
International Conference on “Population Dynamics, Climate Change and sustainable Development”:
The government of South Africa and Partners in Population and Development organized the International Conference on “Population Dynamics, Climate Change and sustainable Development” in Pretoria from 1-2 November 2011. H.E. Ms. Bathabile Olive Dlamini , PPD Board member and Honourable Minister for Social Development, the Government of the Republic of South Africa inaugurated the conference in the presence of ministers from PPD Member countries, parliamentarians, policy-makers and heads of leading international organizations, NGOs and the member of civil-society.
H. E. Ms. Bathabile Olive Dlamini delivering her opening speech
In her opening remarks H.E. Ms. Bathabile Olive Dlamini put emphasis on the review of the implementation of the Population Policy. She added, “…it proves that each country must carry out the ICPD Programme of Action according to its own unique situation. Population is a global issue. It is therefore important that we strengthen national, regional and international cooperation in speeding up shared solutions to our shared population challenges.”
The Chair of the PPD Board, H.E Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India emphasized that the route to a climate sustainable human population, to a certain extent, lies in the removal of barriers to use of family planning and in the rights-based population policies envisioned by the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) participants in Cairo in 1994. He said that, “Empirical evidence indicates that population dynamics will play a key role in efforts to mitigate and adapt to the effects of changes in the climate system. Universal access to reproductive health will ultimately contribute to declines in fertility. These fertility declines would lead to population levels below those projected in most greenhouse-gas emission scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change”.
Participants of the International Conference
The Conference was convened to discuss the linkages between population dynamics, climate change and sustainable development, share existing knowledge and views and exchange national experiences in dealing with the complex and interrelated issues from a human rights perspective. The conference was organized around the following themes:
- Population dynamics and human rights: The implications of climate change
- Population, environment and development as framework for climate change mitigation and adaptation
- Adolescents, youths, women, displaced and ageing population: prospects for sustainable development
- Knowledge sharing: integrating family planning, reproductive health and rights and climate change: South-South Cooperation for sustainable development
At the end of two days of deliberation, participants adopted the Pretoria Declaration and committed to promote and implement it to strengthen adaptation and mitigation measures to deal with the adverse consequences of climate change and to advance sustainable development.
PPD Board and Executive committee met at Pretoria South Africa
PPD organized its 16 th Annual Board meeting and 18 th Executive committee meeting in Pretoria South Africa with remarkable participation of its Board members. H.E. Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Honorable Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India and Chair of the PPD Board presided over these events. The Board Members renewed commitment and support of their respective Governments towards South-South Cooperation in the greater interest of the developing countries. The Board Members agreed that the 17 th Annual Board meeting will be held in November 2012 in Bangladesh.
These meetings reviewed a new Governance Charter, approved a new Administrative Manual, Financial Manual and Personnel Manual for streamlining the functioning of the organization and ensuring greater participation and transparency. The existing by-laws were revised for the first time since the inception of PPD. The amendments expanded the membership of the Executive Committee, provided for constitution of new Committees for closer and more effective oversight on program and financial matters and expanded the leadership of PPD to include a Deputy Executive Director. Reviewing the progress made in different spheres of population development, a new Strategic Business Plan (SBP) for the period 2012-2014 was also approved to facilitate expansion of activities for the benefit of the member countries.
The Board unanimously re-elected its existing Executive Committee for a further 3 year term. The members of the newly constituted Executive Committee include India as Chair, China as Vice-Chair, Kenya as Secretary, and Tunisia as Treasurer, Mexico and South Africa as members and Bangladesh as a permanent member.
Launching of Publication on Innovative Experiences in Addressing Population and Reproductive Health Challenges in PPD Member States
Launching of Publication on Innovative Experiences Book
The publication was launched by H.E. Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India and the Chair of the PPD Board, H.E. Ms. Bathabile Dlamini, Minister of Social Development, Government of the Republic of South Africa and H.E. Prof. A. F. M. Ruhal Haque, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in the presence of other ministers and other senior officials from PPD member and other countries.
This publication includes ten selected successful examples from countries in Africa, the Arab States and Asia. The ten countries represented are Bangladesh, China, Ghana, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Thailand, Tunisia and Uganda. These case studies were prepared by national government agencies, professional institutions, national experts and practitioners.
The Chair of the PPD Board H.E. Ghulam Nabi Azad said in the launching ceremony that the experience of sharing case studies would be beneficial not only in promoting population stabilization and reproductive health agenda in general but also in fast tracking achievement of MDGs and ICPD goals in developing countries.
PPD honored Professor Fred Sai
PPD honored Professor Fred Sai with a lifetime achievement award for promoting South-South cooperation during the International Conference on “Family Planning, Population Dynamics and Climate Change”. PPD and the Ministry of Social Development of the Republic of South Africa jointly organized the event in Pretoria, South Africa.
Presentation of Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Fred Sai
This is one of the many awards bestowed on Professor Sai, including the 1993 United Nations Population Award and the 1995 Prince Mahidol Award in recognition of his long-standing involvement in global leadership on international family planning and population issues. Professor Sai is a Ghanaian family health physician, who trained at the universities of London, Edinburgh and Harvard and has been a relentless champion of family planning and reproductive health. He has published extensively on a wide range of related social and ethical issues.
International Conference on Family Planning: Research and Best Practices
The Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Ministry of Health and Prevention in Senegal co-hosted the second International Conference on Family Planning: Research and Best Practices on 29 November – 02 December, 2011 at Le Meridian President in Dakar, Senegal.
The 2011 Conference brought together participants to share research, best practices, and progress on national strategies to deliver family planning services, with the ultimate goal being universal access to family planning. The Conference was co-sponsored by over 30 international organizations including USAID, UNFPA, WHO, World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Conference program included an opening plenary, multiple concurrent oral sessions, special panel presentations, poster sessions, luncheon roundtables, policymaker seminar, and an exhibit area.
PPD re-elects the Executive Committee
Partners in Population Development, an inter-governmental organization created specifically for the purpose of expanding and improving South-to-South collaboration in the fields of reproductive health, population and development was launched in 1994 at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held at Cairo, Egypt has unanimously re-elected its present Executive Committee for a further 3-year term.
The 19th Executive Committee Meeting and the 16th Annual Board Meeting of the PPD, the International Conference on Population Dynamics, Climate Change and Sustainable Development and a bilateral meeting between India and South Africa was held in Pretoria, South Africa from 1st to 4th November 2011. The Executive Committee and the Annual Board Meetings of the PPD were held under the chairpersonship of Ghulam Nabi Azad, Honourable Union Health and Family Welfare Minister. The Board unanimously re-elected Ghulam Nabi Azad, as the Chairperson for a further 3-year term. The other members of the newly constituted Executive Committee include China as Vice-Chair, Kenya as Secretary, Tunisia as Treasurer and Mexico and South Africa as members.
New Deputy Executive Director Join in PPD team:
PPD appointed Dr. Lorna Tumwebaze as a new Deputy Executive Director. Dr. Tumwebaze joined the PPD team on 28th November 2011. By profession, she is a physician and public health specialist with over 15 year’s progressive and successful experience in managerial and technical responsibility of complex multi-year & multi-partnership national and regional Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS programs. She has long and short term work experience in Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana and Ghana. She has effectively provided leadership for programs funded by PEPFAR/USAID, Centers for disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank, Barnfonden Sweden and Foundations (Bill and Melinda Gates, Rockefeller, and Woodruff). Lorna received her education from Makerere University Medical School, Boston University School of Public Health and the Universities of San Francisco and Berkeley, California USA.