2nd MENA Inter-Agency Working Group Meeting

IAWG History & Key Achievements

Julie TaftReproductive Health AdvisorInternational Medical Corps (IMC)

Acknowledgements: Susan Purdin (IRC), Wilma Doedens (UNFPA) & Sandra Krause (WRC)

IAWG Beginnings…

1994 – Women’s Commission for Refugees seminal report: Refugee Women and Reproductive Health Care: Reassessing Priorities

“All migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons should receive basic education and health services” – Ch 10, ICPD Program of Action, 1994

1995 – Inter-Agency Symposium on Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations in Geneva IAWG formed!

IAWG Field Manual, 1999

Outlined the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP)

Comprehensive RH

Inter-Agency Reproductive Health Kits

SPHERE Project & Global Evaluation

The MISP was incorporated into the SPHERE Standards & IASC Health Cluster Tools and Guidance.

IAWG Global Evaluation: Services were available to refugees but lacking for IDPs Critical gaps in SRH still remained

IAWG Field Manual in Humanitarian Settings 2010

Significant technical updates Extends principles and

content beyond refugee situations to use in diverse crises including conflict and natural disasters.

English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, and Indonesian

Global distribution Field review process is

ongoing

IAFM 2010: What is new?

Specific technical updates

New chapter on Safe Abortion Care

HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections are now separate chapters

RH for young people renamed Adolescent Reproductive Health

IAWG Membership

Inclusive, collaborative and welcomes active participation. Voluntary contributions help move the agenda forward.

Includes NGOs, UN agencies, donors, and governments working to advance reproductive health on the international agenda.

IAWG currently has over 1000 individual members from over 450 agencies.

IAWG operates via online communications, collective action through a terms of reference (ToR), and annual face-to-face meetings.

IAWG Regional Working Groups

Asia Pacific IAWG 2006 IAWG Conference in Sydney

West/Central & East/Southern Africa2007 IAWG Conference in Nairobi

Middle East/North Africa IAWG2008 IAWG Conference in Cairo

Latin America/Caribbean 2010 IAWG Conference in Santo Domingo

Eastern Europe/Central Asia2011 IAWG Conference in Istanbul

IAWG Regional Working Groups