REVIEW OF ICPD PROGRAMME OF ACTION AND CONVENING OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT ADDRESSED BY SPEAKERS IN SECOND COMMITTEE

30 October 1997

Press Release
GA/EF/2779

REVIEW OF ICPD PROGRAMME OF ACTION AND CONVENING OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT ADDRESSED BY SPEAKERS IN SECOND COMMITTEE

19971030 No Agreement on How to Conduct Review And on Whether to Convene International Migration Conference

Divergent views were expressed in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this morning over the possibility of convening a United Nations conference on international migration and development and on how to conduct a review of the implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994). The Committee was beginning its consideration of population and development and international migration and development.

The representative of the United States said there was little that could be accomplished at a global conference on migration. International migration had many facets that made it difficult to discuss at the global level. Bilateral and regional discussions had shown themselves to be useful ways of dealing with migration issues practically and effectively.

The advisability of holding a conference on international migration and development was confirmed by the international nature of migration problems, the representative of Belarus said. International migration could be successfully dealt with only if there was a coordinated effort by the entire international community. One of the tasks of such a conference could be to define a United Nations strategy on regulating migration processes and to prevent mass displacements of populations caused by economic and social problems.

Speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, the representative of the United Republic of Tanzania called for the convening of a special session of the General Assembly in 1999 to review the implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action. He said national efforts should be redoubled to implement the Programme of Action to address critical issues related to population and development. South-South cooperation had a role to play in strengthening the population policies of developing countries but increased donor support was also needed.

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Careful preparation should enable the review and assessment of the implementation of the Programme of Action to be carried out in two days during the Assembly's fifty-fourth session, the representative of Luxembourg said. Speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, he said it was necessary to make meticulous preparations, with substantial participation by civil society, in undertaking such a review.

Also making statements were the representatives of Bangladesh, Russian Federation, China, Tunisia, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Ethiopia, Paraguay (on behalf of the Rio Group), Mexico, Venezuela and Ukraine, as well as the observer for the Holy See. Representatives of the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also addressed the Committee.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Nafis Sadik, and the Director of the Population Division of the Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Joseph Chamie, made introductory statements.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to conclude its consideration of population and development and international migration and development, as well as to consider food and sustainable agricultural development.

Committee Work Programme

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to consider, under the general heading "sustainable development and international economic cooperation", population and development, and international migration and development, including the convening of a United Nations conference on international migration and development.

The Committee has before it a report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Programme of Action of the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (document A/52/208). It reviews recent developments in South-South cooperation, examines the flow of resources for population assistance from primary sources to recipient countries, the outcome of the work of the Commission on Population and Development and actions taken by the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to facilitate the implementation of the programme action.

The report also discusses how the United Nations system could be enhanced to assist countries to increase their capacity to deliver basic social services effectively in the context of their poverty eradication efforts. Stressing the urgent need for appropriate indicators as reliable means of monitoring the progress of the Programme of Action, the report focuses on the development and selection of indicators to assist countries in monitoring their progress in achieving the goals agreed to at the Cairo Conference and other recent United Nations global conferences.

Addressing activities of the various organs and organizations of the United Nations system towards the implementation of the Programme of Action, the report notes that through inter-agency task forces, theme groups and other mechanisms of the United Nations system, agencies and organizations have focused on increasing their collaboration and cooperation. They also emphasize partnerships with non-governmental organizations, the private sector and civil society.

In response to General Assembly resolution 51/176, which called on governments to commit themselves at the highest political level to achieving the goals and objectives of the Cairo Conference, the report notes that many countries have taken the following actions:

-- Updated their population and development policies in line with the goals of the Conference;

-- Strengthened and reorganized health services to reduce maternal mortality and to integrate family planning with other reproductive health concerns;

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-- Instituted legal and constitutional reforms to protect women's rights and promote gender equality; and

-- Formulated legislations and measures that address migration concerns of sending and receiving countries.

