Beijing, China — The Annual Partners in Population and Development (PPD) Partner Country Coordinators (PCC) Meeting was held in Beijing in 21 October 2013. PCC are high level official of PPD member countries, nominated by their respective governments to coordinate each countries south to south activity with PPD secretariat. As per the PPD statutes, the Partners Country Coordinator (PCC) is designated in an appropriate government institution by each Board Member for each member country. The PCC’s role is to:
- Develop an annual national work plan for South-South collaboration, including identification of resources and support required by the Secretariat.
- Promote and operationalize the vision and strategic directions, themes and values of the Alliance among public and private sector constituencies and institutions to encourage their commitment for the implementation of South-South collaboration activities.
- Assist national constituencies and institutions including NGOs and private sector in developing plans for collaborative projects and identify resource persons from appropriate national institutions, NGOs and the private sector to collaborate in their implementation.
- Keep the National Multi-sector Steering Committee, Board member and the Secretariat informed of ongoing South-South activities, including ongoing and planned projects and events through quarterly report and updating the country’s South-South web-page.
- Work with the Multi-sector Steering Committee to ensure that there is up-to-date information on of the strengths and weaknesses of the country’s reproductive health, population and development priority areas for South-South exchange, and directories of organizations and individuals with the capacity or potential to support South-South exchange amongst the members of the Alliance.
- Provide assistance and support to the Multi-sector Steering Committee’s work in the country, including management and logistical support to the Alliance’s meetings taking place within the member country.
- Coordinate the Alliance’s work with other national, regional, sub regional and international organizations and institutions based in the member country and to
- Publish a Newsletter on the activities of the Alliance in the country and with other countries.
Dr. Boniface O. K’Oyugi, MBS, Secretary, PPD Board was the chair and Dr. Joe Thomas, ED of PPD was the co-chair of the meeting. At the beginning of the meeting the Chair mentioned that PCCs are the engine of PPD and their performance is tremendously important for PPD way forward.
A presentation on ‘South-South Cooperation priorities in Reproductive Health, Population and Development beyond ICPD 2014 and MDGs 2015’ was presented by Dr. Swarap Sarkar PPD consultant
Participants of the PCC Meeting
Expert Comment was delivered by Dr. Robert W Gillespie, President, Population Communication; Ms. Anuradha Gupta, Additional Secretary & Mission Director (National Rural Health Mission), MoHFW, Govt. of India and PPD PCC; Dr. Munyaradzi Murwira PCC and Executive Director Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council, Zimbabwe; Ms. Esther Cofie, PCC and Head, Population and Development Unit, National Population Council, Ghana; Mr. Charles N. Oisebe, PCC and Assistant Director, National Council for Population and Development (NCPD), Kenya and Mr. Ben Haj Aissa Adnene, PCC and Director, Technical Cooperation, National Office of Family and Population (ONFP), Tunisia.
Mr. Hu Hongtao, PCC and Commissioner, Department of International Cooperation, National Health and Family Planning Commission of China, Government of the People’s Republic of China and PCCs from four regions of PPD member countries participated in plenary discussion and gave their valuable input for PPD’s way forward.
Partner Country Coordinators from Bangladesh, Benin, China, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Kenya, The Gambia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Thailand and Egypt were present in the meeting.
Executive director of PPD wrapped up the meeting followed by a presentation.