1. 18 D S W i n Ger m any
» Policy Work in Germany
DSW maintains close links with policy makers in liaison office in Berlin continues to raise the profile
Germany on issues relating to sexual and repro- of DSW and the areas we are engaged with by
ductive health and rights (SRHR) and global health remaining in close dialogue with decision-makers in
(GH) in low- and middle-income countries. We work the Bundestag and government ministries. Combined
towards achieving greater transparency, efficiency with our expertise and over twenty years experience
and harmonisation in the use of financial resources in the field of SRHR, DSW is seen as a trusted and
and public funding in support of these issues. Our valued partner in Germany.
» What Have We Achieved in Germany?
Highlights from the past year include:
© CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion
» Family planning is now high on the development
agenda. In 2011, the Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ) launched the
“Initiative on Rights-based Family Planning and
Maternal Health”, which is set to be implemented
by 2015. Specific goals include: to improve knowl-
edge and acceptance of modern family planning » With support from the All Party Parliamentary
methods; to expand access to modern family Group (APPG), the CDU/CSU parliamentary group
planning methods and services and; to increase the placed the topic of population dynamics firmly on
number of births attended by health professionals. the political agenda. At the CDU/CSU Congress in
This initiative has come about as a direct result February 2012, Renate Baehr, Minister Dirk Niebel,
of our advocacy in the field of family planning and and Executive Director of the UN Population Fund,
reproductive health. DSW is actively involved in Babatunde Osotimehin, spoke about the need for
monitoring and shaping this initiative. better planning and investment in people in order
to achieve sustainable development.
» In October 2011, DSW welcomed 150 participants
to an international conference “Sub-Saharan Africa:
Transforming Population Dynamics into an Conference Documentation
Opportunity”. It was held in cooperation with KfW International Conference on
Sub-Saharan Africa:
Entwicklungsbank, Germany’s development bank, Transforming Population Dynamics
into an Opportunity
and was attended by international experts from the
World Bank, UNFPA, the World Health Organisation
(WHO) and high-ranking African institutions.
Participants discussed the complex linkages between
population dynamics and sustainable development Berlin Institute for Population
and Development
in Sub-Saharan Africa and shared best practices on
in cooperation
with
how population issues in Africa can be integrated
› ››
Lilli Sippel, Tanja Kiziak, Franziska Woellert, Reiner Klingholz
into development programmes on the ground. The October 21, 2011 Africa’s Demographic
held at KfW Berlin Branch
Germany Challenges
conference highlighted findings of a study “Africa’s How a young population can
make development possible
Demographic Challenges”, published by the Berlin
Institute for Population and Development in coop-
eration with DSW and the International Institute
for Applied Systems Analysis in September 2011. ulation +++ East Asia is ageing +++ education and family planning are requirements for development +++ take advantage of the demographic dividend
s +++ sustainable development policies need population dimensions +++ meet the unmet need +++ create access to family planning +++ integrated proje

2. DSW in Ge rmany 19
All Party Parliamentary Group
Formed by DSW in 2003, the APPG consists of
34 members of the German Bundestag and works
towards increasing political and financial commitments
from the German Government for GH in low- to
middle-income countries. Meeting approx, ten times
a year, DSW informs members by facilitating
discussions and presentations from leading experts
in the field of international development. Following
these meetings, members often take action by
advancing issues discussed. For instance in July 2011,
the APPG initiated a letter signed by all members that health, and education in the new BMZ education
asked Germany’s Development Minister Dirk Niebel strategy. As a result, the new draft of the education
to include stronger language on girls in development strategy presented on February 9th 2012 included a
and stress the link between SRHR, family planning, new objective containing reference to these linkages.
» On September 21st 2011, Renate Baehr, DSW’s
Executive Director, spoke in the Development
Committee of the German Parliament about the
situation of vulnerable girls in low- to middle-
income countries regarding their SRHR needs.
That same day an All-Party Resolution was adopted
in favour of supporting the introduction of the UN
Day of the Girl Child.
» DSW organised two parliamentary evenings » DSW Berlin works very closely with the German
focused on raising awareness on the need for Research Ministry (BMBF) to ensure political and
improved access to vaccinations in 2011. We financial commitment for research activities in
are committed to ensuring that the German the field of poverty related and neglected diseases
Government supports the Global Alliance for such as HIV & AIDS, TB, and malaria. In May 2011,
Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) so that this support was confirmed by Parliamentary State
children in low- to middle-income countries Secretary, Dr. Helge Braun at a special DSW
can access to much-needed vaccines. conference, “Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in
Advancing Global Health – A Development Approach
In April 2011, DSW participated at the forty-fourth for Germany?”. In total, 20 million Euro funding will
session of the Commission on Population and be provided over four years (2011–2014) to advance
Development (CPD) at the UN Headquarters in New product development partnerships (PDPs) for
York. The theme of the session was “Fertility, repro- MDG 4. This type of funding is completely new in
ductive health and development”, and the next steps German research funding and comes as a direct
towards the twentieth anniversary of the Cairo result of DSW’s advocacy efforts in this area.
Programme of Action in 2014. As a member of the
official German delegation to the CPD, DSW
participated in daily meetings of the delegation and
cohosted a side event titled “Family Planning: Key
to Saving Lives” which was attended by more than
100 representatives from UNFPA, the UN Population
Division, national delegations and several non-
governmental organisations. Feedback from our
attendance has been very positive: the side event was
seen as a very successful tool for political positioning
and agenda setting, and the German Government
have asked DSW to join the German delegation to
the CPD in the upcoming years.