A number of governments without formal population policy have since formulated, or were in the process of formulating, comprehensive policies that reflected the agreements reached at Cairo, the report adds.

On South-South cooperation, the report says that the intergovernmental initiative "Partners in Population and Development" launched by 10 countries had commenced field activities in 1996. The initiative aims at strengthening the capacity of developing countries for South-South cooperation, the promotion of "twinning" modalities and the development of regional training institutions. The UNFPA developed its policy and activities regarding South- South cooperation in the areas of health, including sexual health, through two initiatives: the "centres of excellence" and "partners in population and development".

With regard to calls by the General Assembly on the international community to continue to provide, both bilaterally and multilaterally, adequate and substantial support and assistance for population and development activities, the report notes an encouraging rise in resource flows for the period 1994-1995. But it cautions against reducing the level of resource mobilization below the level envisaged by the Programme Action. Much of the estimated $17 billion a year needed to implement the Programme by the year 2000 in developing countries will have to come from within. To realize the concrete and achievable goals set out by the Conference, resources mobilization, both domestic and external, must be placed high on the global agenda.

The Commission on Population and Development, which monitors, reviews and assesses the implementation of the Programme of Action, will in 1999 consider the quinquennial review and appraisal of the Programme, says the report. The Executive Board of the UNDP/UNFPA has been instrumental in the past two years in guiding the evolution of the UNFPA programme in the post- conference era. The Board has supported UNFPA's future programme of assistance and endorsed its new resource allocation approach as well as the relative shares of resources to different categories of countries. Thus, UNFPA could combine substantive programming with resource allocation priorities in line with the principles and directions set forth by the Programme of Action. The UNFPA's country programmes are designed to assist in implementing the Programme of Action, particularly in the areas of reproductive health, including family planning and sexual health, and population and development strategies and advocacy.

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An addendum to the report (document A/52/208/Add.1) discusses proposals on the process and modalities for the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action. It contains recommendations from the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the UNFPA, the regional commissions and other relevant United Nations entities on activities to be undertaken in preparation for the review. The report concludes that, taking into account cost and scheduling considerations, it may be appropriate to consider convening a two-day plenary meeting of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session for the review and appraisal of the progress made in the implementation of the Programme of Action. Recognizing that governments are playing the lead role in implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the activities in follow-up to the Conference, the report states, however, that there would be no renegotiation of the existing agreements in the Programme of Action. The General Assembly should at the end of the review and appraisal identify ways to strengthen the national capacities of countries to achieve the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action. The review should also identify constraints faced by countries implementing the Programme of Action as well as lessons learned from the programming experience since the Conference. The report also envisages that the review and appraisal will serve as a catalyst for mobilizing needed financial resources for population and development initiatives, in addition to strengthening the commitment at all levels to reaching the objectives set out in the Programme of Action. It requests the Assembly to identify priorities for the follow-up to the Conference within the United Nations system, through the three-tiered system comprising the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Population and Development, as well as the Executive Board of the UNDP/UNFPA. The Assembly may also wish to recommend possible themes for future consideration by the Economic and Social Council or its subsidiary bodies, particularly the Commission on Population and Development, to ensure a harmonized approach to the issues involved. The Secretary-General's report on international migration and development (document A/52/314) contains concrete proposals on ways and means of addressing, from cross-sectoral, interregional, regional and subregional points of view, the issue of international migration and development, including aspects related to objectives and modalities for the convening of a United Nations conference on international migration and development. According to the report, 65 Governments had so far expressed their views regarding the convening of a conference on international migration and development. Of those, 36 were generally in favour, 25 had strong reservations, and four others, though not entirely opposed to the idea, wanted other options considered first and other areas explored in which international agreement could be reached.

