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First IEPFPD Council Meeting - 4-5 December 2000, Paris

Launch of the Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development

Meeting in Paris on 4-5 December, the Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (IEPFPD) ratified a Declaration of Intent which calls upon parliaments of the world to support national and regional institutions in the implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action.

This launch and first meeting of the IEPFPD involved parliamentarians from some 23 parliaments in Europe, from 8 other countries around the world, and UNFPA, IPPF and other international organizations. Speaking at the meeting, Mr Kunio Waki, Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, described the growing strength and inter-action of parliamentarians world-wide, “united in their concern about population, reproductive health and development issues and united in their willingness to take action.” Other speakers at the meeting included representatives from other regional parliamentary forums, IPPF Director General Ingar Brueggemann and Lyn Thomas, Director of the IPPF European Network which organized and facilitated the meeting.

At the meeting, Marjatta Vehkaoja MP (Finland) was elected as the first Chair of the IEPFPD, Elena Poptodorova MP as Vice Chair (Bulgaria) and Chris McCafferty MP (United Kingdom) was elected as Treasurer. Five new all-party parliamentary groups from Austria, Bulgaria, France, Ireland and Portugal were welcomed as new full members of the IEPFPD. The Declaration of Intent calls for renewed co-operation of all parliamentary partners in development for the implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action, and an overt focus on the real needs and expectations of young people in all sexual and reproductive health programmes.

Workshops at the meeting in Paris focused on the need to create all-party parliamentary groups on population, development and reproductive and sexual health in countries where they do not yet exist, and greater communication and sharing of experience between existing groups.

Download:

• Programme (EN)
• List of Participants (EN)
• Final Declaration (EN | FR | RU)
• Final Report (EN)