Tuesday 8 March 2016, a UNFPA team led by the UNFPA Representative in Burundi met with His Excellency the Second Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi Dr Joseph Butore. This meeting took place in the context of monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the last visit of September 23, 2015.
During this working visit, they discussed on the progress of activities for the promulgation of the law on sexual education in Burundi. UNFPA team highlighted the efforts it has already made in regard to advocacy and support for this law; and sollicited the Vice-president’s support in the same direction. Considering that the law on sexual education is often and repeatedly requested by all the visited authorities including the Head of State, UNFPA has begun coordinating with ESARO / HQ on the experience of other countries to be informed about the methodology and the necessary documentation. UNFPA then consulted with local partners such as the ministries of Health, Education, the Rights of the Human Person and Gender and the civil society to support the country office and government in developing an appropriate methodology in drafting such a law document.
UNFPA requested the Second Vice-president to be the coordinator of the process of the completion of the law including by submitting the draft law to government, legislative institutions and any other partner that could facilitate its adoption and promulgation. The Vice-President wished the law to be written taking into account cultural sensitivities around the words that can be used on sexuality without shocking manners.
On the same occasion, UNFPA has confirmed the funding of a workshop on the evaluation of the implementation of the national population policy in Burundi and sensitizing authorities on the Demographic Dividend in Burundi. UNFPA also plans to conduct a study that will inform on ways to facilitate Burundi to reap the benefits of the Demographic Dividend.
The talks have also concerned the Marshall Plan for the youth of Burundi, the establishment of a National Office for Population and support of UNFPA in the next General Census of Population and Housing planned for 2018 ( RGPH 2018).
