Five years remain for governments to fully implement the Programme of Action agreed at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994.  There is an urgency to analyze and evaluate its implementation throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.  The experiences and outcomes of the last 15 years represent an urgent call for attention to prioritize and intensify the efforts to accomplish the intended program goals, with an emphasis on sexual and reproductive rights.

This report analyzes the relationship between unsafe abortion, restrictive laws, and a lack of economic resources, and urges a commitment to ending the fatal effects of unsafe abortion through law reform and provision of safe abortion.

Recommendations for Improving Knowledge and Access to Emergency Contraception.

Developing Advocacy activities entails carrying out a series of highly specialized actions. Associations must analyze political processes, State structure, current legislation at the various government levels, international commitments, and the social, economic, geopolitical, and human development context. With this information, they can suggest timely changes to legislation, public policy, and government programs to the appropriate agencies (Parliament, the Courts, Departments, Ministries, and others).

We must engage in Advocacy work because each nation must have the legal and institutional mechanisms to protect and promote the rights of their citizens, and thus foster the welfare of people and communities. We must also engage in Advocacy work because our efforts to inform, raise awareness, and articulate our work with decision makers, State and government actions addressing a specific issue will correspond to the reality that determines them.

The Handbook for Budget Work in Advocacy Projects is a tool to facilitate the process of incorporating budget elements into Advocacy planning. We do not expect organizations to be able to conduct in-depth analyses of public budgets thanks to this handbook. Rather, we offer a way to determine the steps necessary to identify and monitor specific areas of expenditure that contribute to achieving the political change sought by a particular Advocacy project. To use this manual, it is advisable to have developed the Advocacy project following the methodology provided in the Handbook for Advocacy Planning, from IPPF/WHR’s Advocacy Tools series.

The Handbook for Political Analysis and Mapping is divided into three sections. The first one
analyzes all the structural and institutional features of the state that are related to the issue of Advocacy. The second one comprises activities that seek to give a comprehensive political content to the information analyzed in the first part. The last one is the analysis of the key actors involved.

This guide offers insight into working with target populations and profiles succcessful IPPF Member Association programs throughout the world.