Asia-Pacific countries endorse action plan to strengthen social protection

 Countries in the Asia-Pacific region have today endorsed an action plan pledging to collectively step up regional cooperation for social protection – a timely move as governments are striving to protect people from unprecedented economic and social development setbacks wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The action plan was endorsed at the sixth session of the Committee on Social Development, hosted by the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) this week. It serves as an overarching framework for action at the national level and develops a regional platform to strengthen knowledge and capacity for broadening effective social protection coverage.

“To counter the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, many member states have strengthened existing social protection schemes and sometimes introduced new, ad hoc measures,” said UN under-secretary-general and ESCAP executive secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana in her opening remarks. “In times of socio-economic crisis, social protection is our society’s primary line of defence,” she said, underscoring that they need to invest in comprehensive social protection systems and to monitor our progress in achieving relevant targets of the 2030 agenda to ensure an inclusive, resilient, and prosperous Asia-Pacific.

The regional action plan on social protection provides countries with a shared vision, strategy and platform for promoting partnership, peer learning as well as identifying needs for technical assistance. The plan further aims to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by including those at risk of being left behind.

“As we continue to tread unknown and uncertain grounds, the committee provided an opportunity to forge ways to strengthen social protection as a key instrument for building resilience,” Ambassador of Sri Lanka Samantha K Jayasuriya, who served as the chair of the sixth session, said, adding that the region is facing unprecedented demographic shifts, which has resulted in profound impact on sustainable development. “In addition, Covid-19 has affected all population groups in the region, with those in vulnerable situations at particular risk of being impacted such as older persons, women, persons with disabilities and migrants.”

“This vulnerability is not inevitable,” she added.

The committee also endorsed an indicator framework for monitoring progress towards the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development. Adoption of the framework means that the progress toward these commitments will now be measurable.

Both commitments address fundamental inequalities in access to health, education, and social protection, emphasise the value of investing in women and girls and strengthen access to sexual and reproductive health. The indicator framework can be used for voluntary national reviews (VNRs) and supports governments in designing specific policies that will eventually reduce inequalities in access to health, education and social protection.

Levels of social protection coverage remain strikingly low in Asia and the Pacific, with just over half the population having no access to any social protection scheme. Insufficient investments in social protection has proven a persistent reason for these gaps. The pandemic has further perpetuated pre-existing inequalities, including gender inequalities.

The committee’s thematic focus on social protection follows the launch of ESCAP and ILO’s Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific 2020: The Protection We Want last week. The Outlook is the first-ever regional report on social protection in Asia and the Pacific, which evidences that well-managed social protection systems have been far better equipped to respond to the unexpected and shielding the most vulnerable.

More women, girls using modern methods of contraception as Nepal continues to step up efforts

A ground-breaking report on family planning in the world’s 69 lowest-income countries today reveals that more women and girls have access to family planning than ever before. It reveals that 314 million women and girls are now using modern contraception, with 53 million new users in the last seven years, and 9 million in the past year alone. “In Nepal, over 3 million women are using a modern method of contraception, almost 700,000 more than in 2012, and the country is planning to accelerate its efforts,” the report adds.
‘FP2020: Women at the Center’ has been produced by Family Planning 2020 (FP2020) – a global partnership that supports the rights of woman and girls to decide – freely and for themselves – whether, when, and how many children they want to have.
Launched on the side-lines of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Nairobi, FP2020’s latest report is part of the 25-year arc of progress that has lifted hundreds of millions of women and girls since the Cairo Summit in 1994.
Nepal has made several commitments to FP2020 since 2015. Since then, the country has made great progress toward increased uptake of family planning.
The report estimates that as a result of modern contraceptive use in the country, over 1.2 million unintended pregnancies have been prevented, and almost half a million unsafe abortions and 1,600 maternal deaths have been averted in the last year alone. “Likewise, Nepal is committed to accelerating its progress in family planning and has committed to increasing the number of additional users of family planning by an estimated 1 million by 2020,” it reads, adding that FP2020’s Rapid Response Mechanism is supporting a project in Nepal to train young people with a variety of disabilities to serve as family planning advocates and health promoters.
Governments and donors around the world are recognising the importance of family planning programmes with donor government bi-lateral funding for family planning rising to $1.5 billion in 2018. This is the highest level since FP2020 was launched in 2012.
The number of additional users of modern contraception in the 69 FP2020 focus countries has grown by 53 million since FP2020 was launched in 2012, including 9 million additional users just since last year.
“The evidence is clear – when you invest in women and girls, the good deed never ends,” executive director of FP2020 Beth Schlachter said, adding that barriers are broken and opportunities open up that not only lift women out of poverty but can elevate society and bring about economic gains. “No other single change can do more to improve the state of the world.”
“As we look ahead to 2030, we must continue to push for progress, build on what works well, and ensure we leave no woman or girl behind,” She added.
Challenges remain significant as FP2020 approaches a key time bound deadline. Progress must keep pace to unlock the fullness of human potential, the report reads, adding that while progress has been significant, FP2020 approaches its deadline year and the initial numeric goal of reaching an additional 120 million women and girls has yet to be realised. “The challenge of putting women and girls at the centre of development remains critical.”

