APA Report 2015-2016 2014 | Page 10

Advancing SRHR in the Post-2015 Agenda Advancing SRHR in the Post-2015 Agenda APA ANNUAL REPORT 2014 APA ANNUAL REPORT 2014 CONFERENCES UN ADVOCACY AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL THE 7TH ASIA PACIFIC CONFERENCE ON REPRODUCTIVE AND SEXUAL HEALTH AND RIGHTS LINKAGES WITH HIV The Alliance had a strong presence the 7th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (7APCRSHR) held in Manila, the Philippines, from 21-24 January. The Secretariat collaboratively organized four satellite sessions at this conference aimed at setting a strategic direction for the region for post-2015. The ‘Expert Group Meeting on the Implementation of National Reviews and Consultations on Legal and Policy Barriers to Universal Access to HIV Services’ took place on 4-5 March, organized by UNESCAP in Pattaya, Thailand. APA was a CSO Observer at the meeting which shared experiences and lessons learnt from national reviews and consultations on legal and policy barriers to Universal Access to HIV services. POST-2015 THE SESSIONS WERE: ‘Making the ‘Visionary SRHR Development Goal a Reality’ was held on 22 January by APA, the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) and the Asia Pacific Research and Resource Centre for Women (ARROW). Representatives from the United Nations Population Fund Asia Pacific Regional Office (UNFPA APRO), the United Nations Joint Project on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS), the High Level Task Force for ICPD, and ARROW shared their perspectives on ways to engage in the emerging post-2015 global development environment. This session was chaired by Rose Koenders, APA Executive Director. The first Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development took place on 19-21 May in Pattaya, Thailand. APA met with CS groups from across the region for two days prior to the Forum and developed recommendations for a “Just and Sustainable Development for Action” . One of the critical outcomes of this event was the formation the new Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (RCEM) in a one-year transitional phase, a comprehensive and structured process to facilitate future Asia-Pacific CS engagement on sustainable development with the UN system. ‘FP2020: How Can Civil Society Ensure Accountability’ was a joint effort by members the Indonesia Planned Parenthood Association (IPPA), Marie Stopes International Australia (MSIA), and Pathfinder International Pakistan on 23 January. H. E. Dr. Thein Htay, Deputy Minister of Health for the Republic of the Union of Myanmar gave the opening remarks for the session, which was moderated by APA Chair Jackie Edmond, with critical reflections given by member Sandeep Prasad of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (ACSHR). ‘Building Bridges Between the SRHR and HIV Communities’ was a dialogue session co-organized with WGNRR on 23 January. It brought activists together to explore the linkages between HIV and SRHR. Participants found many common areas to build upon in strengthening collaboration between t