23 November 1998 POP/691
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR TO EXAMINE ROLE OF NEW INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN POPULATION ADVOCACY 19981123NEW YORK, 23 November (UNFPA) -- The use of new information and communication technologies to create a consensus and mobilize resources for population and development programmes will be the focus of an international seminar in Ankara, Turkey, from 1 to 4 December.Sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government of Turkey, the seminar will examine existing and potential uses of community media, satellite and mobile phones, computer networks and other technologies to build political commitment and community support for reproductive health services and reproductive rights in developing countries. Participants will include technical experts, policy makers and development practitioners from governments, academic institutions, donor agencies and non-governmental organizations with experience in advocacy for women's empowerment, reproductive health and rights and partnership with civil society. The seminar will identify ways in which information and communication technologies can be used to help developing countries achieve the goals of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. These goals include gender equality and universal access to reproductive health care, including family planning. For instance, projects in several African nations have used mobile phones to make reproductive health information more accessible in remote villages; in Uganda, traditional birth attendants are using walkie-talkies to summon assistance in obstetric emergencies. In Senegal, youth leaders have organized cyber-cafes where young people can discuss life-planning skills and connect with the world's youth. The seminar on "ICPD Advocacy in the Global Information and Knowledge Management Age: Creating A New Culture" will also hear how information technologies can be used to provide governments with essential data on, for example, population growth and migration for use in development planning and policy formation. And it will examine how local communities can use the Internet to communicate with their elected officials on gender equity, reproductive health and rights issues. - 2 - Press Release POP/691 23 November 1998 The agenda, abstracts of presentations and other information on the seminar and a discussion forum can be found on UNFPA's website at http://www.unfpa.org/ict/index.htm. The seminar in Turkey is taking place in the context of "ICPD+5", a review of achievements and constraints in implementing the Cairo agreement. The review will include an international forum in The Hague, Netherlands, from 8 to 12 February next year and will culminate in a special session of the United Nations General Assembly from 30 June to 2 July 1999. For information on "ICPD+5" events, see http://www.unfpa.org/ICPD/ICPD.HTM. For further information, contact Corrie Shanahan at tel: (212) 297-5023 and e-mail: [email protected]; or Jesper Juul Jensen at (212) 297-5040 and e- mail: [email protected] * *** *
United Nations
|