NZPPD held a very successful Open Hearing on ‘Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Pacific’ at the New Zealand parliament on 11 June 2012.

NZPPD members along with parliamentarians from Kiribati, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands heard compelling stories of how poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes affect individual lives.

There were calls to address unsafe abortion, improve sexuality education in formal and informal settings, decriminalise homosexuality, and increase direct funding for youth-led initiatives which seek to improve access to information and services about sexual and reproductive health.

The NZPPD is now finalising its recommendations from the Open Hearing, and will be producing a report to be launched in November 2012.