Advancing SRHR in
the Post-2015 Agenda
Advancing SRHR in
the Post-2015 Agenda
APA ANNUAL REPORT 2014
THE BEIJING PLATFORM FOR ACTION
PROJECT BRIEF: UNZIP THE LIPS
At the “Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and
Women’s Empowerment: Beijing+20 Review” in Bangkok from
17-20 November, APA took the opportunity to advocate to
Member States for the inclusion of SRHR in the conference
outcome document. Members ICOMP and AFPPD also joined
this high level event.
Activists from around the region attended the interactive session, ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health
and Rights in the Beijing +20 and Post-2015 Agenda: From Commitment to Accountability’ at the
preparatory Civil Society Forum for the regional Beijing+20 conference. The session was jointly
organized by ARROW, Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), the International
Planned Parenthood Federation South Asia Regional Office (IPPF SARO), the International Women’s
Health Coalition (IWHC), and WGNRR.
UN ADVOCACY AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL
Also in 2014, the 47th Commission on Population and Development (47CPD) assessed the status of the
implementation of the ICPD PoA. Jackie Edmond, APA Chair, served on the New Zealand government
delegation for the event, which took place in New York at the United Nations Headquarters from 7-11
April. APA attended 47CPD along with members ACSHR, ARI, the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians
on Population and Development (AFPPD), the Japanese Organization for International Cooperation on
Family Planning (JOICFP), Population Action International (PAI), and YC. There were many opportunities
for APA to advocate on the issues with government delegates face to face.
APA’s first Oral Statement for the CPD was also delivered this year. The statement highlighted the
priorities in the 2013 Asian Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development, such
as gender equality and women’s empowerment, and the fulfilment of SRHR for vulnerable groups,
adolescents and young people. In particular, APA identified the need for comprehensive sexuality
education, access to safe and legal abortion, and the eradication all forms of violence and discrimination
as regional priorities. This statement also underscored two main issues: the necessity of ensuring
strong linkages between ‘ICPD beyond 2014’ and the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and the need
for quality, comprehensive and integrated approach to SRHR. The statement on this was delivered by
APA Advocacy and Communications Officer Alexandra Johns .
In another first, on 10 September in Geneva, Switzerland, APA gave a presentation on the
Technical Guidance at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Side Event ‘Maternal Mortality
and Morbidity and Human Rights: two years after the technical guidance’. The event was opened
by Ms Flavia Pansieri, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, and moderated by H. E.
Amanda Ellis, Ambassador of New Zealand.
APA ANNUAL REPORT 2014
APA continued its work on linkages with gender and HIV,
in particular through the ‘Unzip the Lips’ campaign with
CS partners. In 2014, APA was designated as the host
organization for this platform of activists and organizations,
and a coordinator for the campaign activities joined APA in
September. APA also continued its partnership with the UN
Interagency Task Team on Women, Girls, Gender Equality
and HIV (IATT).
One of the highlights for Unzip the Lips this year was the Asia Pacific Beijing +20 Review, where APA
and Unzip the Lips worked to organize joint events in the lead up to the intergovernmental meeting.
A two-day preparatory meeting was organized for Unzip the Lips members, called “No Woman Left
Behind: Positioning Key Affected Women and Girls Issues for Beijing +20 & Charting a Policy Advocacy
Roadmap for Post-2015”, from 12-13 November.
Unzip the Lips
is a platform of
individuals and
organizations
working for
the rights and
meaningful
participation
of key affected
women and
girls in the
context of
HIV and its
intersections
with other
gender issues
in the AsiaPacific region.
The participants later joined a meeting with APA partners DAWN and IWHC to share strategies for joint
advocacy for women and girls at the CS Forum and at the intergovernmental meeting. Following the
event, a joint Unzip the Lips press release was disseminated highlighting the gains and losses for key
affected women and girls from the Beijing +20 meeting .
The Unzip the Lips website was upgraded and re-launched in the first half of year as well, and now
includes a twitter feed for current developments .
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