COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONCLUDES TWENTY-NINTH SESSION HEADQUARTERS, 26 FEBRUARY - 1 MARCH

1 March 1996

Press Release
POP/615

COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONCLUDES TWENTY-NINTH SESSION HEADQUARTERS, 26 FEBRUARY - 1 MARCH

19960301 Approves Two Texts concerning Follow-Up to Cairo Conference, Work of Population Division; 'International Migration' Theme of Next Session

The Economic and Social Council would stress the need for an accelerated international response to the challenges of the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994) relating to reproductive rights and reproductive health, according to the terms of a text approved this afternoon by the Commission on Population and Development, as it concluded its 1996 session.

The text, which will be transmitted to the Council for consideration by its forthcoming substantive session, emphasizes the importance of information, education and communication as a strategy for follow-up to that Conference and urges the Population Division to highlight the efforts of governments in that regard.

The Secretary-General would be requested to arrange a liaison between non-governmental organizations and the Commission, and to ensure full communications with them in order to facilitate the dissemination of information, according to the text. Those organizations would be invited to participate on an exceptional basis at the Commission's next session. The Council would request that a revised version of the report on the activities of non-governmental organizations in the sector of reproductive rights and reproductive health be presented to the Commission's 1998 session.

Also by that text, the Council would request improved annual reporting on financial flows relating to the costed elements of the Programme of Action, including a clear account of levels and trends of funding by source. It would encourage the widest possible dissemination of reports by the United Nations system on progress in implementing the Programme of Action, including, wherever possible, through electronic channels of communication. In addition, the Council would request that evidence of further progress in achieving the goals of the Programme of Action be communicated to the Commission.

In another action, the Commission adopted a resolution expressing regret that the work programme of the Population Division had to be adjusted to take into account the cash-flow situation of the United Nations. The Commission recognized the need for a reappraisal of the work programme in view of the increased demands resulting from United Nations conferences, as well as the financial situation, and urged the General Assembly to ensure that no essential elements of that work programme be adversely affected.

Also by that text, the Director of the Population Division was requested to consult with the Commission in the reappraisal of the work programme. The Commission fully supported the need to protect the long-term work programme, including both traditional demographic work and the development of innovative approaches to meeting new demands, following the outcome of the Cairo Conference and other recent major United Nations conferences.

The work of the Population Division was regarded as, among others, serving the crucial needs of the international community for scientifically sound inputs to analysis, debate, planning and policy on population and development, according to the resolution.

The Commission also adopted its provisional agenda for the 1997 session. According to the topic-oriented multi-year work programme of the Commission, the theme for 1997 is international migration, with special emphasis on the linkages between migration and development and on gender issues and the family. In addition, the Commission adopted the report of the session.

Closing remarks were made by the Director of the Population Division, Joseph Chamie, and the Commission's Acting Chairman, Robert Louis Cliquet (Belgium). Statements were also made by representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Health, Empowerment, Rights and Accountability (HERA), and Population Institute.

Statements

ADO VAHER, Director, United Nations and Inter-Agency Affairs of UNICEF, said the Fund was working on follow-up to the recommendations of the Cairo Conference and the Fourth World Conference on Women. Its priority areas were girls' education; women's empowerment; girls', adolescents' and women's health; children's and women's rights; and tracking progress in reducing child and maternal mortality. Projects sought to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation, and family planning.

In light of the link between child survival and maternal health, UNICEF had provided support to essential obstetric care and referral services, he said. Its involvement in family planning had been focused on information, education and communication activities, the promotion of breast-feeding, and

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improvement of quality of care and counselling. The work of UNICEF in adolescent health had focused on mass communication by integrating health issues into entertainment and news media popular with young people.

The UNICEF had also begun to devote more attention to the role of men in the family. A high-level consultation had been held to discuss such issues as the role of the father in health and nutrition; violence in the family setting; and gender relations in decision-making.

MONIQUE ESSED FERNANDES, a representative of Health, Empowerment, Rights, and Accountability (HERA), stressed that the Cairo Conference was a "watershed success" because of several issues. The reproductive health approach placed women's needs and concerns at the centre of programmes and policies and was based on quality of care and an appreciation of the reality and complexity of women's lives. It worked because it delivered what women wanted in a way that furthered their empowerment and their participation in society.