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Arguing that the subject had already been discussed at several United Nations conferences in the past, those opposed to the conference suggest that scarce resources would be better used to ensure the implementation of the commitments made at past conferences instead of convening another one. The four governments that expressed only partial support for the conference argued for a clear articulation of and agreement on its objectives. The 36 in favour believed the conference could provide a forum for such issues as the protection of the rights of migrants and the drafting and ratification of a new international instrument on international migration.

With most of the likely donor governments expressing serious reservations about the conference and the absence of consensus on its objectives and goals, the report describes as uncertain the prospects of holding the conference. It is important to review, therefore, other mechanisms that may permit the issues of international migration and development to be addressed from cross-sectoral, interregional, regional and subregional perspectives. The Commission on Population and Development, which has 47 members, provides a useful forum for the intergovernmental discussion of international migration issues from cross-sectoral and regional perspectives. The Commission on Human Rights was already addressing the need to protect the human rights of migrant workers -- one of the main concerns of governments in regard to international migration.

The report states that the continued collaboration of the various United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and intergovernmental organizations in the field of international migration would improve the effectiveness of the system in providing support at the country level and in guiding activities at the regional and subregional levels.

The report also discusses a Cooperation Agreement between the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) which was signed on 25 June 1996. The Agreement formalized and strengthened an ongoing collaborative relationship between the United Nations and IOM. Such collaboration allows the United Nations system to address specific concerns of its Member States in the area of international migration by relying on the practical expertise accumulated by IOM, which could play an especially useful role in addressing international migration and development issues at the regional level.

Noting the complexity of international migration, the report concludes that the Commission for Human Rights was already addressing the need to ensure respect for the human rights of all migrants and to set universally accepted human rights standards of specific types of migrants. Although a majority of governments recognize the importance of the issue of international migration and development, too few of them are in favour of holding a conference on the subject. As a result of the disparate national and subregional experiences on the subject, practical solutions are likely to come from groups of countries

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sharing similar positions or concerns within the global international system. It might be expedient to pursue regional or subregional approaches whenever possible, the report states.

Statements

Dr. NAFIS SADIK, UNFPA Executive Director, said countries were making encouraging progress in implementing the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action. In three years, reproductive health had gone from simply a phrase to a reality in many villages and cities. The Programme of Action had prompted concerted focus on the needs of adolescents and some countries were promoting education about reproductive health in order to reduce teenage pregnancies.

Stressing that there was a growing recognition of linkages between population stabilization and the achievement of sustainable development as demonstrated by the formation of national commissions on population and development, she said efforts should be made to raise funds for the implementation of the Programme of Action. Over the past three years, developing countries had increased the portion of national budgets allocated to population and reproductive health and developing country spending targets for the year 2000 appeared within reach. However, there had been a worrisome downward trend in donor commitments since 1995 and the achievement of the $5.7 billion target for the year 2000 was questionable. A shortfall in resources would have serious repercussions, she stressed.

JOSEPH CHAMIE, Director, Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said among the mechanisms outside the United Nations system, the activities of the IOM deserved particular attention. The two organizations had concluded a Cooperation Agreement last year. The IOM had made important contributions in the following areas: humanitarian activities, research, information and forum activities, and technical cooperation. The growing collaboration with the IOM permitted the United Nations system to rely on the practical experience accumulated by that organization when addressing the specific concerns of Member States in the area of international migration. That partnership resulted in increased effectiveness and efficiency.

International migration was a complex phenomenon, he said. It affected many aspects of the lives of people and societies, as well as the functioning of States. Its interrelationships with development were varied, and many issues regarding those interrelationships remained unresolved. According to the view expressed by governments, the relevant topics which should be discussed at an international conference on migration were equally varied and complex.

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It should be stressed that regional initiatives might be effective in addressing issues of international migration and development shared by specific groups of Member States, he said. An example of that approach was the "Puebla process", in which a series of intergovernmental meetings and consultations were advancing the dialogue between countries of origin and destination.

