YSAFE (IPPF EN youth group) and YAM (IPPF Africa Region youth group) representatives attended the European Parliament and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA), held in Prague, Czech Republic from 5-9 April 2009.   This occurred with the support of Countdown 2015 Europe and within the framework of the interregional initiative “Joining Forces: Youth Advocates for SRHR in development.”

Youth advocates from Africa and Europe were able to draw the attention of Assembly members to the absence of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights from Country Strategy Papers (which set out priorities in the cooperation between the EU and individual ACP countries, funded by the European Development Fund) and the need for youth participation in all levels of decision making.

The young people also made a powerful presentation at a side event hosted by Marie Stopes International (MSI) and IPPF EN entitled “The ICPD + 15: Implementing the Cairo agenda”.  This event was moderated by JPA Co-Chair, Ms. Glennys Kinnock, who made a moving statement about the invaluable presence of the IPPF young advocates at the JPA. This is the last year for Ms. Glennys Kinnock as Co-Chair of the JPA and the young advocates are extremely grateful for her support and commitment to their presence at these high-level meetings.

At the side meeting, an MSI speaker from Ethiopia encouraged parliamentarians to have a parliamentary question on the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD, Cairo, 1994) commitments stated in their national parliaments, and particularly for MPs from African countries to push for implementation of the Maputo Plan of Action (MPA). The MPA, recognized by African Union Ministers of Health, outlines actions to secure sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa. The plan has a time frame of a period between 2007-2010.

YSAFE and YAM representatives drew the attention of the parliamentarians to the IPPF campaign 15 and Counting ( www.15andcounting.org ) which is to raise awareness of the commitment governments around the world made to ICPD fifteen years ago, in 1994. The MPs were reminded of these commitments and encouraged to sign The Count Me In: Sexual Rights for All petition (http://www.15andcounting.org/petition.php) to show their support for reaching the objectives laid out in the ICPD.

The young advocates also had the opportunity to link up with the young people from the Czech Republic Member Association and also visited the House of Light which is the largest care facility for people living with HIV in the Czech Republic.

A video showing YSAFE and YAM young advocates at work during the Prague EU-ACP JPA will soon be available on the website. The next EU/ACP JPA is scheduled for November 2009 in Angola.

For more information, please contact Ada Dortch, IPPF EN Programme Officer at adortch@ippfen.org and An Huybrechts, International Advocacy Project Coordinator at ahuybrechts@ippfen.org.