JPFP Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population

Recognising that rapid population increase is seriously hampering social and economic progress of the developing countries, a group of Japanese parliamentarians, headed by the late Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, toured a number of Asian countries in 1973 to study the situation with regard to population. As a result, the group realised that active assistance was being provided in this field by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Other governments of industrialized countries have also acted as facilitators, including those of the United States and Sweden while that of Japan's was lagging in this field at that time.

In April 1974, this group of parliamentarians was deeply concerned with the state of the world's population, resources, food and environment. They were sympathetic with the basic purposes of UNFPA and IPPF and so established the Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population (JPFP) under the chairmanship of the Honourable Kishi. Its expressed purpose is to study those crucial issues and recommend ways to resolve them through international cooperation. It was the world's first non-partisan (not including the Communist party) parliamentarians organization on population. The chairmanship was passed on to Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda (deceased) in 1979, and in 1990 the Honourable Shintaro Abe, M.P. (deceased) succeeded Mr. Fukuda who continued to serve the organization as its chairman emeritus. In 1991, the Honourable Taro Nakayama, M.P., assumed the chairmanship of the Federation followed by the current Honourable Yasuo Fukuda, also former Prime Minister of Japan. Today JPFP has a membership of over one hundred.

Realising the importance in every country of the active commitment of the elected representatives of the people, the JPFP, working closely with the United Nations and other relevant international bodies, has contributed actively to international exchange of parliamentary groups on population and development through dispatch of fact-finding missions and participation in international conferences on the subject

Progress and Influence of JPFP

1. In response to the call of the JPFP members, there is a greater momentum in Asia and worldwide, among parliamentarians committed to the resolution of the population issue. Furthermore, many national committees or regional fora/groups of parliamentarians on population and development were established in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe.
2. JPFP members participate in "Study Tours of Asian Parliamentarians on Population and Development" and "Asian Parliamentarians' Meeting on Population and Development" supported by the UNFPA and IPPF, to exchange ideas, deepen their understanding in this field and promote cooperation and assistance of Japan to UNFPA and IPPF.
3. Strong leadership and support of Japanese parliamentarians in the field of population and development has promoted the activities of Asian parliamentarians, especially the activities of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD).

Subcommittees

1. Committee on International Cooperation reviews investment in social and human capital approach in ODA contribution for purposes such as lowering of infant mortality rate and improving maternal health, through not only the "hard" (i.e. infrastructure and equipment) approach, but also the "soft" (i.e. technological know-how, financing and personnel) approach. This committee offers lectures and discussions by inviting specialists from international organizations and the Japanese Government, which exerts great influence on the direction of Japan's ODA reform.
2. Committee on Domestic Measures organizes lectures and presentations by prominent scholars and government officials on domestic population and development issues such as the current status of- and measures taken against the dwindling birth rate and aging population in Japan. Other domestic issues in regard to agriculture, environment, employment, Japan's HIV/AIDS trends and social security are also discussed.
3. Committee on Gender Issues focuses on the realities and measures related to improvement of women's status at home and abroad. In particular, the topic of "Reproductive Health/Rights" has been selected as the central theme because of the attention it has received in recent years. This committee aims to raise awareness of both male and female parliamentarians on reproductive health/rights and gender issues by stressing the social systems and practices that promote gender equality in all social, economic and educational spheres.
4. Committee on Global Issues receives reports from experts and the Japanese Government on problems that go beyond national boundaries and affect the entire region and planet and discusses and exchanges information on the linkage between population and global issues such as environment, HIV/AIDS and food security. This Committee aims to increase awareness of these subjects among Japanese parliamentarians to enable them to play a leadership role on these subjects.

Organization profile

JPFP Executive Member List (Click Here: PDF file)

History of JPFP Chairperson

JPFP General Assembly 8 May 2007
Dr. Thoraya Obaid, UNFPA Executive Director, Ms. Safiye Cagar, UNFPA-IERD Director, and Mr. Sultan Aziz, UNFPA-APD Director, joined the General Assembly.