NGO Forum (Berlin)

In observance of the 15th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), NGOs advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) all over the world will gather in a forum dubbed as “Global Partners in Action: NGO Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Development” on September 2-4, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. The main objective of the forum is to strengthen partnership among the NGOs to secure political and financial investments on SRHR for its sustainable development in an uncertain, interdependent world. To achieve its objective, the forum will provide a venue for the following:

1. Exchange of information, sharing of lessons learned or best practices, and identification of opportunities and challenges;
2. Advancement of a strategic platform that promotes unity in advocacy on SRHR in an interdependent world;
3. Drafting and adoption of a forward-looking NGO action plan that is supported and endorsed by the NGO community; and
4. An agreement on a Call to Action that will be transmitted through appropriate channels or events such as the International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action (IPCI-ICPD), the UN General Assembly and the mass media.

Global Partners in Action is led by NGOs and is for NGOs, with emphasis on the participation of those from the Global South and those who represent the young people. It is designed to be a highly interactive meeting featuring an orientation session, regional meetings, breakout sessions, information bazaar, straight talks and plenary sessions. Drafting of the Call to Action and NGO Action Plan will take place as forum activities proceeds. Outcomes of the various activities will be fed to the drafting committee whose membership is open to all participants.

The Call to Action will serve as an advocacy tool by NGOs and will be presented to governments and parliamentarians after the forum. The NGO Action Plan will function as a medium term road map and ensure that the Global Partners in Action will chart a way that leads to the achievement of the ICPD Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The forum has 400 slots for participants, 50 percent of them will be allocated to Southern NGOs whose representatives will be fully funded, 25 percent to Northern NGOs but which cannot all be fully funded and 25 percent to young people under the age of 30. There will be no registration fee.