Japan is party to many international agreements, and many international meetings and conferences are held in the country. As a result, the ICPD Program of Action (PoA) agreed to at Cairo in 1994 is not high in the consciousness of the general public or decision and policy makers.

JOICFP realized the importance of focusing on 2004 as the year of ICPD + 10 as an opportunity to reawaken interest in the ICPD PoA, and developed a strategy to deliver advocacy at any time, not only domestically. JOICFP acts a two-way bridge between Japan and the rest of the world, and, for example, attended Global Roundtable regional- and country-level meetings, and European and Asia-Pacific meetings to promote the ICPD PoA and bring back to Japan the latest developments in the field.

Three pillars

The tools developed to support the strategy are printed materials, information channels and direct contacts.

For printed materials

An ICPD + 10 logo used on correspondence and documents
Stickers and cards bearing the logo
Translated documents promoting reproductive health and rights (RH/R)
Japanese version of an IPPF glossary on RH/R
Special focus on ICPD + 10 in JOICFP's domestic magazine Sekai to Jinko

Information channels

Special section on JOICFP's website regarding ICPD + 10 Email magazine on RH/R

Direct contacts

Domestic traveling seminar
Media seminars
Special meetings with parliamentarians and other policy makers

Through this approach, JOICFP expanded its target group and increased the ways for people to learn about ICPD and its aims. Access to the JOICFP web site has increased five- to six-fold over the last year, in part due to ICPD + 10 advocacy. The RH/R email magazine has seen subscriptions rise 10-fold in six months, and this is entirely due to reader's recommendations.

Furthermore, JOICFP has stimulated and supported many local NGOs concerned with RH/R by providing information and know-how, and it is expected that these NGOs will be encouraged in activities to promote the ICPD PoA and the upcoming review of the Women's Conference, Beijing + 10, in 2005.