NEED FOR FULLER DATA, BETTER RESOURCE FLOWS STRESSED BY SPEAKERS AT POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION DEBATE
Press Release
POP/659
NEED FOR FULLER DATA, BETTER RESOURCE FLOWS STRESSED BY SPEAKERS AT POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION DEBATE
19980223 The need for fuller data and better resource flows to enhance population policy objectives was emphasized by speakers this afternoon, as the Commission on Population and Development considered follow-up action to the recommendations of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).The representative of Sweden called for stricter and more concise reporting to support future debates on progress that was still to be made, pointing out that the data in the report on financial resources for population activities was not up-to-date. To overcome the problem, he suggested that the final data should be supplemented by data from government plans and budgets.
Reports before the Commission should provide insight to the challenges and opportunities faced by the international community in overcoming the obstacles to the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, the representative of the Republic of Korea said.
The representative of the Sudan, referring to the report on monitoring population programmes, said the monitoring process had not focused on the ICPD-set targets that countries had to attain, but on training, seminars convened and even the number of computers received by countries.
Responding to comments made by delegations, Birgitta Bucht, Assistant Director, Population Division, and Chief of the Demographics Analysis, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, who had introduced the report on world population monitoring in the morning session, said that poor data remained a problem for population analysis in the developing countries. Sometimes, there were gaps in available data, and at other times, no data at all.
This afternoon, four reports were introduced, as follows: report of the Secretary-General on the monitoring of population programmes; report of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Task Force on Basic Social Services for All; report of the Secretary-General on activities conducted by non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations in sexual and reproductive health and rights; and the flow of financial resources for populations activities.
Introductory statements on the documents were made by Mohammed Nizamuddin, Director of the Technical and Policy Division of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), while the documents were introduced by Richard Osborn, of the Technical Branch; Catherine Pierce, Chief of the Policy Branch of UNFPA; Nicholas Dodd, Chief of the Technical Branch of UNFPA; and Michael Vlassoff, of the Technical Branch of UNFPA. The Director of the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, also spoke.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Bangladesh, Ukraine, Egypt, United Kingdom, Jamaica and Algeria. Representatives of the Committee for International Cooperation, International Organization for Migration), World Health Organization (WHO) and Advocacy for Women's Health also spoke.
Also this afternoon, William Toro Cabrera (Peru) was elected as Vice- Chairman/Rapporteur.
The Commission will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 24 February, to hear a statement by the Executive Director of UNFPA, following which it will begin its consideration of national experience on population matters.
Commission Work Programme
The Commission on Population and Development met this afternoon to continue its review of follow-up actions to the recommendations of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo. (For background, see Press Release POP/657 issued today.)
Statements
BIRGITTA BUCHT, Assistant Director, Population Division and Chief of the Demographics Analysis, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in response to comments and observations made by delegates in the meeting this morning relating to the report on world population monitoring she had introduced, said that poor data remained a problem for population analysis in the developing countries. Sometimes, there were gaps in available data, and at other times, no data at all. The full report contained a section on that subject. She pointed out that the estimates available in the full report had been analysed and adjusted accordingly. In the case of Jamaica, about which that country's representative had spoken in the morning, she said it would be analysed and adjusted.
MOHAMMED NIZAMUDDIN, Director of the Technical and Policy Division of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), introduced the segment on presentation of reports.
RICHARD OSBORN, of the Technical Branch, introduced the report on the monitoring of population programmes.
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CATHERINE PIERCE, Chief of the Policy Branch of UNFPA, introduced the report of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) Task Force on Basic Social Services for All.
NICHOLAS DODD, Chief of the Technical Branch of UNFPA, introduced the report of the Secretary-General on activities conducted by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and intergovernmental organizations in sexual and reproductive health and rights.
MICHAEL VLASSOFF, of the Technical Branch of UNFPA, introduced the report on the flow of financial resources for populations activities.
PHILLIP COLLOMB, of the Committee for International Cooperation, said that there were dissimilarities in life expectancy among countries accounted for by such developments as political conflicts, but also due to inequalities stemming from inadequate resources. In Asia, statistics showed that one in five inhabitants was affected by undernourishment, a problem which was moving from Asia to Africa, thereby increasing the number of people dying from hunger. Lack of resources included such basics as access to good water or education, factors which could ultimately determine mortality levels.
