Dr Jetn Sirathranont, member of the Senate of Thailand and AFPPD Secretary-General addresses the conference on International Conference on Demographic Resilience in Uzbekistan. Credit: UNFPA Uzbekistan

By Cecilia Russell
JOHANNESBURG & TASHKENT, Dec 4 2023 (IPS)

Lawmakers were reminded of the benefits of long-term planning and the benefits of evidence-based decision-making in policymaking while grappling with demographic trends, be they an aging population or one with significant growth in youth, like that of Uzbekistan.

The Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan outlined some of the key issues Uzbekistan faced, including improving and promoting programs for healthy living, creating inclusive and decent jobs, ensuring equal access to education for all, and continuing to reduce maternal and child mortality rates.

Legislators from Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Tajikistan, and Thailand attended the International Conference on Demographic Resilience in Uzbekistan with support from the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD). The discussions over the course of two days included discussions on demographic resilience, labor markets, education, and healthy aging.

“It is precisely through conferences such as this that AFPPD fosters dialogue and cooperation among legislators and provides a stage to bring together parliamentarians from across Asia, offering them an opportunity to collaborate and advocate for policies that promote sustainable development with emphasis on responsible and responsive demographic policies and a human rights-based approach to lawmaking,” Edcel C. Lagman, Acting Chairperson of the AFPPD, said in his opening address.

Lagman spoke of the significance of holding the conference in Uzbekistan.

“Central Asia is literally at the heart of the world. The Silk Road did not only aid in transporting goods and merchandise during ancient times; it was a key artery through which ideas and innovation flowed and reached far-flung corners of the world and thus influenced the rise and fall of empires and the growth of civilizations,” Lagman said.

“Central Asia is still one of the most multi-cultural regions worldwide, even as its current demographic profile is considered by the Eurasian Research Institute to be “very favorable for economic growth within the next three decades.” We all have much to learn from this diverse and dynamic region, particularly from our member nations, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.”

Oliy Majli, the chairperson of the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan, speaks at the International Conference on Demographic Resilience. Credit: AFPPD

Zulaykho Makhkamova, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, expanded on a national programme running since 2022 on women’s empowerment, including offering economic, business, and job opportunities.

“We are reaching out to our girls in the remotest areas of Uzbekistan and offering them access to better education … to promote and encourage demographic resilience.”

Makhkamova told the conference that the country was also cooperating with the WHO and implementing best medical practices.

She stressed the importance of evidence-based planning, and with the UNFPA’s assistance, the country took a proactive stance.

“We know that our population is growing very quickly,” and therefore, social and economic indicators were crucial to understanding the dynamics of the country.

The country’s president had taken a clear stance on mother and child protection, gender equality support, and the expansion of economic opportunities for women, she noted.

Planning for healthy aging and a dignified death started before birth when parents planned their pregnancy and continued with proper care and nutrition in infancy, education and training in youth, quality work in adulthood, and care for the aging population, said Dr Jetn Sirathranont, member of the Senate of Thailand and AFPPD Secretary-General.

Dr Yongjie Yon, Technical Officer on Ageing and Health, WHO Regional Office for Europe, who moderated a session on the Decade of Healthy and Active Longevity in Uzbekistan, put it succinctly: “We are living longer than ever before. This is the cause for greater celebration and is a testament to our public health system.”

Elmira Basitkhanova, Deputy Minister of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, spoke about health initiatives in Uzbekistan, including conducting preventive medical examinations for 4.6 million people 55 years of age and older and promoting healthier lifestyles. This is just one of several interventions.

Delegates were reminded by Lisa Warth, Chief of the Population Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), that “there are 11 million older people living in Uzbekistan today. In 2070, this will be 5 million more… And these are the very young youth students today that we’re investing in their education. So it’s really about starting to lay the foundation for their healthy aging.”

The key to this was health, but also a “crosscutting inter-departmental approach looking at education, employment, urban planning, intergenerational relations, and gender relations” when it comes to policymaking.

During their presentations, the representatives of Indonesia, Sri Wulan Jasmin, shared his country’s experience in addressing demographic resilience, and Surayyo Dustmurodzoda from Tajikistan shared their views on youth and labor policy, while both made specific recommendations for Uzbekistan.

“AFPPD will continue delegating members and contributing to similar regional and global events in the future with the platform provided for parliamentarians and policymakers to share knowledge, experiences, and best practices,” said Dr Usmonov Farrukh, interim Executive Director of AFPPD.

