Advancing SRHR in
the Post-2015 Agenda
Advancing SRHR in
the Post-2015 Agenda
APA ANNUAL REPORT 2014
APA ANNUAL REPORT 2014
MESSAGE
2014
was a year to advocate for true accountability
in the sustainable development agenda.
Collective energies were focused on ensuring the
development of an accountable framework at the national, regional
and global levels for the post-2015 development agenda.
The 12th APA Conference took place in Hanoi, Viet Nam, held in cooperation with the Vietnam
Family Planning Association (VINAFPA), and participants shared experiences and deepened their
understanding of accountability and inequality in SRHR. APA members and partners discussed critical
questions, such as:
What do we mean by accountability?
How do we ensure that governments and other actors are held accountable for their
obligations and commitments?
What are the systems and mechanisms of accountability?
The meeting emphasised that in order to be truly ‘people-centred’, the principles of participation,
empowerment and transparency are critical to the development agenda, and to give form to
accountability that is human rights based.
Globally this was a critical juncture for sexual and reproductive health and rights
(SRHR) advocacy in the lead up to the intergovernmental negotiations on the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda to
be adopted in 2015. Another highlight in 2014 was the 47th Commission on Population
and Development, where APA delivered its first oral statement, ensuring that linkages
between the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and
post-2015 remain high on the agenda.
2014 also saw the twenty-year review of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) as
well as the further development of the innovative Regional Civil Society Engagement
Mechanism (RCEM), an initiative to ensure participatory accountability for the post2015 agenda in the region. APA actively participated and represented regional SRHR
priorities in both these processes.
During the Conference Reception, APA launched a series of factsheets on accountability for
the commitments made at the 6th Asian Pacific Population Conference in 2013. The reception also
served as a farewell to Rose Koenders, who will be moving on at the beginning of 2015 after six years
with APA.
The 11th APA Advocacy Grants program was rolled out in 2014 as well, with the aim of strengthening the
collective agenda by working at national and regional levels to ensure that SRHR targets and indicators
are included in the post-2015 framework. These grants will be implemented by members in 2015.
APA continues its vital work on issues where intersections of gender and HIV through the
“Unzip the Lips” campaign, and raised the voices of marginalized women at the BPfA meeting. APA
also proudly hosted the advocacy platform at the Secretariat this year.
We would like to thank all APA members, particularly the Planned Parenthood Association of
Thailand (PPAT), as well as partners and donors, for the support and energy they have given
to the Alliance. It is a great pleasure, and especially for Rose, to work with such a diverse groups of
people, organisations and countries in the region to strengthen the SRHR advocacy of the Alliance.
Sincerely,
Jackie Edmond
Chairperson
02
Rose Koenders
Executive Director
03