MUHAMMED ALI (Bangladesh) said the progress in decreasing mortality and the increase in life expectancy had been much slower in the least developed countries than in other developing countries. It was important to note that better health and increased life expectancy was considered one of the fundamental objectives of development. The outcome of interventions in the health sector was noticeable and might be observed in the case of least developed countries. As a result of large-scale interventions, the cost of specific measures had decreased. The health sector was one area where impressive returns could be achieved at relatively low investment. Yet, many of those countries had been unable to generate sufficient domestic resources and were overwhelmingly dependent on external assistance to implement basic health measures.
The Secretary-General's report on financial flows showed an increased commitment to financial assistance in the population sector, he said. However, there was cause for concern that the momentum had been short-lived. While some countries should be commended for increasing their levels of assistance, there was concern that the decline of assistance from others had more than offset the increase. Multilateral grant assistance from United Nations organizations and bodies that engaged in population-related or reproductive-health activities had also declined. Decline in recent years had also occurred in multilateral development loans for population programmes in contrast to private sources, which had increased assistance to population programmes.
The Programme of Action adopted by the ICPD had provided global estimates of required resources, he said. However, there was less concrete information
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on requirements at the regional and national levels. He called for increased efforts to assess national requirements, particularly in the case of the least developed countries that were in urgent need of increased resources. The successful implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action greatly depended on better assessment of the national requirements and mobilization of higher levels of resources. Countries like Bangladesh, with a severe population problem, required continued cooperation and support from the international community for a successful implementation of its population policy.
AHMED TAHA MOHAMED (Sudan), referring to the report on monitoring population programmes, said the monitoring process had not focused on the ICPD- set targets that countries had to attain. Instead, monitoring had reflected training, seminars convened and even the numbers of computers received by countries. In his country's experience, although resources had been spent, the targets such as reduction in child, infant and maternal mortality had not been attained. Other approaches were needed to achieve the targets.
There was need for new thinking or new training for personnel involved in population policy and implementation at the national level, he said. Otherwise, resources would be wasted. More research was also needed to identify areas that needed to be changed, which would affect the parameters in a better way. Such an approach was lacking because his Government, like others, was in a hurry to absorb the funds that it received, and the donors were in hurry to report on the money spent. Stressing the need for training, he said at the country level "we need our goals to be attained and we need our money to be streamlined to attain the goals that were set for us".
OLEXANDR G. OSAULENKO (Ukraine) said the theme of health and mortality required focused efforts at all levels. International dialogue was proof of the progress being made in attaining the goals of the ICPD. However, the return of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis was of concern, as were the levels of mortality in countries with economies in transition, including Ukraine.
The impact of the Chernobyl disaster on Ukraine and in neighbouring countries was also cause for grave concern, he said. Those affected required particular attention. The level of mortality of those negatively affected and experiencing health problems caused by the deterioration of the environment had greatly increased. Research in Ukraine had shown that there would be an increase in child mortality as a result of the disaster. Stressing the transboundary nature of the disaster, he said the reports before the Commission did not reflect those concerns.
ROBERT G. PAIVA, of the International Organization for Migration, said 135/140 million people today resided outside their country, willingly or unwillingly. The need to redress and stabilize populations following a conflict was well recognized in the international cooperative effort called for in the ICPD Programme of Action. Providing international assistance had
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underscored the need for cooperation with governments, and training and technical advice were key elements of such programmes. The shared goal was better migration management at the national level. He announced that the report of a seminar hosted by his organization last April in Geneva on migration issues had its publication scheduled for mid-1998. International migration, by its nature, was an international commitment, and his organization was proud to be involved in that issue.
MOSHEERA EL SHAFEE (Egypt) expressed concern over the non-availability of the report on the follow-up of the Cairo Programme of Action, and wondered why it was late. She also noted that most of the reports did not reflect the actual impact of the Programme nor the consequences of implementation. Mortality, including infant mortality, was still high in some countries. Also, some countries had taken no steps to follow up and implement plans for realizing the rights of women. She noted that there were 15,000 NGOs working in the field, however, only the big NGOs enjoyed support from donors. She looked forward to see the reports on how countries were implementing the Cairo Conference outcome.
JOHN HOBCRAFT (United Kingdom) said the keystone to evaluating progress on the Cairo outcome's implementation must lie in examining work at the local, national and international levels. The revised report was a considerable improvement on the old one, but it perhaps placed too much emphasis on work at the international level. On the report on financial flows, he cited the striking variation in domestic flows. Taken together, the reports indicated progress since Cairo, and augured well for the ICPD+5 review. The reporting process was continuing to improve, while more work lay ahead.