J. KISIRI (United Republic of Tanzania), speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said recommendations of the Cairo Conference needed to be implemented to address the critical issues related to population and development. National efforts should be redoubled. Developed countries should also honour their commitments. The external resources scenario remained unsatisfactory. There was a need to strengthen the population policies of developing countries. South-South cooperation had a role to play in that area and increased donor support was needed. The Group of 77 and China called for the convening of a special session of the General Assembly in 1999 to review the implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by the 1995 Cairo Conference.

On migration and development, he said there was a need for positive action to strengthen international cooperation in that area. The root causes of migration and how to maximize the benefits of international migration should be addressed. The complexity of international migration made it imperative for that issue to be addressed through the United Nations system. The Committee should consider convening a meeting on international migration and development.

JEAN GRAFF (Luxembourg), speaking on behalf of the European Union and Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Cyprus, said the success of sustainable development would depend in particular on the ability to solve population problems in the coming decades. The implementation of the Programme of Action was of vital importance to the promotion of reproduction rights and rights connected with reproductive health. International cooperation in the sphere of population and development was essential to enabling the recommendations adopted in Cairo to be implemented.

The European Union welcomed the idea of reviewing and assessing the implementation of the Programme of Action and supported the proposal that an emphasis should be placed on mobilizing resources for population activities, he said. It was necessary to make meticulous preparations for such an exercise, including the compilation of statistics on national efforts made in the sphere of population and development with the constructive aim of having a useful and factual base. Such a preparation should enable the review and assessment to be carried out in two days at the Assembly's fifty-fourth session with substantial participation by civil society.

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International migration remained an important subject in many developed and developing countries, he said. It was also a complex phenomenon, and the experiences of countries or subregions with regard to international migration might be extremely disparate. Taking into account the complexity and frequently regional or subregional character of the migratory phenomena, those issues should be examined within the appropriate mechanisms of the United Nations system rather than in the context of a United Nations international conference.

SHIRLEY ROBINSON HALL (United States) said a comprehensive, coherent approach to the five-year review of the Cairo Programme of Action would allow countries to share lessons learned, to discuss innovative strategies and best practices, as well as to consider the gaps, constraints and challenges remaining. The five-theme areas for review, as proposed in the Secretary- General's report, represented important new directions for sustainable human development.

The review process should allow the international community to examine and discuss the positive trends demonstrated in those areas in the past few years as well as changes in strategy where warranted, she said. The outcomes of those discussions should be incorporated into the planned March 1999 International Forum. Yet, there should be no re-opening of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) or its key principles and recommendations. The International Forum and subsequent United Nations follow-up mechanisms should provide an opportunity to review the experience gained since the ICPD and to make any necessary adjustments to the implementation strategy.

International migration had many facets that made it difficult to discuss at the global level, she said. The issue of international migration and development was examined in depth at the February's meeting of the Commission on Population and Development. While no firm conclusions were arrived at, some advances were made in the area of better data collection and the analysis of the relationship between migration and development. Managing migration of all types required a balance between protecting migrants and enforcing national laws. Her Government would like to see increased attention paid at the regional level to problems that were of greatest concern in that area. There was little that could be accomplished at a global conference on migration. Bilateral and regional discussions had shown themselves to be useful ways of dealing with migration issues practically and effectively.

RENATO R. MARTINO, observer for the Holy See, said human life began at conception and the unborn child must be defended and protected at every stage of pregnancy. The Holy See could not condone abortion or any policies which favoured abortion. Population policies must respect human dignity and avoid any type of coercion which either directly interfered with the responsible decision of the married couple or which pressured them to conform to a definite family size established by the government.

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Calling for accessibility and improvement of health services related to pregnancy, birth and infant and maternal care, he said the elimination of poverty, the expansion of productive employment and social integration should be the goals of all people in a spirit of international cooperation and solidarity.

