NZPPD members are able to work in partnership with parliamentarians, non-government organisations and development agencies by attending events, meetings, open hearing and workshops.
We also coordinate events for other interested people to learn more about the work of the NZPPD. You can contact us if you are interested in finding out more.
NZPPD Launches Report on Maternal Health in the Pacific
A new report on maternal health in the Pacific from the New Zealand Parliamentarians’ group on Population and Development (NZPPD) calls on the New Zealand, Australian and Pacific Island governments to take immediate action to improve the maternal health situation in the Pacific.
The report, Making Maternal Health Matter, is the result of the Open Hearing on Maternal Health in the Pacific held by NZPPD in September 2009. Making Maternal Health Matter, brings together the key messages from the Open Hearing, with recommendations from NZPPD on where urgent action is needed.
The report was launched at the New Zealand Parliament on 23rd February. Dr. Sharon Camp, President and CEO of the U.S. based Guttmacher Institute, and Kathleen Gapirongo, President of the Solomon Islands Midwifery Society were invited to New Zealand to speak at the launch.
Download the report now. 
[2.52 MB]
On 21st September 2009, NZPPD held an Open Hearing on maternal health in the Pacific at the New Zealand Parliament.
Previous Events:
- NZPPD Report Launch - Ten Year Celebration Report, 2 July 2008
- NZPPD Information Session on NZAID, 18 June 2008
- PPAPD Visit to New Zealand, May 2008
- NZPPD Information Session for Parliamentary Staff, 30 April 2008
- NZPPD Information Session for the Executive Assistants and Private Secretaries of MPs, 4 October 2007
- NZPPD Workshop at the New Zealand Youth Parliament, 10 July 2007
- 2007 State of the World Population Report Launch, 27 June 2007
- NZPPD Report Launch Youth Sexual Health, "Our Health, Our Issue", 3 April 2007
- Open Hearing on Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health, December 2006
- Open Hearing on Violence Against Women and Children, 7 March 2005
On 2 July 2008, the NZPPD celebrated its ten year anniversary with the launch of a celebratory report 'Taking Action: The New Zealand Parliamentarians' Group on Population and Development.� [789KB].
The report outlines the critical population and development situation in the Pacific and the role parliamentarians can play to address this. The report also includes highlights of the group's activities over the past ten years.
On 18 June 2008, the NZPPD Secretariat coordinated an information session for NZPPD members with New Zealand’s Overseas Aid and Development Agency (NZAID). NZAID briefed participants on what NZAID was doing in the focus areas of the group.
This provided an opportunity for NZPPD members to develop their understanding of NZAID and for both sides to discuss the relationship between parliamentarians and NZAID.
The NZPPD Secretariat coordinated the visit of Tangata Vainerere, Coordinator of the Pacific Parliamentary Assembly on Population and Development (PPAPD), to New Zealand from 10 – 15 May.
A key outcome of the visit is that the NZPPD Secretariat has accepted an invitation to coordinate a workshop at the next PPAPD meeting in July 2008 in the Solomon Islands.
A further outcome of the visit is that the NZPPD Secretariat facilitated Mr Vainerere presenting a population and development focused submission to the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. The Committee are currently undertaking an Inquiry into New Zealand’s Relationships with South Pacific countries.
On 30 April 2008, the NZPPD Secretariat organised an information session for parliamentary staff on the NZPPD and the international debate on population and development.
Participants included representatives of the Inter-parliamentary Relations Secretariat and the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministerial Advisors, Executive Assistants and the Chief of Staff of the Maori Party.
The briefing highlighted the important role that parliamentary staff can have in addressing population and development issues.
On 4 October 2007, the NZPPD Secretariat coordinated a briefing session at Parliament for the Executive Assistants and Private Secretaries of New Zealand MPs.
Cross-party participants were briefed on the work of the NZPPD and the international debate on population and development.
On 10 July 2008, the NZPPD Secretariat facilitated a workshop on the NZPPD and population and development with the Pacific Observers to the 2007 Youth Parliament. Representatives from Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Burma and New Caledonia participated.
On 27 June 2007, the NZPPD hosted the New Zealand launch of the UNFPA 2007 State of the World Population Report, "Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth".
The event raised awareness of population and development issues, with MPs, Ministerial representatives, NGOs and the media attending.
UNFPA Pacific Office Representative Najib Assifi, presented the report to Honourable David Parker, New Zealand's Minister of Energy, Land information and responsible for Climate Change.
On 3 April 2006, the NZPPD report Youth Sexual Health: "Our Health, Our Issue" was launched at the New Zealand Parliament. The report makes several recommendations as a result of a 2006 NZPPD Open Hearing on youth sexual and reproductive health.
The report calls for a cross-government approach to improving youth sexual and reproductive health. The launch received wide media coverage and a formal response from the Minister of Health.
The process has contributed to raising awareness and action on youth sexual and reproductive health in New Zealand.
The report has been shared with other parliamentarians from the Pacific region as a model of how to engage and take action on population and development issues.
In December 2006, the NZPPD Secretariat organised an Open Hearing on youth sexual and reproductive health in New Zealand.
The aims of the hearing were:
- to inform parliamentarians on the issues for young New Zealanders surrounding their sexual and reproductive health;
- to make recommendations for action;
- and to gather lessons learned to share with parliamentarians internationally.
The event provided an opportunity for key government agencies, NGOs and other individual experts to make presentations. Anne Weyman, Chief Executive of the UK Family Planning Association, attended the Hearing and shared the UK experience.
On 7 March 2005, the NZPPD held an Open Hearing into the prevention of violence against women and children in New Zealand.
Funded by the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, the hearing gave civil society representatives and government agencies the opportunity to speak freely and frankly on the issues.
The resulting report Creating a Culture of Non Violence, provides a summary of the situation presented to parliamentarians at the Hearing, and makes recommendations for ensuring the New Zealand government fulfils its domestic commitments to eliminating ongoing violence against women and children.
Following the hearing, Hon Steve Chadwick, the then NZPPD Chair, was invited to sit on the Joint Ministerial Taskforce on Family Violence. The Taskforce has received updates from government departments that there has been progress on all the recommendations contained in the report.
The Government referred to the Open Hearing report in the Sixth Report (2006) on New Zealand’s Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
The Open Hearing report was also distributed regionally as an example of in-country action and follow-up on commitments made at international parliamentary conferences.