Conference of Speakers of African National Assemblies on Issues of Population and Development

Statement by Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA

It gives me tremendous pleasure to be among you on this extraordinary occasion of the Conference of Speakers of National Assemblies on Issues of Population and Development. I would like to commend the Parliament of Chad for its leadership and for hosting this conference.

On behalf of UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund and on my own personal behalf, I would like to convey heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Chad for its generous hospitality and warm welcome. I would also like to thank all of you for taking the time to attend and participate in this important meeting.

And I would like to reiterate how happy we are at UNFPA about the establishment of the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The vision, mission and strategic frameworks are very encouraging and give hope not only to Africans, but also to those supporting the African cause.

Of course, the advent of the Pan-African Parliament is equally welcome.

And so is the election of Madame Gertrude Mongella as President. Her leadership qualities and commitment to human rights and social development are an inspiration to us all. Her personal efforts in advocating the protection of human rights, and the promotion of gender equity and the empowerment of women, as well as her vision, make Ambassador Mongella a true representative of the people of Africa and of all regions. I salute you, Madame, and wish you tremendous success as you lead the Pan-African Parliament forward.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We all know the indispensable role that African parliamentarians play in advancing social development in the region. And we know that social development—through improved education and health, equal opportunity and respect for human rights—is the building block of economic prosperity.

Yes, this great continent of Africa has oil. Yes, Africa has gold. Yes, Africa has diamonds. But by far, the most precious commodity and the real source of wealth is the African people. And Africa must take care of its own people.

As parliamentarians, you have a very special role to play. You are close to the people. You are their bridge to government and decision-making. You represent their interests in the halls of government, so that their needs are met and their human rights respected.

All over this great continent, African Parliamentarians have repeatedly pledged to create an environment for the improvement of the quality of life of Africa’s women, men and children.

Indeed, African parliamentarians have at various meetings voiced their full support for the achievement of international development goals and international human rights standards.

Nearly five years ago, world leaders met in New York at the Millennium Summit. They agreed on a common framework and focus to guide international development efforts, known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The MDGs include: 

• eradication of extreme poverty and hunger,
• universal primary education,
• reduction of child mortality,
• improvement in maternal health,
• the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, and
• combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

The target date to achieve these goals is 2015, only a decade away.

It is widely acknowledged that these goals will remain elusive, yet another empty promise, unless greater attention is paid to the issues of population and reproductive health and rights.

As United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated:

“The Millennium Development Goals, particularly the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, cannot be achieved if questions of population and reproductive health are not squarely addressed. And that means stronger efforts to promote women’s rights, and greater investment in education and health, including reproductive health and family planning.”

The message is clear. We must accelerate action and investment in reproductive health. This was confirmed by the 265 experts of the Millennium Project, who identified improved access to sexual and reproductive health as a "quick win" to jumpstart progress to reduce poverty and needless death and suffering.

My friends, today Africa faces many population challenges—from population growth rates higher than economic growth rates, from rapid urbanization to migration and to age structures characterized by large youth populations.

Today, 63 per cent of Africa’s population is under the age of 18. These young people are a powerful force for change, if they are given the opportunities and services they need to live healthy and productive lives. These young people are a powerful force for change, if they are given leadership roles and participation.

Yet today, far too many of Africa’s young people face lives of uncertainty and fear. More than half of all new HIV infections occur among young people, with young women particularly vulnerable.

Today, in Africa, unmet reproductive health needs remain dangerously high.

I would like to focus on three population priorities, which I believe deserve our urgent attention and action:

1. High rates of maternal and child mortality,
2. The grave and growing threat of HIV/AIDS, and
3. Continuing discrimination and violence against women.

Maternal Mortality

Today, a mother in West Africa faces a 1 in 16 risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth, compared to a 1 in 2,800 risk for a woman in the developed world.

If these deaths and suffering were inevitable, it would be another story. But we know how to reduce the needless deaths of mothers and babies.