F.A. SHAMIM AHMED (Bangladesh) said the goals of the ICPD would not be attained if the number of people living in absolute poverty were not brought down. The crucial question facing the international community was how to translate the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action. The efforts of the developing countries at the national level to implement the Programme of Action must be complemented by increased international cooperation. The global dimension of population and development matters called for collective support and an enabling international environment for their implementation.

New and additional resource flows to the developing countries, particularly to the countries with serious resource constraints, for population and development initiatives needed to be ensured, he said. At Cairo it was agreed that one third of the estimated cost of implementation of the Programme of Action would be covered from external sources and that the least developed countries would get special priority in receiving assistance. That commitment needed to be expeditiously translated into action.

He said his Government believed that given the importance of the subject, a special session of the Assembly was called for instead of a two-day high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly during its fifty-fourth session for the purpose of reviewing the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. Regional consultations scheduled for next year and the International Forum scheduled for March 1999 would provide the necessary input for the review exercise which would hopefully culminate in a special session. Bangladesh would consider it an honour to be able to host the forum, and hoped that its offer would receive the consideration and support of all concerned.

ALEKSANDR PANKIN (Russian Federation) said despite some encouraging trends since the ICPD a vast number of countries and regions faced serious problems in the areas of public health services for children and mothers, impoverishment of millions and absence of elementary conditions for normal life. Russia had been able to make modest progress in some areas due to the joint efforts of its government and the United Nations agencies and non- governmental organizations.

Noting that the Cairo conference had called for two-thirds of the resources needed for the implementation of population and development policies to be sourced domestically, he said national efforts and sound population policies were required. It was not sufficient to talk about volumes of international financial assistance without talking about its utilization. An analysis of the use of external resources would allow the Assembly to come up with specific recommendations for adjustment of policies carried out by the

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international community in support of post-Cairo efforts.

Russia supported the convening of a two-day plenary meeting during the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly to review progress made in the implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action. Russia supported multilateral dialogue within the United Nations system to address the problems of international migration and development. Attention must be given to the regional dimension of international migration.

YU QINGTAI (China) said all countries had done a great deal to implement the Programme of Action of the Cairo Conference. The international community should sum up its experiences, with particular focus on identifying shortcomings, to formulate specific measures for strengthening international cooperation in the implementation of the Programme.

In the past two years, his Government had continued its efforts to implement the Programme, he said. It had continued to place emphasis on providing family planning and reproductive health services in rural areas, and it had worked to combine the provisions of those services with efforts to eradicate poverty. With those efforts, successes had been achieved to break the vicious circle of poverty/population overgrowth/more serious poverty, which had obstructed development in many rural areas in China.

As a result of global integration and the increased interaction among countries, the scale of international migration continued to expand, he said. In addressing issues related to international migration, the sovereignty of the countries of destination should be respected, including their right to regulate the entry of migrants. Yet it was also essential to respect the legitimate rights of the immigrants and to ensure that they were not discriminated against or subjected to racism and xenophobia. The international community should continue to explore ways to strengthen cooperation in the field of international migration. It was necessary to reach a consensus on certain principles through an appropriate international forum in order to establish guidelines that all countries should abide by when addressing the issue of international migration.

ABDERRAZAK AZAIEZ (Tunisia) said the coordination strategy for the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action in the United Nations system was satisfactory. The orientation given to the teamwork responsible for the implementation would certainly give the necessary impetus to attain the goals assigned to the Organization.

Regarding the implementation of the Programme of Action at the national level, he said his Government's ultimate aim was to eradicate poverty. Tunisia gave priority to the status of women, rural women and children. The protection of children had evolved in the development process, particularly in the areas of primary health care, nutrition and education. The development of

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children was the best investment for future generations and the continued well-being of the country.

Stressing the importance attached by his Government to human development, he said it had made the development of women a cornerstone of the economic and social development of the country. A recent initiative had established the National Solidarity Fund, which aimed to insure national inclusion and comprehensive development. It would achieve a balance between the regions and a minimum sharing of wealth in the country.