IPS UN Bureau Report

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Asian Population and Development Association (APDA) and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) continued their crucial role of supporting parliamentarians in promoting population and development agenda during the COVID-19 pandemic by organizing online and hybrid events. The organizations this year celebrate their 40th anniversary. Credit: APDA

By Cecilia Russell
Johannesburg, South Africa, Dec 1 2021 (IPS)

COVID-19 highlighted significant gaps in the world’s ability to deal with pandemics, and it’s crucial these are addressed to mitigate the impacts of future global health problems, Masato Kanda, Japan’s Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, told a recent online meeting of parliamentarians.

The meeting with the theme ‘Nairobi Commitments Follow-up under COVID-19’ heard that the gaps were serious and significantly affected and in the future, would impact the world’s ability to respond to pandemics.

“These gaps include insufficient coordination, information sharing amongst multilateral and bilateral agencies, limited the collaboration between financial and health policymakers, inadequate finance to both effectively prevent or prepare for future pandemics,” Kanda said. He elaborated that governance, financing of the current global health system, including development, manufacturing, procurement and delivery of vaccines and medical equipment needed urgent attention.

Japan had energetically participated in recent discussions at the G20 meeting in Italy. Kanda noted that without proper and integrated governance reform, the world would again “end up with fragmented, inappropriate and uncoordinated responses.”

Professor Keizo Takemi, MP and Chair of Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), opened the session with a reminder that discussions at the forum and beyond would need to look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had caused “prolonged and devastating changes to our daily lives”.

He said a face-to-face meeting in Tokyo was planned for February 2022 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the AFPPD and APDA.

Counting the cost of the pandemic, he noted it had an “unprecedented impact on many areas, such as education, global workforce, food systems, public health and individual decision making on childbearing.”

In terms of health, it has impacted the delivery of sexual and reproductive health services, and these needed to form the agenda for discussions in the future.

Yoko Kamikawa, MP and Former Minister of Justice, Chair of Japan Parliamentarians Forum for Population (JPFP), said at the 40th anniversary next year she hoped parliamentarians could look at the “steps the Asian parliamentarians had taken in the past and discuss how to build a society where all people can live their lives with dignity.”

Parliamentarians play a crucial role in the delivery of the SDGs, she said.

“To achieve sustainable development, we need to go beyond the nation-state and establish a new set of standards and rules that will allow us to live humanely on this planet and that will benefit human society as a whole. And this is precisely why it is critically important for parliamentarians who legislate on behalf of its citizens to further efforts in cooperation,” Kamikawa said.

As AFPPD and APDA prepare for their 40th anniversary Parliamentarians heard about challenges the world faces to meet the ICPD25 commitments. Credit: APDA

Björn Andersson, Regional Director of UNFPA APRO stated that the ICPD25 Nairobi summit brought together 8000 delegates from 170 countries and territories. It emphasized the importance of universal access to health care. Nobody at the Nairobi summit could have anticipated the impact of COVID-19.

“Over the last 18 months, health systems have been stretched to the brink. And we have noted a decrease in investments in routine health services in favour of procurement and delivery of COVID-19 supplies,” he said.

This has had a significant impact on communities. For example, over the past 18 months, there have been changes in patterns of health-seeking behaviour of many people, including pregnant women, who were fearful of leaving their houses and coming into contact with COVID-19 in health facilities.

“This has had a negative impact on maternal mortality. It is clear that more public funding for health is needed alongside innovative strategies that leverage resources to work more effectively without further increasing out-of-pocket costs for individuals and households,” Andersson said.

Parliamentarians had a critical role in achieving universal access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights as part of universal health coverage (UHC).

“In light of the COVID 19 pandemic and its impacts. It is more important than ever to increase public funding for health be strategic and targeted investments to achieve and sustain the health-related Sustainable Development Goals. Well-functioning delivery of quality health care and essential services cannot be compromised even in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic.”

Dr Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for Western Pacific, agreed that a global solution was critical to counter public health emergencies.

“COVID-19 made it clear that the health, the economy, the broader social well-being are inextricably linked,” he said. “The second lesson was the global health (issues) needed a global solution, and for that, effective multilateral mechanisms and institutions are needed.”

While nobody expected effective vaccines to be developed as quickly as they were, the challenges with COVAX meeting its mandate of ensuring equitable access to vaccines was concerning.

“Unless every country is protected, no country is safe,” he said.

It was critically important for the world to prepare as it moved toward a 4th wave of the pandemic, and the key to this was effective multilateral mechanisms.