She said participation of women's organizations played an important role in the success of the Cairo Conference and the involvement of those groups in the follow-up would guarantee the success of implementation. Those groups were, however, conspicuous by their absence at the Commission. Governments and agencies must invest in women's organizations, a critical component in the strategies for programmes of implementation.

She went on to say that HERA's style was not one of passive consultation. Its members worked with governments and agencies to fashion policies and to ensure implementation.

She expressed concern that, although the issue of male responsibility for reproductive and sexual health had been raised for the first time in Cairo, the trend was to talk more about the reproductive health of men as opposed to their responsibilities towards their partners and their children.

The Commission was the political epicenter of the continuing Cairo consensus; the room, however, was lacking the energy found around the world, she said. She suggested that the process be opened up more to those whose efforts were directed, on a daily basis, to making reproductive health and rights a reality for women.

WERNER FORNOS, President of the Population Institute, said efforts by non-governmental organizations had been instrumental in bringing about an impressive reduction in world fertility in recent decades. Non-governmental organizations had a great deal more to contribute to ongoing efforts to attain that goal, which was so vital to global prosperity. It was imperative that qualified non-governmental organizations be recognized as integral working partners of governments in population and development activities.

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He stressed the need to focus world population activities on the universal accessibility and availability of voluntary family-planning methods and services. "The true implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development falls on all of our shoulders as we return to our countries and organizations."

Work of 1996 Session

The five-day session marked the first time that the Commission was meeting since its membership was expanded by the General Assembly from 27 to 47 members (resolution 50/124). In addition, this session -- the Commission's fiftieth anniversary -- was the first to follow the multi-year work programme adopted in the wake of the Cairo Conference. It focused on the theme of "reproductive rights and reproductive health, including population information, education and communication".

The Cairo Conference gave new impetus to the adoption of new national strategies to empower women, provide family-planning services and stabilize population growth, according to speakers addressing the session. Several representatives indicated that new bodies had been constituted in their countries to monitor and implement the recommendations of the Cairo Programme of Action. States also described their efforts to harmonize national population and development strategies with the goals of the Programme of Action. Those strategies reflected a shift away from quantitative goals towards concern over quality of care and overall indicators of development, such as school enrolment and maternal and child health care.

The new approaches to tackling reproductive health issues gave rise to concern among some speakers that technical terms used in the reports before the Commission had not been adequately defined. Speakers called for clearer definitions of emerging concepts in the field of reproductive rights and reproductive health. Among the terms which provoked discussion was 'entry into reproductive life'. Several speakers stressed that in their societies, marriage, and not cohabitation, was the only acceptable union between men and women.

While the new initiatives arising from the recommendations of the Programme of Action were welcomed with enthusiasm, speakers expressed concern over decreasing resource allocations at a time of increasing demands on the United Nations Population Division. Several speakers noted that the current cycle of international conferences had produced a number of agreements which had expanded the demands on the Division, while the financial crisis had resulted in a decrease in its budgetary allocations.

Another issue highlighted during the session was the critical role played by non-governmental organizations in meeting the reproductive health needs of individuals, particularly through information, education and

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advocacy. Also of interest were the growing benefits of technological advances, such as the widespread use of the Internet. Speakers welcomed the recent expansion of the Population Information Network (POPIN) to encompass a Web site, including publications, newsletters, statistical tables and other information. Several participants described how databases and CD-ROMs were being used to compile and disseminate demographic data.

Officers, Membership

The Chairman of the Commission on Population and Development was Andras Klinger (Hungary). The following were Vice-Chairmen: Marie Cecille Joaquin- Yasay (Philippines), Robert Louis Cliquet (Belgium), Simon B.A. Bullut (Kenya) and Elza Berquo (Brazil). Mrs. Joaquin-Yasay was also the Rapporteur.

The 42 members of the Commission on Population and Development are: Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malta, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Sudan, Syria, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States and Venezuela. (Five members from the African group are yet to be elected.)

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