Tunisia had adopted a more ambitious national programme for 1995-1999 and had established a dynamic and consistent system to eliminate poverty, he said. His Government was willing to share its experience in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action with all interested parties. In that context, South-South cooperation in the area of population and development should be enhanced and encouraged, and it was particularly important to have more cooperation among developing countries.

SYED YAWAR ALI (Pakistan) said rapidly growing populations in the developing countries placed a burden on resources and the environment. The impact of population growth in rural areas could push communities into unsustainable practices for their survival, and those growing populations were a heavy drain on the limited resources of the developing countries. In order to achieve goals in development, three steps needed to be taken. First, growth rates must be lowered. Second, a North-South partnership based on common but differentiated responsibilities must be promoted. Thirdly, poverty must be eradicated. A favourable international economic climate, featuring improved and reliable access to developed countries' markets, debt reduction and an increased flow of financial resources from North to South was essential to alleviate poverty.

In terms of overall funding for population and reproductive health programmes, the developing countries were meeting the goals of the ICPD Programme of Action and the financial commitments made by them in Cairo, he said. In the case of the donor countries, however, with a few notable exceptions, the ICPD commitments were not being fulfilled. Some countries had even reduced funding for population programmes, while others were only making marginal progress.

Slower population growth would enable his Government to shift valuable resources to enhancing the quality of life through additional investment in education, health care and nutrition, he said. Pakistan believed that investment in population planning was an investment in global human resource development. Healthy and educated human resources not only provided skilled personnel but also created bigger markets. Private flows could be and should be encouraged in that sector.

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FELIPE MABILANGAN (Philippines) said his Government believed that in Assembly resolution 49/129 there already existed the necessary mandate to undertake a comprehensive review of the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action in a magnitude comparable to the Assembly's nineteenth special session. In order to ensure a successful review, it was important that the international community benefited from the experience gained at the nineteenth special session. There first must be an early and well-planned preparatory process. It must also be clear from the very start of that process, and in the Assembly's special session, that it would be a review of the implementation and not a renegotiation of what had been agreed in Cairo.

The Philippines encouraged interregional, regional and subregional processes and activities that would advance the implementation of ICPD's chapter X on international migration, he said. It also supported the process of gaining more sound data and a better framework of analysis in order to fully understand the problem and seek appropriate solutions. It was important to build a process that would lead to a comprehensive, mutually satisfying and lasting resolution to the issue of international migration and development. If a defining moment was found that required all countries to gather together in an international conference to enable the full fruition of a process, the international community should have the courage to make it happen.

MOHAMED FATTAH (Egypt) said the provision of financial resources for the implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action should be emphasized. The donors must honour their commitments by providing the target resources. Egypt supported the convening of a special session of the General Assembly for the review of implementation of the Cairo outcome. Egypt proposed a one- week session for that review. Egypt looked forward to the adoption of that recommendation by the General Assembly.

Noting the social dimension of international migration, he said that issue should be dealt with at the international level through multilateral bodies such as the United Nations.

BERHANU KEBEDE (Ethiopia) said a lot remained to be done to galvanize the momentum generated at the Cairo Conference. Ethiopia called on the international community to fulfil its pledges with regard to mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Programme of Action. Special attention must be paid to the needs of least developed countries and Africa. Equally, the least developed countries should demonstrate their adherence to the Programme of Action by allocating a fair and justified budget for the implementation of national population policies and programmes. Partnership between governments and non-governmental organizations were vital in the poorest countries and such partnership should be executed and tailored to the needs of a country.

Stressing the importance of inter-agency coordination and synergy in the implementation of population programmes, he said coordination would minimize

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duplication, overlapping, unwanted competition and excessive costs. The Commission on Population and Development should be enhanced to enable it to discharge its responsibility of monitoring, reviewing and assessing the implementation of the Programme of Action. Continued North-South dialogue based on mutual interests and benefits, genuine interdependence and shared responsibility was necessary. South-South cooperation was also important in the implementation of the Programme of Action both at the national and international levels.

