EPF believes that parliamentarians have a duty and a responsibility to promote and defend the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all individuals, including their right to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children ; to defend and advance gender equality, gender equity and women’s empowerment; and to eliminate all forms of discrimination, coercion and violence against women. The ICPD Programme of Action and the Key Actions of its five-year review are essential in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
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Parliamentary Delegation at the World AIDS Conference 2010 and Parliamentary Side Event on the Integration of SRHR and HIV/AIDS : 18-22 July 2010, Vienna Austria

On 18 - 22 July EPF in cooperation with its sister networks and the support of UNFPA organised a Parliamentary Side Event on the Integration of SRHR and HIV/AIDS, followed by the 4 days visit to the World AIDS Conference, and various field visits and related activities. The delegation comprised of 20 Parliamentarians and Young Decision Makers from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.

The Parliamentary Side Event on the Integration of SRHR and HIV/AIDS on 18 July started the visit of the Parliamentary Delegation. It was hosted by Hon. Petra Bayr, MP (Austria) EPF Executive Committee Member and Chair of Austrian Parliamentary Group on Population and Development and aimed to educate and sensitise Parliamentarians and young decision-makers about the latest developments in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the important role of reproductive health and RH supplies. Interactive sessions involving Parliamentarians and young decision makers, high level speakers from UNFPA, UNAIDS, IPPF and other civil society organisations enabled a productive and structured dialogue on the major challenges facing the global response to the pandemic? It promoted a better understanding of the linkages between HIV/AIDS, RH and RHS and the need for a more integrated approach between these sectors. A special session "Young People and Vulnerable Groups - their Needs, Views and Solutions" discussed participation of young people in taking decisions that involve them and focused on the problems of young people living with HIV/AIDS.

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European Parliamentary Assistants gain insight into Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights during the EPF Study Tour to Ethiopia, 18-24 July 2010, Addis Ababa

From 18-24 July 2010, 5 European Parliamentary Assistants gained first hand insight into Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in development aid through a Parliamentary delegation visit to Ethiopia organised by the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) in collaboration with the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia (FGAE).

The aim of the delegation visit was twofold: to ensure that delegates are equipped with first-hand information about the latest developments and initiatives with regard to sexual and reproductive health and rights, funding for health, women’s empowerment and gender equality in Ethiopia, as well as to assess the performance of Ethiopia development partners vis-à-vis their funding commitment to health at national level.
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6th Annual Parliamentarians’ Summit on "Balancing the Scales of Women’s Lives in the Countdown to 2015", Ottawa, Canada, June 10th-11 2010

Parliamentarians adopt Appeal to G8/G20 Heads of States and Government calling for Family Planning and Reproductive Health

Two weeks prior to the G8 and G20 Meetings in Canada, the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) in co-operation with the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), the Forum of African and Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAAPPD) and the Inter-American Parliamentary Group (IAPG) brought over 40 Parliamentarians to the Sixth Annual Summit “Balancing the Scales of Women’s Lives in the Countdown to 2015".

The event hosted by Hon. Raymonde Folco, MP, Chair of the Canadian Association of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (CAPPD) in close cooperation with the Parliamentary Centre addressed MDG targets which have not yet been achieved and specifically examined the theme of Women and Development, based on goals 1, 5 and 6, which deal with the reduction of extreme poverty and hunger, with a specific focus on maternal health, and combating HIV/Aids and other diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.