APA 2015-2016 Report
At the“ My Body, My Rights” side event, the voices of key populations shared the negative impacts that stigma, discrimination and punitive legal environments have on their health status. Organized by APA and International Planned Parenthood Federation South Asia Region( IPPF SARO) on 28 January, in cooperation with Asia Pacific Transgender Network( APTN) and the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health( APCOM), the session explored why the laws, policies and practices that criminalize adult consensual sexual behavior and discriminate on the basis of behavior and identity must be eliminated.
Speakers at the My Body, My Rights side event. Kabir Singh, APA; Inad Rendon, APCOM; Natt Kraipet, APTN; Seyfa Ahmad, YouthLEAD( l-r).
Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development
“ Strengthening integration, implementation and review for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific” was the theme of the second session of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development( APFSD), which took place on 21-22 May 2015 at UN ESCAP. The APFSD provides regional input into the High Level Political Forum.
At the preparatory CS Forum, APA co-organized a session with ARROW, IPPF SARO and IPPF East and South East Asia and Oceania Region( ESEAOR), and Partnership on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health( PMNCH) on Gender, Sexuality and SRHR on 19 May, and the Thematic Working Group on Gender, Sexuality and SRHR was initiated as an outcome. It aims to increase awareness and coordinate the response of civil society organizations from various constituencies on the topic of gender, sexuality and SRHR through the Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism( AP RCEM) at UN ESCAP. APA also ensured that accountability and SRHR were highlighted in the final statement.
“ Regional priorities for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific” was the theme of the third session of the APFSD, which took place on 3-5 April 2016.
At the preparatory CS forum, APA was elected as co-coordinator of the Thematic Working Group on Gender, Sexuality and SRHR along with ARROW. The cross-constituency working group consists of representatives from the LGBTIQ, persons living with and affected by HIV, older groups, migrants, fisherfolks, persons with disabilities, NGO, women, and the children, youth and adolescents constituencies at the AP RCEM.
SDG Week at ESCAP
Also in 2016, APA was selected to participate in the SDG Week at UN ESCAP, and attended a meeting to Review the Regional SDG Report on 29 November, and the Asia Pacific Follow-up and Review process on 1-2 December. APA advocated for the inclusion of linkages on the ICPD review process with the review of the SDGs at the regional level, and for a robust regional review and follow-up process that includes scope for alternative reporting by civil society and inputs from the results of international human rights review processes, such as the Universal Periodic Review.
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