision
of specialized services for target
populations, advocacy for respect
of human rights, legislative reforms,
policy changes and informing and educating
people. NGOs in Pakistan, Bangladesh,
and Tunisia have taken concrete actions
undertaken by NGOs in influencing
contentious reproductive health issues
related to religious barriers for
promotion of family planning, women
empowerment, micro credit and abortions.
The micro credit Program of Bangladesh
for the empowerment of rural women,
spearheaded by NGOs is now a reference
to the whole world and is being replicated
by many governments. This is another
important role of NGOs: demonstration
and piloting for others to take over,
including governments
NGOs
must not allow the governments to
abdicate their “social responsibility”
but instead act as a “nagging
force”, advocating for constant
change. For this end, they will also
need to establish their astute neutrality
and independence as well as deep involvement.
Their neutrality and independence
as non-partisan organizations enhance
their image and credibility and earn
them trust and respect.
There
are however various obstacles that
might inhibit NGOs in performing their
role effectively. There could be capacity
obstacles like lack of resources,
know-how, technical expertise, or
structural obstacles
like low staff-turnover, dwindling
voluntarism, language barriers or
procedural obstacles
like lack of access to decision-making
process, the system of closed doors
to NGOs. Time has come that the credentials
of NGOs need to be accepted by national
and international organizations; and
as such NGOs need to carry full weight,
make their voice heard loudly, and
be constant advocate for change, innovation
and proactivity. Opportunities are
opening up to NGOs worldwide. While
international donors are now seeking
to move decision-making and ownership
to the country-level, there is growing
opportunity to establish a transparent,
participatory and inclusive process
at which NGOs could play a leading
role, especially in the area of South
South Collaboration. This is particularly
critical to sexual and reproductive
health and rights community. Because
of the controversial nature of some
of the issues, they require institutionalized
process as well as strong well-informed
champions, to ensure that their concerns
are adequately catered and funded.
The Southern countries have commendable
programs of their own which actually
worked and can be replicated successfully.
NGO
South-South collaboration aims to
strengthen and expand NGO capacity,
through sharing technical capabilities
and experiences with government and
NGOs to contribute more effectively
in the realization of ICPD Program
of Action. The NGO South South collaboration
should work to develop strategies
to meet the RH needs of young people;
to accelerate the integration of family
planning and other RH services, including
education and counseling for the prevention
and management of sexually transmitted
diseases and HIV/AIDS; and to develop
organizational capacity. We note also
that the actual experience of South-South
collaboration has not adequately demonstrated
the cost effectiveness of NGO partnership,
or vice versa. Time is more than opportune
as we sit back and analyze past achievements
to relook at the South South partnership
with NGOs. PPD is an intergovernmental
organization which has strong hold
with governments and is at a privileged
position to reinforce the linkage
needed to synergize efforts of both
the government agencies and NGOs.
To this end we are in the process
of setting up National Support Structures
in all the developing countries to
effectively involve NGOs in the development
and implementation of RH program,
and this in recognition of the tremendous
impact that NGOs make in the areas
of SRH, which very often is not fully
documented and recognized. India,
Thailand, Pakistan, South Africa,
Indonesia and Gambia, have already
set up the structure. We believe that
coalition building, networking and
partnering is the most effective pathway
for the implementation of ICPD Program
of Action and it is in this direction
that South South cooperation is moving
and on which our mission is based.
We
have to find creative ways to build
the widest possible range of constituencies
to promote the Cairo consensus, and
this is possible only with effective
private-public partnership and NGO’s
active and effective involvement and
participation. We need smart and quality
partnership that will bring critical,
proactive and pragmatic efforts and
strategies for the enhancement of
ICPD goals. It is necessary that the
“Third Force”
confederates into a well knit universal
body and coordinates its efforts to
build a society where social justice,
equity and rights prevail.
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