Inter national Consortium on Medical Abortion (ICMA) has been started with a Mission “to promote access to medical abortion within theframework of support for safe abortion worldwide".

ICMA Objectives

ICMA has been started with the following objectives:

• Advocate for access to safe abortion including medical abortion
• Advocate for laws, policies and regulations which make the provision of safe abortion possible
• Support women’s choice of abortion method
• Serve as a source of information about medical abortion
• Facilitate information-sharing and networking among groups working to expand access to safe abortion
• Disseminate and support the development of guidelines, protocols, training curricula, information and introductory strategies for medical abortion within the context of comprehensive reproductive health services
• Advocate and support the incorporation of medical abortion into health systems
• Support innovative mechanisms to make high quality products for medical abortion widely available and affordable
• Make recommendations on programmatic and research needs

Specific tasks

Specific tasks assigned to ICMA include:

• Undertake agreed priority activities

• Widely disseminate materials generated

• Promote information sharing and networking among members of the Consortium

• Provide a forum in which issues related to medical abortion can be identified, discussed and debated

• Ensure that priority is given through its activities to addressing developing country needs, especially where abortion is unsafe or not available

The Consortium will not be determining the norms and standards or carry out programmes or research in different countries and will not award grants or act as a conduit for funding.

Membership of ICMA

Membership is open to all organizations or individuals that agree with the mission and objectives of the Consortium and are, or intend to be, active in promoting or supporting access to medical abortion, within the context of safe abortion. Individual members do not need to have the formal backing of their organization.

Composition of Steering Committee

15-19 members with abortion-related expertise in advocacy, service-delivery, training, and representing a broad information base are chosen from among the members for a term of three years in the first instance, commencing in June, 2002. Majority of members are from developing countries or countries in transition. Care is taken to ensure appropriate gender balance and geographic distribution. The members should be willing to participate in SC meetings, commit time and represent the Consortium at meetings.

Role of Steering Committee

• Determine priorities and strategies

• Oversee the Secretariat (Coordinating Organisation)

• Review materials for dissemination

• Raise funds for Consortium activities

ICMA: Current Steering Committee members (2002-2005)

Ayse Akin (Turkey), Marge Berer (UK; Co-chair), Cheng Linan (China), Kim Dickson (SA), Nadine Gasman (Mexico), Kristina G. Daniellson (Sweden), Danielle Hasoun (France), Selma Hajri (Tunisia), Mihai Horga (Romania), Sharad D. Iyengar (India; Co-chair), Ann Leonard (USA), Wanda Nowicka (Poland), Khin San Tint (SA) and Beverly Winikoff (USA) and Peter Fajans (Observer, WHO)

Operating mechanisms

Biannual Meetings of Steering Committee are held. The working groups are created to undertake major activities. The Secretariat is kept at the Coordinating Organisation (CO), which is to be directly responsible for implementing policies and activities, make administrative and logistic arrangements, manage and help raise funds. CO appoints a coordinator and reports to the Steering Committee.

Progress summary

Several meetings conducted include meetings in Stockholm (2001), London (Feb and June, 2002) and proposed meeting in Paris in March, 2003. During the initial meetings the priorities included:

• Development of an information pack

• Establishment of a website

• Formulation of an advocacy strategy

It is proposed to organize an international meeting on "Controversies and Critical Issues in Medical Abortion" (tentatively, end-2004) and establish operating procedures for enhancing membership.