From 16th to 20th November, the 8th APA Conference was held in Bangkok, under the theme of "Evidence-Based Advocacy: the Catalyst for Action."

Over 60 representatives from the seven APA countries, including those from JOICFP, India, China, and the Pacific region attended, as well as resource persons.

The conference started with a reproductive health (RH) supply workshop, and PAI introduced the background and development of the RH Supply Initiative and its benefits to date, highlighting it as a good example of evidence-based advocacy.

Other presenters gave results of a regional survey on RH supplies and experiences in advocating for contraceptives, as well as a case study of a village revolving fund partly used to ensure contraceptive supplies.

Members Meeting

A presentation by the Danish FPA explained how to make advocacy effective, including:

Choose a position grounded in research
Determine and know your target audience
Choose evidence appropriate for the target audience
Keep the message clear and tailored to the target audience

DFPA also spoke on working with MPs, saying, for example, that HIV/AIDS was an easier 'sell' than sexual reproductive health and rights.

A member of the Danish FPA talks about advocacy

A presentation by UNESCO focused on the needs of the young, explaining the use of a tool kit that tackles issues such as: denial, taboos, stigma, discrimination, and difficulty in access to contraceptive supplies.

A representative from Health and Development Networks, Thailand, told the conference how change could be effectively implemented through networks on the Internet that can host forums and easily link people all over the world.

In a meeting on APA governance, members discussed the advocacy plan for 2007 and 2008, member countries made presentations on current advocacy activities, and recommendations were made to be included in the final advocacy plan for APA to be finalized by the steering committee.

JOICFP also delivered a presentation on its advocacy for safe motherhood over the last year, emphasizing how many different activities had been presented under the one easily acceptable message of saving mother's lives, in order to make it easier for advocacy targets to understand what JOICFP is doing.

Advocacy in action

A one-day NGO Dialogue Training Workshop prepared participants for practical advocacy with select parliamentarians the following day. Fifteen MPs from seven Asian countries listened to advocacy presentations from APA members on topics such as HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and rights for HIV-positive people, and access to contraceptive supplies.

Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA, and Gill Greer, Director-General, IPPF, made welcome speeches at the opening, and the workshop was chaired by former midwife Steve Chadwick, MP, New Zealand, who also chairs Cross Party New Zealand Parliamentarians on Population and Development.

The parliamentarians gave feedback on advocacy skills, explaining what was effective, such as emotional content in a face-to-face situation, and what needed to be improved.

The MPs later used the information as input to the Third IPCI Meeting that week in Bangkok.

JOICFP's collaboration with APA is increasing as from 2007 it will host a Japanese version of the APA website. In addition, Sumie Ishii, Executive Director, JOICFP, has been appointed chairperson of APA, taking over from Gill Greer.