.png?sfvrsn=6d0e27cd_1 "Partnership for Change - v7 (1)")
More than 60 leaders from all working groups, committees and constituencies of PMNCH came together for a two-day retreat in Geneva on February 21-22, 2023, to shape the partnership’s workplan for 2023. The retreat was convened by the Partner Engagement in Countries Committee (PECC) and the Strategic Advocacy Committee (SAC). The event marked the first time in nearly three years that representatives from all PMNCH structures, including youth representatives, had gathered in-person for joint planning and dialogue.
The retreat kicked off with opening remarks from PMNCH Board Chair, the Rt Hon Helen Clark, and was followed by Ann Starrs, Co-Chair of the PMNCH Strategic Advocacy Committee, and Joy Phumaphi, Co-Chair of the PMNCH Partner Engagement in Countries Committee, who reviewed the goal of the retreat: To agree on the most important strategic advocacy activities for 2023 and to reflect these in a workplan to guide and coordinate the contributions of all PMNCH members.
Helga Fogstad, Executive Director of PMNCH, familiarized the retreat’s participants with the PMNCH 2021-2025 Results Framework and the PMNCH 2023 workplan, structured around the three key thematic areas of Knowledge Synthesis, Partner Engagement, and Campaigns and Outreach. Attendees participated in a series of plenary discussions and interactive breakout groups, with the aim of coordinating and supporting contributions from PMNCH partners (now 1,350+ across 10 constituencies) to the work plan.
PMNCH's revised approach to advocacy and accountability for commitments was discussed in detail during the retreat, with a focus on mobilizing for new commitments in key gap areas — notably, adolescent health and well-being, tying in with plans for the Global Forum for Adolescents on 11-12 October 2023.
It was agreed that PMNCH partners will focus on supporting the development of government-led commitments for adolescents in 15 countries in 2023 (I.e., Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe).
In addition, in 10 of those countries, partners will lead the development of joint national advocacy plans to support greater implementation of existing commitments to women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (WCAH). This process will be facilitated by a lead partner in each country, and will draw on the support of a new digital compendium of WCAH commitments, to be developed by the PMNCH Knowledge and Evidence Working Group together with the Accountability Working Group.
National Digital Advocacy Hubs will be established by PMNCH to facilitate inclusive knowledge sharing and joint planning among a wide range of national partners in these countries, including adolescent and youth groups, complementing national government-led multi-stakeholder platforms where they exist.
Participants also agreed on a PMNCH advocacy roadmap, including events and activities to be prioritized during 2023 around the three PMNCH key thematic areas: Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, and Adolescent Health and Well-being.
The work-planning retreat concluded with a two-day workshop for adolescent and youth networks engaged in the #1.8 advocacy campaign and the upcoming Global Forum for Adolescents. Participants focused on the development of national events aligned with the Forum and community-led efforts to support the What Young People Want initiative (www.1point8.org).
All relevant resources from the work-planning retreat, including background papers, presentations, and list of attendees, are available on the event webpage.