Top UN official applauds Nepal’s efforts for reproductive health, women empowerment

UN under secretary general and director general of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Dr Natalia Kanem hailed the efforts made by Nepal in the sector of safe motherhood, reproductive health, family planning, and women empowerment.
“I appreciate policies introduced and investments made in this connection,” Kanem, who is on her two-day visit to Nepal told a press conference held in Kathmandu today. “This has helped bring impactful improvements among the life of Nepali women and girls, however, a lot has yet to be done in the sector,” she said, adding that she was convinced that inclusive provisions incorporated in the Nepali constitution and laws would help in rapid growth in all the sectors.
She – during the press conference organised at UN House at Pulchowk in Lalitpur today – vowed to intensify the support in safe motherhood, reproductive health, family planning, and women violence sector. However, she didn’t disclose the nature of the aid.
The UNFPA has been regularly helping Nepal for safe motherhood, reproductive health, family planning and women violence since 1971.
“As we are observing 50th anniversary of UNFA and 25th of International Conference for Population and Development (ICPD), we are planning to launch new programmes regarding safe motherhood and family planning acknowledging the achievements we have made so far," she added.
ICPD – introduced in 1994 in Cairo of Egypt – has been approved by 179 countries including Nepal. It has now transformed its agenda to match the long-term vision of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG).
“It was my honour to meet with senior government officials including the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, as well as the key stakeholders and partners during this trip,” she said, expressing her belief that Nepal could and would play an instrumental role at the Nairobi Summit, which marks the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo.

UNFPA executive director on first-ever official visit to Nepal to accelerate the promise of ICPD

At an especially important time in an important year for the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA executive director Dr Natalia Kanem has arrived in Kathmandu on her first official visit to Nepal since her appointment two years ago. Dr Kanem is accompanied by UNFPA regional director for Asia and the Pacific Bjorn Andersson and UNFPA chief of staff Pio Smith.
This year, 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of UNFPA and the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, where 179 governments, including Nepal, unanimously articulated a bold vision regarding the relationship between population development and individual rights and choices, with women and girls at the centre of the development agenda. The landmark ICPD Programme of Action commits to universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for all, underpinned by women’s empowerment and gender equality within the broader framework of human rights, as a pathway to sustainable development.
The high-level two-day UNFPA visit is to recognise the significant achievements by Nepal in relation to the Cairo vision and the commitment of the government to its full implementation by 2030 and to invite the government at the highest level to participate in the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, which will be held on November 12-14, as a champion of reproductive rights.
Since the Cairo conference, access to sexual and reproductive health services including family planning and skilled birth attendants has significantly increased in Nepal. This has resulted in reducing preventable maternal mortality by more than half to 239 per 100,000 live births. However, the pace of progress has been slower in the last decade due to a persistently high level of unmet need for family planning services and one of the highest rates of child marriage resulting in early pregnancy and childbirth in the world, among other factors.
“Nepal has made such momentous strides under the ICPD Programme of Action in the past quarter century, amid formidable challenges,” Dr Kanem noted, adding that now is the time to urgently address the unfinished business. “The Rights to Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Act introduced last year is a remarkable piece of legislation that is forward- looking and will certainly help accelerate efforts to achieve the goals agreed to in Cairo, goals which will be reaffirmed and recommitted to in Nairobi next month as well.”
The Nairobi Summit on ‘ICPD25: Accelerating the Promise,’ is being co-convened by the governments of Kenya and Denmark, along with UNFPA, and will bring together heads of state, ministers, parliamentarians, civil society organisations, young people, faith-based organisations, business and community leaders, and media partners to galvanise partnerships, mobilise political and financial support, and to help foster ideas and commitments to fully realise the ICPD vision and the SDGs by 2030.
While in Nepal, the UNFPA delegation will be meeting with senior government officials, development partners, CSOs and other key stakeholders as well as UNFPA staff. “As we gear up for Nairobi, we’re gratified that Nepal and all our member states have recognised that without achieving ICPD we simply won’t achieve the SDGs that underpin the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda,” Dr Kanem said, thanking Nepal for its valuable partnership and support in working with us towards our transformative results: Zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based violence and other harmful practices such as child marriage. “This is critical in fulfilling the vision of ICPD and the SDGs that of leaving no one behind.”