BERNARDINO HUGO SAGUIER CABALLERO (Paraguay), speaking for the member countries of the Rio Group, said it was especially important to bring about through international negotiations an acceptable balance between development and environmental preservation. The environmental process must be compatible with the process of development, and the need to ensure the rational utilization of resources for the benefit of both present and future generations. The improvement of economic and social conditions was the essential factor to avoid environmental degradation in developing countries. All developing countries had the right to a sustainable socio-economic development as well as the sovereign right over the use of their natural resources, in accordance with their developmental objectives and priorities.

Current population dynamics and its relation with sustainable economic development, sustained economic growth, and the environment reflected the need to find ways to improve knowledge of those relationships, he said. Furthermore, the will to more effectively integrate population issues in the development process and the process of environmental protection obliged the international community to highlight the fundamental importance of population, the importance of social aspects and respect for individual rights. The Rio Group supported the convening of a special session of the General Assembly to review the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action.

Migration had been an important element in the development process, he said. To understand and to treat the issue of international migration in an adequate manner it was necessary to develop an integral focus that dealt with its causes, manifestations and consequences. The Rio Group rejected discriminatory measures and policies that undermined the human rights of migrants, which exposed them to mistreatment and discrimination. The international community must attend to the migratory phenomenon through dialogue and cooperation, under the principle of shared responsibility among the involved countries. The Rio Group would not oppose the holding of a conference on international migration and development.

GERARDO LOZANO (Mexico) said the developing countries had made some progress in integrating their demographic policies in their development programmes even with their economic constraints. Shortage of resources and manpower had made it difficult in many cases to achieve the targets of the international conference on population and development. The assessment and review of the programme of action of the Cairo conference should cover

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national, regional and subregional experiences. Mexico supported a special session of the General Assembly for the review of Cairo.

Noting the historical, demographical, economic, political, security and technical dimensions of international migration, he said there was a need for a comprehensive approach to the problem. There should be respect for human rights of migrants, regardless of their legal status and nationality. Police tactics in the handling of migrants should not be tolerated. The international community must address the problem through dialogue and cooperation. The benefits of migration to all countries involved must be examined. Biased studies would not help. An in-depth analysis of the problem was necessary before holding a conference on international migration. Mexico supported a meeting of technical experts on the issue. Mexico also favoured regional and subregional discussions to encourage the development of an intergovernmental approach to international migration.

JAMES PURCELL, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the organization viewed its contribution towards the implementation of the migration-related aspects of the ICDP Programme of Action as part of its institutional commitment, backed by its 100 member and observer States. The ICPD was a milestone in the migration field, acknowledging both the constructive and the more highly publicized, controversial aspects of international migration. The IOM worked closely with United Nations partners in the Conference follow-up as participant in the working group on international migration. As part and parcel of the overall need for dialogue and cooperation on the issue, the IOM continued to attach great importance to fostering opportunities for sending, receiving and transit States to come together and develop concerted responses to various migration issues they must grapple with together.

He said his organization also stood committed to assisting States with their own consultative processes, he said. One example of that was the IOM support to the countries organizing the regional conferences on migration in North and Central America, what had become known as the "Puebla Process". The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the IOM had jointly organized the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Conference in May 1996, which produced a joint IOM and UNHCR operational strategy which both organizations were currently in the process of implementing.

An integrated policy framework which linked migration to aid, trade, investment, demographic and social development plans and objectives, at national and international levels, needed higher priority among both the sending and the receiving countries, he said. The global nature of today's migration panorama and its multi-sector roots also required better coordinated responses. One of the main rationales for United Nations reform was just such coherence of multilateral responses.