We know that women need one thing: access to reproductive health services.

They need access to family planning, so they can space and time their births. They need antenatal care during pregnancy. And they need access to skilled attendance at delivery and emergency obstetric care.

If basic reproductive health services were universally available, maternal mortality would be as rare in Africa as it is today in Western Europe and the United States.

HIV/AIDS

By far the greatest population challenge facing Africa is the spread of HIV/AIDS.

AIDS presents a grave and growing challenge to the continent of Africa. And it is up to all of us to confront this challenge head-on. The decisions we take today will shape the future not only of the AIDS epidemic, but of the African continent itself.

We must ask ourselves: What kind of a world are we living in when a family spends its last bit of savings to purchase a coffin? Together, we must do more.

With no cure or vaccine at our disposal, we must scale up prevention, along with treatment and care. This is especially vital for young people, and for marginalized and vulnerable population groups.

Today, I challenge all of you, as Speakers of Parliament, to advocate and invest in HIV prevention, in schools and out of schools. Every national curriculum should include family life skills, HIV prevention and gender equality. We need more youth-friendly services. And every maternal and reproductive health centre should offer services for HIV/AIDS.

I challenge you to link more fully HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health policies and services. This will allow us to use existing systems and infrastructure and save money. Most importantly, it will help us reach more people, especially the women who are the hardest hit, and save lives.

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

Together, we must do more to confront one of the driving forces of the AIDS epidemic, gender inequality. Protecting the human rights of women protects them from HIV/AIDS.

I challenge all of you to generate concrete action to prevent and treat violence against women and girls—this is urgent. As long as women and girls continue to confront violence in their daily lives, we cannot claim to be making progress towards development and peace. I challenge you to be role models and to sensitize men and boys to the benefits of equality and non-violence. Unprecedented advocacy is needed to change harmful attitudes and practices and to build on positive cultural values. We must also ensure access to property and inheritance rights, basic education and employment opportunities for women and girls. By fostering the full participation of women in all spheres of life, including the political sphere, we will make faster progress.

There is no greater development investment than the investment in women and girls.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we are at a critical juncture. We belong to the first generation that can put an end to poverty, and we should not refuse to seize this opportunity. There has been real progress in Africa—progress for which we are all proud—progress on which we can build.

Uganda has reversed the spread of AIDS. Mozambique is on track in meeting the target to curb child mortality. Tanzania is on track to provide safe water for all. Governance is improving. There are fewer civil wars than there used to be. Fifty per cent more children go to school than ever before. Rwanda now has the highest percentage of women in parliament (48 per cent), higher than the Nordic countries. And South Africa has decided that half of all members on government commissions will be women.

As speakers of parliament, you have emphasized the importance of gender equality, reproductive health and rights, and youth employment. You have committed yourselves to promoting policies that aim to meet human needs and legislation that protects human rights, including the rights of women.

It would be ideal if the Pan-African Parliament had a Caucus on Population and Social Development, if a similar structure is not already in place. I also urge parliaments to support the target agreed upon at the international meeting of parliamentarians in Strasbourg, France, last October. They agreed to strive to devote at least 10 per cent of national development budgets to population and reproductive health. Let us move from lines in speeches to lines in budgets.

I encourage all of you to speak out about the importance of reproductive health to the attainment of international development goals. This is particularly important as we move closer to the September Summit, where world leaders will review the progress made in achieving the goals set forth in the Millennium Declaration. We hope that Heads of State will highlight the need to link the Cairo agenda, and in particular reproductive health, with the Millennium Development Goals.

In conclusion, let me reiterate UNFPA’s commitment to the achievement of Africa’s development objectives. The United Nations Population Fund is delighted to have African parliamentarians as key partners. We will continue to do our part to support your efforts to improve the lives of the people. As we accelerate action in the countdown to 2015, we look forward to a strategic and productive partnership with the African Union Commission, NEPAD and the Pan-African Parliament.

I wish this gathering success and thank you for your kind attention.