On 12-13 September, EPF and UNFPA Georgia organised the Second South Caucasus Youth Reproductive Health and Rights Forum, which took place in Batumi, Georgia and was hosted by the local Adjaran Government and Batumi City Hall. More than 70 participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and other European countries, including Government representatives, Parliamentarians, international organisations, such as UN and EC, civil society representatives and young people gathered in Batumi.

They presented achievements in improving the reproductive health situation of young people and their access to services as a result of the three year EC/UNFPA Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in South Caucasus, a partnership led by UNFPA with the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development, with the generous support of the European Commission.

Through inter-country and country activities, the project has greatly contributed to the expansion of sexual and reproductive health services in line with the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the Millennium Development Goals. Within the three years, 78 youth reproductive health information and medical-information centres opened across the region; 1240 young peer educators received training and during the project duration already provided more than 40000 young people with information on their sexual and reproductive health and rights; over 2900 health care professionals received trainings on youth friendly reproductive health services and new legislative acts on reproductive health, family planning and healthy and harmonious education are in the process of development in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

As a project partner, EPF has contributed to the creation of Parliamentary leaders on SRHR and global health in each country. National Parliaments in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have formed permanent structures: All Party Parliamentary Groups on Population and Development, where leading Parliamentarians meet regularly and work on the implementation of ICPD Agenda. In Armenia, the All Party Group on Population and Development is working on amending the countries youth policies and including into it the SRHR issues; in Azerbaijan, the Working Group has elaborated the Law on Reproductive Health and Family Planning, which will be voted this autumn; in Georgia, the Working Group is working on a Concept of Harmonious and Healthy Education for Children, which will become the guidelines for the Government on provision of youth SRHR services as well as they work on inclusion of SRHR into the new country's youth policy.

The established All-Party Parliamentary Groups are members of EPF and EPF will continue to involve them in all activities on international and regional level as well as in international best practices exchange on advancing the ICPD Programme of Action.

The National Delegations from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have further developed frameworks of action for Youth SRHR for 2010-2015, which will serve as roadmap to develop and implement the actions targeted at sustainable improvement and development of youth SRHR in three South Caucasus Countries. This includes:

1. Developing and implementing youth policies and action plans in close collaboration between Parliament, Government, Civil Society, Private Sector and Donors;
2. Supporting sustainable improvement of youth awareness and knowledge on SRHR issues;
3. Supporting further improvement of services for youth and integration of youth friendly approaches in health care services