• The online meeting was organised by: Asian Forum for Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD); Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population (JPFP) and Asian Population and Development Association (APDA). The event was supported by The Japan Trust Fund (JTF) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre) arrives with Babatunde Osotimehin (left), Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), for the opening of the 46th session of the Commission on Population and Development, Apr. 22-26, 2013. Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 12 2014 (IPS)

When the United Nations hosts one of its mega conferences – whether on population, human rights, food security or sustainable development – there is always a demand for full and active participation of often-marginalised groups, including women, civil society, indigenous peoples and youth.

But some of the world’s parliamentarians – who help implement most of the U.N.’s programmes of action through national legislation – are also battling to find their rightful place at international conferences.

This is not a shortcoming of the United Nations, say legislators, but the fault of governments that refuse to acknowledge the importance of parliamentarians in official delegations.

When the annual U.N. Commission on Population and Development (CPD) takes place in New York next month, the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) wants all governments in the Asia-Pacific region to include “at least one parliamentarian committed to progressive population and development policy in their country’s official delegation.”

John Hyde, deputy director of AFPPD, told IPS parliamentarians are directly elected and connected to their communities.

“They can see first-hand the benefit of rights-based, evidence-based policies in improving the life of their constituents,” he said.

And they bring this relevance and commitment to their nations’ delegations, he said.

The Programme of Action (PoA) adopted at the landmark 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) – which will be discussed at the CPD Apr. 7-11 – stressed the importance of parliamentarians, civil society and youth being involved in official delegations to the United Nations.

Confirming this, Purnima Mane, president and chief executive officer of Pathfinder International, told IPS “it is incredibly important we involve parliamentarians in development work, empowering them to appreciate and raise issues of population and development with their constituents, and gaining their support to champion global development in national policies, programmes, and budgets.”

In many countries, she pointed out, parliamentarians are already engaged in the process of monitoring their national progress on the ICPD PoA, and building political will and an enabling policy environment, and garnering needed resources for doing so.

Their example needs to be followed more vigorously around the world and inclusion of parliamentarians in national delegations is one way of recognising their role, said Mane, a former U.N. assistant secretary-general and deputy executive director of the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA).

Hyde told IPS over a third of the Asia-Pacific nations included members of parliaments (MPs) in their delegations to the sixth Asia and Pacific Population Conference held in the Thai capital of Bangkok last year.

The Pacific nations demonstrated the value of well-prepared, engaged MPs, with Cook Islands delegate leader, health minister and AFPPD member Nandi Glassie presenting the majority outcome position on behalf of all the Pacific and a solid majority of Asian nations.

Source: ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report

While many nations will not reveal their full delegation until just before April, many parliamentarians who contributed to APPC should be in their nations’ delegations at the CPD in New York, “hopefully with other parliamentarians embedded in delegations from the other regions of the world”, he added.

Hyde said parliamentarians from across Asia and the Pacific gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand last month to help craft the official oral statement on priority issues that AFPPD will present during the CPD in New York.

Asked whether the CPD will also focus on the successes and failures of ICPD, Mane told IPS, “While it is difficult to predict what particular issues will see the most attention at the Commission this year, we hope for a continued focus on human rights and individual dignity, the realisation of which is a driver for all areas of development.”

“At Pathfinder, we were encouraged by, and applaud, the focus on young people and women’s empowerment found in UNFPA’s most recent review, ‘ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report’,” she added.

Mane said she is also encouraged to see the reference to sustainability.

Without the engagement of all, including women and young people, as well as realisation of their sexual and reproductive health and rights, sustainable development will be hard to achieve in its truest sense, she said.

The upcoming session will likely touch on the successes and failures of the achievements of the ICPD agenda in the context of identifying key lessons learned “that will carry us forward for greater success in the coming decades.”

These will clearly differ by countries but the major focus needs to be on what is going to be done going forward to accelerate the momentum towards progress, Mane said.

Given that the upcoming session will certainly be shaped by the context of this year and the international focus on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and what comes next, “I believe it is crucial the right to sexual and reproductive health for all people shines through as we discuss the path forward and the post-2015 global development agenda.”

She said progress has certainly been made and momentum is growing through ‘Every Woman Every Child’ and many other efforts by several bilateral partners like the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), national governments, philanthropic foundations, civil society and the private sector.

She said they are all working better through joint platforms, but many countries are still very much behind on equitable progress toward the MDG5 targets relating to the improvement of maternal health.