UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
|
| UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) |
|
AFPPD INFORMATION SERVICE
Issue #3
May 1997
***** FORUM OF AFRICAN AND ARAB PARLIAMENTARIANS ON POPULATION AND
DEVELOPMENT (FAAPPD) FORMED!
Cape Town- Parliamentarians from 31 African and Arab states gathered
at a unique conference held at the South African parliament building to
discuss the problems of the world's ever growing population. Growing
population is considered to have a negating effect on economic development;
to meet that challenge the group decided to form a Forum of African and Arab
Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAAPPD). The group also
hopes that the Forum will contribute to bringing the African and Arab
regions closer together in the future.
Parliamentarians from Zambia, the Central African Republic, Guinea,
Benin, Congo, Senegal, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, Kenya, Ghana,
Jordan, Swaziland, Tunisia, Togo, Lebanon, Palestine, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe,
Egypt, South Africa, Uganda, Gabon, Seychelles, Ivory Coast, Niger, Burkina
Faso, Mauritius, Malawi, Zaire, Tanzania, and Burundi attended the first
Inaugural Conference held from 1-3 May 1997 in the Parliament House, Cape Town.
***** 75 PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM 31 COUNTRIES PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING
The opening session of the conference was addresses by Mr. Hirofumi
Ando, the Deputy Executive Director of the UNFPA; Dr. B.H. Abdellalef, Chief
of the Population Section at the Organization of African Unity (OAU); Mr.
Shin Sakurai, Chairman of the AFPPD; and Mr. F.M. Ekon, Chairman of the
African Council of the IPPF. A message from King Hussein of Jordan was also
presented. The meeting was attended by 75 parliamentarians from 31 countries.
Mr. Hirofumi Ando welcomed the first conference and hoped that this
foundation laid in Cape Town would be a solid one. He also hoped that the
new Forum will be able to serve as a platform which African and Arab
parliamentarians can use to determine the best ways to contribute to and
develop the regions population and development programs.
Mr. Shin Sakurai, Chairman of the AFPPD, made a special trip in
order to attend the conference along with Mr. Shiv Khare, the Executive
Director of AFPPD. Mr. Sakurai recalled the International Conference of
Parliamentarians on Population and Development (ICPPD), which he chaired in
Cairo, Egypt. At that meeting the idea of forming an African and Arab
parliamentarians forum was initiated and now it was actually being formed.
He assured all possible support from the AFPPD in the future.
Dr. Manito Tashabalala, South Africa's Deputy Minister of Justice
and chairperson of the local organizing committee, also spoke at the opening
session.
The conference discussed the constitution document of the Forum of
African and Arab Parliament on Population and Development (FAAPPD) at
length. After a long debate and several changes, the constitution was approved.
The Executive Committee of FAAPPD was mandated to invite offers from
national parliaments to host the Secretariat of the Forum. A venue will be
chosen by the Executive Committee by September 1997.
***** PRESENTATIONS ON DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE AFRICAN
AND ARAB REGIONS
Dr. R. Tabbara from Lebanon provided good demographic and
development information about North Africa and the Arab states.
Ms. G. Fraser-Moleketi, Minister of Welfare and Population
Development in South Africa, spoke on "The South African Experience with
Population and Development".
Well known population expert and former president of the IPPF, Dr.
Fred Sai of Ghana, said that obstacles to sexual and reproductive health
rights are still a problem in several African and Arabic countries.
The Chairman of the IPPF African Regional Council, Mr. Francis Ekon,
spoke about family planning services and the lesson s that can be learned
from them.
Former Minister and women's activist from Mauritius, Ms. S. Bappoo,
spoke at length about the situation of women in Africa. She was of the
opinion that African women are waking up to the problems that they face and
that awareness of these problems was increasing.
Several countries presented reports about the development of
National Committees. Today, 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East have
formed National Committees and several others are in the process of doing so.
***** AFRICAN-ASIAN COOPERATION FORESEEN
The conference ended with a vote of thanks to the UNFPA and AFPPD
for their support of the important meeting. Hirofumi Ando, the Deputy
Director of UNFPA; Mr. Shin Sakurai, Chairman of AFPPD; Mr. Kojo Adzewoda
Efu, Regional Director of Africa IPPF; and Mr. Peter Schatzer of the
International Organization of Migration (IOM), assured their full
cooperation in the development of FAAPPD.
Mr. Shin Sakurai hosted a reception for the parliamentarians and
other guests. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Sakurai said that he is looking
forward to working closely with parliamentarians in Africa and that he would
promote an Afro-Asian conference as soon as possible.
The UNFPA was represented by Ms. Virginia Ofosu Amaah, Director of
the Africa Division, and Ms. M. Hikmati, Director of the Arab and Europe
Division. Mr. J. Parson, UNFPA South Africa, and Mr. Kemal Mustapha, UNFPA
Zambia, attended and provided support for the conference.
***** NEWLY ELECTED FAAPPD OFFICE BEARERS
The conference elected the following officers for the period 1997-1999:
Chairperson
Mr. Ka Moustafa
Deputy Speaker, Senegal
Vice-Chairpersons
Ms. Amina Mahmoud
MP, Egypt
Mr. Tondo Gilbert
MP, Congo
Ms. Theresa Nyarko Fofie
MP, Ghana
Dr. Manto Tsabalala
MP, South Africa
Secretary General
Mr. Samir Habashneh
Hon. Minister, Jordan
Deputy Secretary General
Mr. Lormus Bundhoo
MP, Mauritius
Treasurer
Mr. Timothy Mutesasira
MP, Uganda
Deputy Treasurer
Ms. Houda Kanoun
MP, Tunisia
***** END OF DOCUMENT