COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONCLUDES THIRTIETH SESSION AT HEADQUARTERS

28 February 1997

Press Release
POP/643

COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONCLUDES THIRTIETH SESSION AT HEADQUARTERS

19970228 Requests Resources for 1998 Symposium on Migration, Stresses Importance of Population Division, during Five-Day Session

As it concluded its five-day session this afternoon, the Commission on Population and Development adopted an orally amended report for the session and a provisional agenda for its 1998 session, which will have the theme "health and mortality, with special emphasis on the linkages between health and development and on gender and age".

During its current session, which began on 24 February, the Commission, which is charged with monitoring the implementation of the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, focused on "international migration, with special emphasis on the linkages between migration and development and on gender issues and the family". Commission members stressed the need for more reliable data on migration, the direction of migrant flows and the characteristics of migrants. The necessity of analysing data at an early stage, so the international community could design effective migration policies, was also highlighted.

Addressing the Commission's need for such data, the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis informed the Commission of its work on a wide range of areas, among them population estimates and projections and basic trends and issues, including migration and patterns of rural and urban population change. The Division's Director, Joseph Chamie, described its work in the priority area of servicing the Commission, doing basic research on population and development issues and preparing estimates and projections for all countries of the world on a biennial basis.

Speakers said it was clear that the Population Division had achieved a great deal, despite budgetary and staff constraints. However, in order to improve, respond to new circumstances and meet increasing demands, it would require resources. Thus a resolution adopted by the Commission stressed the

importance of continuing the basic work of the Population Division and underlined the need to further enhance its efficiency, effectiveness and capacity.

Also recognizing the need for further analysis of international migration trends, the Commission, through another resolution, asked the Chairperson of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Task Force on Basic Social Services for All to make every effort to raise the necessary extra-budgetary resources to prepare and hold a technical symposium of experts on international migration in 1998.

During the discussion in the Commission, it was emphasized that the international community required research at the micro-level on migration flows within and between countries and regions, as well as on specific topics, such as employment and income, women and migration, the links between rural- urban and international migration and the function of financial remittances.

The distinction between different types of migrants should be recognized, as specific steps were needed to deal with issues involving divergent migrant groups, some speakers said. Also, there was a need to hear from migrants and refugees, since they were the people affected by migration policy.

The Commission was told that migration issues should be based on the reality of choice, not on coercive measures or measures which invited coercion. In addition, it was emphasized that women made up nearly half of the international migrant population. Therefore, the effects of female migration had to be considered in the context of economic, as well as social change. Attention was also drawn to the needs of female migrant workers, particularly in the area of reproductive health.

Speakers dwelt on the importance of addressing the human dimension of migration. Discussion on migration should take into account its effect on families left behind by migrants, they said. It was also stressed that family reunification was not only in the best interest of each individual family, but also in the best interest of the society where the family resided.

The Commission was told that there was a need to regulate migration to protect the interests of all concerned parties, including migrants, the local people and the sending and receiving countries. Also, the need for dialogue and cooperation between sending and receiving countries was highlighted, as was the importance of reintegrating returning migrants so that their skills and savings could be used productively.

Some speakers stated that a consensus was required on whether migration enhanced or retarded economic development in sending and receiving States. It

Population Commission - 3 - Press Release POP/643 8th Meeting (PM) 28 February 1997

was mentioned that, if properly directed, migration could enhance economic development for both the countries of origin and the recipient countries.

The policy options on international migration included protection of the rights of documented migrants and increased development aid to countries of origin, some speakers said. It was stressed that one way of preventing international migration was to negate the economic circumstances that caused skilled workers to leave.

Also during the current session, the Commission, through a resolution, decided that the Secretary-General's periodic report on the monitoring of populations programmes should be more analytical and relate progress more specifically to the goals of the Cairo Conference; must cover experience in all countries; and needs to ensure coverage of the range of activities on the special theme for the year.

Officers, Membership

The Chairman of the Commission was Jose Gomez de Leon (Mexico). The following were its Vice-Chairpersons: Andras Klinger (Hungary); Akintobi Kadejo (Nigeria); Jenny Gierveld (Netherlands); and Raj Karim (Malaysia), who also served as the Commission's Rapporteur.

Members of the Commission are elected for a term of four years by the Economic and Social Council, on the following basis: 12 from African States; 11 from Asian States; five from Eastern European States; nine from Latin American and Caribbean States; and 10 from West European and Other States. There are two vacancies in the Latin American group and one in the Asian group. Thus, the current 44 members of the Commission are: Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Sudan, Syria, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela and Zambia.

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