The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

ACP/84/019/06 
PADH: JFK/bm 
Brussels, 17 March 2006

A Consultative Meeting of ACP Ambassadors and their EU counterparts on challenges of Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) in Africa, was held at ACP House in Brussels, Belgium on 17 March 2006. It was organized by the ACP Group of States in collaboration with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Africa Regional Office. Resource persons based in Africa provided background discussion papers.

The Meeting re-affirmed the importance of dialogue through the framework of the ACP-EU Partnership in placing SRH issues at the forefront of development cooperation efforts. Participants expressed satisfaction at the best practices and lessons learned from the presented SRH programmes in selected African countries, and called on their replication in other ACP States and Regions.

The ACP-EU Ambassadors reiterated their full and broad support for the entire agenda of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the key actions adopted at ICPD+5, and underlined that the MDGs cannot be attained without progress in achieving the ICPD Goal of universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The ACP-EU Ambassadors commended the adoption of the continental framework on SRH policies by the African Heads of State and Government at the AU Summit held in Khartoum, Sudan during the period 16-24 January 2006.

The ACP-EU Ambassadors noted with grave concern that lack of attention to SRHR is a driving force behind the AIDS pandemic and high population growth as well as the failure to check maternal and neonatal mortality.

The strong need for adolescents and young people, especially girls and women, to have access to sexual and reproductive health education and information, to be aware of their sexual and reproductive rights, and hence empowering them to make safe and responsible choices with regards to their sexual and reproductive health, was underscored.

The Ambassadors also encouraged national governments and the donor community to devote appropriate resources to SRH, in line with commitments made by African States in regional and international fora.

The Meeting called on ACP States and Regions to prioritize health issues, in particular SRH and linkages to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic, during the preparation of National and Regional Indicative Programmes, as well as intra-ACP Cooperation envelope for the 10^th European Development Fund (EDF).

The ACP-EU Ambassadors welcomed the opportunity to jointly discuss the challenges of SRH in Africa, and supported the strengthening of the partnership between the ACP Group of States, the EU, the UN system and other development partners including International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), in putting SRH issues within the context of development cooperation in the health sector of ACP States.