UN encourages members to realise ICPD goal

The links between population, development and human rights, including reproductive rights identified by 179 countries, including Nepal, at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo 25 years ago, are still relevant, said UN officials.
On the occasion of this year’s World Population Day that calls for global attention to the unfinished business of the ICPD Programme of Action, United Nations (UN) secretary-general António Guterres said carrying forward the vision of the ICPD will unlock opportunities for those left behind and help pave the way for sustainable, equitable and inclusive development for all.
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are closely interrelated with demographic trends including population growth, ageing, migration and urbanisation, he said, issuing a statement. While managing these population trends, we must also recognise the relationship between population, development and individual well-being, the UN chief said, adding that promoting gender equality is one of the most reliable pathways to sustainable development and improved well-being of people across the globe. “In November, a summit marking the 25th anniversary of the Cairo Conference will take place in Nairobi,” Guterres added. “I encourage member states to participate and to make firm political and financial commitments to realise the programme of action of the ICPD.”
Issuing a statement, executive director of United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) Natalia Kanem said women have the right to make their own decisions about whether, when and how often to become pregnant. “That right was reaffirmed in 1994 in Cairo at the landmark ICPD, where 179 governments agreed that sexual and reproductive health is the foundation for sustainable development.”
Despite considerable gains over the past 25 years, we still have a long way to go to live up to the promise of Cairo, the UNFPA chief said, adding that too many people continue to be left behind and too many are still unable to enjoy their rights, according to UNFPA, Nepal.
“On this World Population Day, I call on governments, civil society, communities and people from all sectors and walks of life to be bold and courageous and do the needful for women and girls, to accomplish the unfinished business of Cairo,” she added.

Asian and Pacific Population conference to set population agenda for ‘Building Better Lives’

More than 400 delegates, including one heads of state, ministers, policy makers and civil society representatives from 47 countries will review–  in Bangkok this week during sixth Asian and Pacific Population Conference (APPC) – population and development challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region, including the unprecedented pace of population ageing, migration, and urbanisation and changing household and family structures.

The Conference will also tackle a range of issues critical to human rights and development, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment, HIV and AIDS, gender-based violence, and the rights of young people.

In the Asia-Pacific region, too many women still die as a result of childbirth. Lack of information on sexual and reproductive health, and limited access to related services, is contributing to unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The gaps also expose millions to the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted disease.

The five-day Conference – organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in cooperation with UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund – will be instrumental in shaping the regional population agenda for the next decade and is expected to arrive at fresh solutions to address these population and development challenges.

It is expected to adopt a Ministerial Declaration that will also serve as the Asia-Pacific regional input to the global 20-year review of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
The United Nations General Assembly will convene a special session next year to recommit and advance the ICPD Programme of Action – the first United Nations framework to recognise reproductive rights and gender equality as essential to sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Addressing the opening today UNFPA executive director Babatunde Osotimehin cited a regional survey on progress since the ICPD conducted by ESCAP in cooperation with UNFPA. “It shows that Asia-Pacific countries have made important gains but need to do more to reduce economic inequality, ensure access to contraception, prevent maternal deaths and HIV infections, respond to the rights and needs of young people and end violence against women and girls,” he said, adding that successfully addressing the unfinished agenda is not only the right thing to do but also smart economics.

At the close of the Conference on September 20, ministers from 46 countries are expected to recommit to redouble their efforts to advance the population and development agenda in Asia and the Pacific.