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ULADZIMIR GERUS (Belarus) said his Government supported the proposed convening of a United Nations conference on international migration and development. Such a conference would be timely and relevant because the migration situation in many countries was complex. In fact, the advisability of holding a conference was confirmed by the international nature of migration problems. International migration could be successfully dealt with only if there was a coordinated effort on behalf of the entire international community.

Migration had a destabilizing impact on the economic, political and social systems of the affected countries and regions, he said. One of the tasks of a conference on international migration and development would be to define a United Nations strategy on regulating migration processes and to prevent mass displacements of populations on a global scale. It could also address the problems of refugees and mass migrations caused by economic and social factors. Regional preparatory meetings before the conference would also be useful. It should be possible to complete the preparatory processes in one to one-and-a-half years, so the conference could be held in 1999 for a duration of one week. The conference should involve intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and it should be financed from the resources of the United Nations.

ZOFIA OLSZOWSKA, a representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said UNESCO and the Government of Greece would in December hold a conference on "environment and society: education and public awareness for sustainability" in Thessaloniki, Greece. The conference would initiate action at international, national and local levels on the role of education and public awareness in the implementation of action plans. Education would be considered in the broadest sense as a means of bringing about changes in behaviour and lifestyles, and generating public support for changes conducive to sustainability. Issues such as consumption, investment and ethics would be addressed and emphasis would be placed on successful experiences and innovative practices worldwide in the field of education for sustainability.

On migration and development, she said UNESCO had a new institutional arrangement -- Population and Migration Unit -- which would provide expertise and technical support to other UNESCO programmes in relation to migration and population issues and to initiate extrabudgetary projects. The UNESCO had carried out important work on the root causes and consequences of international migration in sending and receiving countries. Migration and gender issues, the specific social, cultural, educational and occupational adaptation patterns of women migrants, continued to be major concerns, she added.

MARIELA LUZANO DE ACOSTA (Venezuela) said the policies of population programmes must aim to create a more just and safe society. Everyone must have the right to have productive work which was fairly paid and actively

Second Committee - 16 - Press Release GA/EF/2779 23rd Meeting (AM) 30 October 1997

participate in individual and collective development. The absence of such rights caused inequality, marginalization, humiliation as well as frustration and violence.

The number of people emigrating to cities seeking dignified living and working conditions had increased significantly, she said. In 1950, 30 per cent of the world population lived in cities. In 1990, the figure was 42 per cent. United Nations projections stated that by 2025, 60 per cent of the world's population would live in cities. In order to reverse that process, it was necessary to encourage new rural "pulls" of economic and commercial activity. A city did not represent a solution to poverty. In many cases, life in the city led to worse poverty, malnutrition and insecurity. There was also limited access to social and health services. Work must be done to ensure proper living conditions for all inhabitants in cities and rural areas.

The participation of civil society and the private sector was the key to national and international population policies, she said. Those policies should fully respect human and cultural values and aim to establish demographic trends that were compatible with sustainable development.

VOLODYMYR RESHETNYAK (Ukraine) said more detailed information was needed on inter-agency cooperation at the country and regional levels, as well as their relationship with relevant national authorities in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the ICPD. The Commission on Population and Development should continue to play a leading role in monitoring, reviewing and assessing the implementation of the Programme of Action. The Commission should focus more on national experience.

Acknowledging the topicality of the problem of international migration, he said illegal immigration posed a threat to the safety of Ukraine's population and that it had also become a source of criminality, smuggling of drugs and weapons, the spreading of dangerous diseases and the expansion of an illegal labour market. Ukraine had become a transit point for illegal immigrants headed for Western Europe. A great number were seeking asylum in Ukraine. Ukraine hoped that the outcome of the Geneva regional conference of 1996 on refuges, displaced persons and other forms of migration in the CIS and neighbouring States could serve as an example of successful cooperation of international organizations with national governments in the elaboration of a strategy for the prevention of ethnic conflicts, and protection of the rights of refugees and displaced persons.

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