Family Planning International engages with a range of United Nations processes, reflecting the fact that population and development issues are relevant to many areas.
In addition to attending UN meetings, we are active in related monitoring, consultation, information gathering and follow up.
Family Planning International thinks it important to engage at this level as the United Nations is a powerful international body charged with ensuring that the world is peaceful, healthy, sustainable, and respectful of human rights.
The key United Nations agreements we follow are the:
Each one of these agreements has a review process. Family Planning International inputs into these processes, aiming to ensure that the voices and experiences of people in developing countries, particularly Pacific countries, are heard at the global level.
Future plans for our United Nations work include increasing the capacity of others to be involved in United Nations processes by sharing our experiences. We also plan to learn more about how to work with the Human Rights Council.
Family Planning International is actively involved at UN level in monitoring progress in achieving the ICPD Programme of Action. The Commission on Population and Development is the United Nations body that organises this process.
Each year, the Commission has a theme which governments report on. Family Planning International regularly attends the Commission meeting to ensure that issues and experiences from our region are highlighted and addressed.
We have also been involved in the major five-year reviews of the ICPD Programme of Action (ICPD 5 and ICPD 10). ICPD 15 is set to take place in 2009 and we will be there!
Family Planning International takes action in relation to reviews of the Beijing Platform for Action which focuses on achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Commission on the Status of Women is the United Nations body that coordinates this process.
There is an annual meeting with a key theme. Family Planning International regularly attends these annual meetings and has been nominated to be part of the New Zealand Government Delegation in 2005, 2006 and 2008. This has provided excellent opportunities to refresh our relationships with women’s groups from around the world, and to learn what is working well in other places.
We have also participated in reviews of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS). A five year process of review began in 2005 at a United National World Summit. Family Planning International was there as a member of the New Zealand Government Delegation.
Following global action, including activities by Family Planning International, a new MDG target was agreed to achieve universal reproductive health by 2015.
Family Planning International continues to take action around the United National General Assembly Special Session on HIV and AIDS (UNGASS), and related meetings. Globally, 42 million people are living with HIV and AIDS and more than 20 million people have died. Around 95% of those affected are from developing countries.
We briefed the New Zealand delegation and provided input into New Zealand's position on the Draft Declaration. The outcome of the meeting was a Declaration of Commitment from governments to take urgent action to halt and reverse the spread of HIV.
Five-year review
In 2006, a five-year review meeting was convened at United Nations level. Family Planning International was a member of the New Zealand Government Delegation.
The meeting concluded that while there had been some progress, more needs to be done. People continue to contract HIV, to die from AIDS, and the pandemic is reaching across a greater number of countries. The outcome of the meeting was a Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS.
Where are we now, in 2008?
In June 2008, governments met again at United Nations level. Family Planning International participated as part of the New Zealand Delegation.
A vast amount of information was gathered from country reports, which gave a more accurate picture of the HIV pandemic than ever before. What was obvious was that there were some successes in scaling up access to treatment but that there was little progress on prevention. For every new person put on treatment, five individuals were newly infected by HIV.
Governments had begun to realise that the key driver of the epidemic were the neglect and violation of human rights. Men who have sex with men, people who engage in sex work and people who inject drugs remain highly stigmatised individuals, and remain at high risk of contracting HIV.
Meanwhile, due to discrimination against women, in Sub-Saharan Africa and Papua New Guinea, women have higher rates of infection by HIV. And globally, women are disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Family Planning International provided input into the development of New Zealand’s position for the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development (held in Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August – 4 September 2002).
We also attended post-WSSD briefings and formulated a plan for disseminating information on the Plan for Implementation. This included briefing the Minister for the Environment and the New Zealand Parliamentarians’ Group on Population and Development (NZPPD).
Family Planning International is closely involved in recent recommendations to reform the institutional structure of the United Nations so that it can be more effective in its work to achieve gender equality and empower women.
We brought together New Zealand civil society to make a submission to the initial research around UN reform processes, and have continued to coordinate a response from New Zealand civil society.