International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is paying national civil society organizations, NGOs, to lobby governments to support inclusion of "sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)" in the new development agenda under negotiation at the United Nations believing "Civil society has a critical role to play in influencing government priorities and positions for the ICPD Beyond 2014 and the Post-2015 negotiations".

Access to abortion is included under the broad SRHR agenda and is promoted as a "reproductive right" by IPPF and cohorts despite the fact that no international treaty validates their view. This latest action demonstrates the critical importance of negotiations taking place at the UN throughout the next thirteen months.

As new goals for the world are developed, debated and reach final approval in September, 2015, IPPF is targeting capitals for additional pressure through a "small grants facility" it has established to "support CSOs who are working with their governments, at country level, to develop strong positions in support of SRHR. This will enable governments to champion SRHR and population dynamics in forthcoming global policy opportunities related to the Operational review of the ICPD and all the processes that feed into the development of the post- 2015 development framework."

Funding is contingent upon an organization's ability to demonstrate: 

• "A clear plan to communicate positive messages about SRHR to governments who are sending delegations to global policy events.


• A clear plan to participate in government delegations at global policy events and do follow up advocacy at the national level to ensure national follow up of global policy debates. Global policy events are where member states come to discuss and negotiate international rules and guidelines for international development. These events can include: the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS)on ICPD2013/14 for the Millennium Development Goals, Beijing +20 regional reviews, Commission on the Status of Women 2015, Commission on Population and Development 2015,  and the post- 2015 development process;

• Have defined a clear plan for follow up work on accountability and transparency over the following 12 months, at national level."

The series of grants have been spread out regionally with the current proposal targeting "CSOs working at national or regional levels in South, East, and South East Asia, Africa including North Africa, and Central Asia." Organizations receive a maximum of $9,500 which can be used to cover travel expenses for a CSO member who "has a seat on the government delegation at a global policy event where SRHR is on the agenda".

The funding comes via support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Government of The Netherlands. CSOs that have already been approved include:    

• Aware Girls is young women led organization working for women empowerment, gender equality, and peace in Pakistan...They will use the grant for to mobilize a network of NGOs, media and parliamentarians to develop and disseminate a National Situation Analysis and Recommendations Report on SRHR in Pakistan. To complement this, Aware Girls will do a series of capacity building activities to advocate and push for the government to put SRHR on their national, regional and global agenda and to advocate for SRHR in the post- 2015 negotiations.

• FRHAM is a family planning service delivery and advocacy organization in Malaysia. They will use the grant to develop a document to present the evidence findings on SRHR interventions. FRHAM will use this document as a tool to develop communication and advocacy strategies to lobby the government to prioritize SRHR. FRHAM will work with key government allies such as the Ministry of Women to champion SRHR at national and international levels, this includes engaging the ministries in discussion and training on SRHR. FRHAM will push to be included on government delegations to international events for the post- 2015 negotiations, to ensure SRHR is a priority.

• FEMNET is a Pan-African membership based network set up in 1988 to advance African women's development... They will use the grant to engage the media in the Post 2015 process. The project will aim to expand the capacity of national and regional journalists to better understand and report on these processes and increase coverage of SRHR in media, particularly to enhance accountability from policymakers on their previous commitments to SRHR.

• CéRADIS is a Beninese NGO working in the field of reproductive health and rights including HIV and AIDS. They will use the grant to support their work around post 2015. They will work with key government departments to ensure the Government of Benin prioritizes SRHR at a national and international level by clearly linking SRHR to population dynamics, and its importance at the heart of sustainable development and poverty eradication. CéRADIS will also work with other NGOs and the media...

IPPF details the push for SRHR in all three pillars of development in Sexual and reproductive health and rights - a crucial agenda for the post-2015 framework. The introduction states: "Sexual and reproductive health and rights cut across the three central dimensions of sustainable development - economic, social and environmental. Therefore, ensuring universal access to such rights should be an essential part of the response to the global challenges we face."

The IPPF Vision 2020 data tracker includes as an indicator of progress the extent to which "countries have removed legal, policy or administrative barriers and expanded access to safe abortion services for girls and women" in tracking reduction in maternal mortality related to abortion.

This indicator is in stark contrast to the majority of UN Member States that restrict abortion and view it as an act that conflicts with religious, cultural and national beliefs that value the lives of children in the womb and their mothers.

IPPF explains its push for SRHR:

 If sexual and reproductive health and rights are not established as a centrepiece of the next framework, gains will not be protected, progress towards other sustainable development goals will be compromised, and young people, women and men around the world will be unable to realize a range of basic human rights related to sex, reproduction, family life, and participation in social, economic and public spheres.

As governments, civil society and private sector actors, we have a collective duty to ensure that the new goals, targets and indicators support progress to date in order to sustain impacts, continue progress towards unfulfilled targets, and address gaps and failures. Guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights for all must be at the heart of the world's response to the challenge of generating sustainable development."