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Inter-Parliamentary UnionThe role of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in addressing key challengesto securing the health of mothers and childrenParliaments and their members are fundamental to development efforts because they represent thepeople and their concerns. They also shape policies, make laws, approve budgets and oversee theproper use of resources by governments.The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has mobilized political support among parliaments worldwidefor more robust action on women’s and children’s health – in line with the Global Strategy on Women’sand Children’s Health. Political pronouncements by the IPU that support the Global Strategy andMDGs include the declaration of the 3rd World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (2010); the BernInitiative for Global parliamentary Action on Maternal and Child Health adopted by the 6th AnnualMeeting of Women Speakers of Parliament (2010); and the Kampala Resolution on the Role ofParliaments in Women’s and Children’s Health (2012). The IPU has also led efforts to strengthenparliaments’ capacities to implement this policy framework.Accelerating progressWith other parliamentary bodies, the IPU is mobilizing parliaments to create a global policy environmentthat strongly supports and promotes the adequate provision and accountable use of resources forwomen’s and children’s health. This includes supporting the implementation of the recommendationsof the Commission on Information andAccountability, and integrating them withinrelevant country-level policy frameworksand plans. The IPU has also contributed tothe first report of the independent ExpertReview Group.The IPU’s commitment to the GlobalStrategy centres on mobilizing supportwithin the global parliamentary communityto enhance access to, and accountability for,The IPU is mobilizing parliaments tocreate a global policy environment thatstrongly supports and promotes the adequateprovision and accountable use of resourcesfor women’s and children’s health.improved health for women and children. To this end it launched a global parliamentary dialogueon women’s and children’s health, which culminated (at the April 2012 Kampala Assembly) in theresolution, Access to health as a basic right: The role of Parliaments in addressing key challengesto securing the health of women and children. The resolution catalogues measures that parliamentscan take – including allocating adequate funding, revising national health policies and overseeingimproved service delivery. Significantly, it incorporates provision for an accountability mechanism totrack implementation by national and other parliamentary bodies. The resolution has already begun tocatalyse action in parliaments and regional parliamentary bodies, providing the basis for collaborationbetween the IPU and new partners.At the national level, parliaments are showing encouraging signs of increasing their contributions towomen’s and children’s health. Since 2010, the IPU has progressively increased the resources it makesavailable for support to national and regional parliaments to deepen accountability and improve resultsfor women’s and children’s health. This assistance has included capacity-building, training seminarsand workshops, help designing national parliamentary strategies, legislative audits to identify gaps,and the development of tools to promote maternal and child health. In 2012, IPU support was focusedprimarily on priority African countries, but in 2013 will be extended to parliaments in Asia. The IPUwill continue to work with partners to broaden and strengthen parliamentary action on women’s andchildren’s health.Abdelwahad RadiPresident of the Inter-Parliamentary UnionTo ContentsThe Global Campaign for the Health Millennium Development Goals – Report 2013 21