ICPD+30: Asia and Pacific Regional Seminar on the Role of CSO in Promoting ICPD Agenda

Venue and Date: Century Hall II, 3rd Floor Hotel Nikko New Century Beijing;  25 April 2024

 

Honorable Chair

Honorable speakers, Distinguish guest, experts and Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Morning

Indeed, it is my great pleasure to join with you today as representative of Partners in Population and Development (PPD) which is an intergovernmental organization of 27 Developing Countries. Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank China Family Planning Association (CFPA), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in China for inviting us in this crucial seminar in Beijing.

Ladies and gentlemen, on this esteemed occasion, I would like to acknowledge the immense and unparalleled contribution the Chinese Government has made towards PPD and South-South Cooperation (SSC).

The People’s Republic of China has led PPD on significant times as the Chair of PPD board, and Dr. Yu Xuejun, the Honorable Vice Minister of the National Health Commission (NHC) and the president of China Family Planning Association (CFPA), currently serves as the vice-chair of PPD. I must say that with Government of China’s leadership and support, along with contributions from other PPD member countries, PPD has now established a Permanent Secretariat in Bangladesh. Therefore, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are gathered here today to discuss the Role of Civil Society Organization (CSO) in promoting  the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Agenda. ICPD is a significant milestone in transforming the global thinking on population and development issues to prioritize people’s dignity and rights at the center of sustainable development efforts.

Civil society, at all levels, plays a crucial role in shaping the ICPD Agenda. They advocate for the implementation of the Program of Action (PoA) and contribute to achieving the objectives of the ICPD. CSO is actively participate in the ICPD30 journey, both at national and international levels. They bring innovation, scale up services, and share knowledge and good practices, which complement the efforts of governments. Additionally, civil society organizations are partners with all investors – including public, private, and philanthropic organizations.

Honorable Moderator,

We are proud to acknowledge the contribution of PPD over the last 30 years in achieving the ICPD PoA. PPD works at both high-level political advocacy, policy transformation, and program implementation. It has three structural level constituencies, namely political 1) leaders/ministers, 2) senior bureaucrats, and 3) civil society groups. These three constituencies cooperate with each other to implement PPD’s strategies for achieving the ICPD agenda.

PPD has established partnerships with more than 20 national research and training institutes those are PPD’s Partner Institutions which are a valuable source of global think tank. PPD liaises with its partner institutions to provide scholarships to young professionals and managers who can contribute to policy and programmatic changes for accelerating ICPD at national levels. More than 80% of PPD countries have integrated ICPD agenda into their national policies and strategies. Fifty percent of its member countries have constituted a National Taskforce for SSC that comprises civil society organizations, leaders, and administrators.

The International Inter-Ministerial Conference (IIMC) is one of the PPD’s  global platform that advocates for South-South Cooperation (SSC) and supports the achievement of global agendas such as ICPD and SDGs. This platform serves as a peer-review mechanism to improve knowledge and share best practices of programs and policies. It inspires political leaders, program planners, and civil societies to replicate and scale up successful models or practices.

Ladies and Gentlemen, here I would like to mention of the China Government’s South South Cooperation Assistant Fund (SSCAF) Project has been implemented by PPD. This Project has brought a significant contribution for reducing maternal mortality in Bangladesh through addressing post-partum hemorrhage.

As part of this project, 102,000 Misoprostol tablets and 20,000 Postpartum Kits were distributed. With support from the National Research Institute of Family Planning (NRIFP) in Beijing and the Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (OGSB) of Bangladesh, a training module was developed to manage postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) using Misoprostol. A total of 120 healthcare providers were trained, and 480 individuals, including pregnant mothers, their relatives, and local leaders, were oriented on the use of Misoprostol and PPH prevention. Additionally, many advocacy activities were conducted (like short dramas in community level), on the prevention of PPH with Misoprostol.

Ladies and Gentleman,

At the end of the project, research shows that the SSCAF project has contributed to reducing PPH in project areas of Bangladesh. As a result, the SSCAF project holds great promise for scalability and offers valuable insights that can be replicated across PPD’s diverse member countries. Additionally, due to the significant contribution of the SSCAF project, the Bangladesh government has requested a scale-up of the project.

Ladies and gentlemen, PPD’s SSCAF project serves as an excellent example of the positive outcomes that can result from the collaboration of government and civil society.

At the conclusion, I wanted to emphasize that although progress has been made, there are still millions of women and adolescent girls in developing countries who are unable to exercise their reproductive rights due to the lack of access to modern contraceptive methods. Additionally, child marriage rates remain high, women continue to die during childbirth, and the potential of adolescent and young people is not being fulfilled. We believe, through the meaningful engagement of Civil Society Organizations, like the SSCAF project, that we can hope to address these issues and ensure a better future – Where no one will be left behind.

Thank you very much for your time and attention.