On 30th November 2007, Mane Purnima, Deputy Executive Director, UNFPA, visited JOICFP for the first time to exchange information and talk about the relationship with JOICFP and the future

I’ve heard many good things about JOICFP from UNFPA regional directors, for example, and I want to thank JOICFP for its ceaseless efforts in advocacy toward the Japanese government.

Only NGOs are capable of keeping our issues on the ‘front burner’, and although parliamentarians are valuable allies, they need to be kept updated.

I’d also like to thank JOICFP for its efforts towards the World AIDS Day Symposium it holds annually.

UNFPA’s Strategic Plan 2008-2011 still remains the reduction of poverty and unwanted pregnancy, safe birth and motherhood, young people being free of HIV, and having young women treated with respect.

To achieve this, linkage between the ICPD Program of Action and MDGs four, five and six (reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases) is critical.

However, these are the three goals that are furthest from being achieved, so there is a lot to do.

Accordingly, UNFPA is focusing on the gaps and prioritizing maternal health.

HIV prevention is being well funded, but we don’t want this to be at the expense of family planning. Therefore, we want to link sexual and reproductive health with HIV prevention at the operational level.

This will require a lot of advocacy, but we can do it, and we need technical support for this integration.

Although HIV and commodity security are other priorities, the culturally sensitive approach is increasingly being adopted, and UNFPA, as well as our partners, is looked to for its experience in this.

As part of UN reform, UNFPA is committed to regionalization as we believe this will be a cost-effective way to assist country offices deliver better services.

Finally, we look forward to greater and stronger cooperation with our Japanese partners such as JOICFP, and would like the Japanese Prime Minister to deliver the Rafael Salas Memorial Lecture in 2008.