BERTIL EGERO (Sweden) called for stricter and more concise reporting to support future debates on progress that was still to be made. The data in the report on financial resources for population activities was not up-to-date. To overcome the problem, he suggested that the final data should be supplemented by data from government plans and budgets. The report only referred to the "costed" part of the ICPD Programme of Action. Discussion on financial flows should not be limited to that part. Referring to the report on activities of NGOs and intergovernmental organizations in the area of sexual and reproductive health rights, he asked about the criteria for the selection of NGOs, the reasons for the rate of response, and the effect of the high rate of non-response. There was need for a better understanding of NGOs because of their diversity.
The report on the monitoring of population programmes also reflected the problem of lack of data on a large number of countries, he said. He asked what were the implications of not having those countries' views included in the report. Some of the conclusions of the report seemed inconsistent with the ACC's Task Force on Basic Social Services and had neglected to look at what remained to be done. There was also need for more gender analysis. He cited a number of other issues that should be taken up in the report in preparation for the ICPD review and appraisal.
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JOSEPH CHAMIE, Director of the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, introducing the draft outline on the process for the quinquennial ICPD review and appraisal in 1999, said that he had proposed the review in five days, with three-and-a-half days for preparatory matters. He spoke about the reports, adding that tomorrow the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Nafis Sadik, would present further details.
EASTON WILLIAMS (Jamaica), on follow-up to recommendations of the ICPD, said that scant attention had been paid in the report to the issue of disability and to safe fatherhood. On the latter, a chapter probably needed to be written, but was there enough data available to do that? he asked.
RACHIDA BENKHELIL (Algeria) said that the report showed that the recommendations of the ICPD had been taken to heart. They emphasized the improvements recorded through more rational use of materials and resources. Family planning was now accepted in almost all countries. Population programmes in Algeria since 1994 have taken those into account. Efforts had been made to support population programmes and to fund health services and training staff. The contribution of cooperative funding would be the main factor. It was important that the recommendations reached in Cairo be implemented, and so the issue of resources must be addressed.
CHANG BEOM CHO (Republic of Korea) said there was need for better statistical data. The reports should provide insight to the challenges and opportunities faced by the international community in overcoming the obstacles to the implementation to the ICPD Programme of Action. The session's theme -- health and mortality -- encompassed the goals of the Commission and of the ICPD. The pursuit of health was central to all social and economic goals. Levels of mortality were an important indicator of the welfare of a population.
Noting that it was essential to strengthen coordination of United Nations bodies working in the field of population, he welcomed the work of the ACC Task Force in following up on the ICPD recommendations. The progress made in life expectancy in the least developed countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, was slow and was even falling far behind other regions. War, civil strife and HIV\AIDS continued to be obstacles to progress in the least developed countries. United Nations efforts should, therefore, be concentrated on addressing the concerns of the least developed countries.
On the issue of financial resources, he said it had been encouraging to note that international assistance had been on the rise partly because donors had given priority to populations issues. However, there was need to mobilize resources to implement the ICPD Programme of Action. Reviewing developments in his country, he said life expectancy had increased, while maternal and child mortality rates had decreased, reflecting improved social and economic development, including health care.
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C.J. ABOU-ZAHR, Technical Officer, Division of Reproductive Health of the World Health Organization (WHO), focused on her organization's activities on reproductive health and on issues related to maternal mortality. The WHO had responsibility for global monitoring of health and mortality. The organization was providing technical support for activities such as the development of health information systems to strengthen national capacity in that area. It was important to disaggregate health data. A task force had been established to look at issues such as innovative approaches to the collection and interpretation of disaggregated health data.
The WHO also provided assistance in such areas as technical support to countries on reproductive health issues, she said. It had undertaken research on aspects of reproductive health. The prevention of HIV/AIDS and the care of those affected were important aspects of the organization's work. The WHO also focused on health promotion activities, including the health of young people and the promotion of sexual and reproductive health among men and women. The organization had developed training materials for health-care providers. World Health Day in 1998 would be on the theme of safe motherhood. She stressed the need for intersectoral approaches to health and reproductive issues.
MARIANNE HASLEGRAVE, Advocacy for Women's Health, said that primary health care, including sexual and reproductive health care, was of crucial importance in preventing premature mortality. Nurses, midwives and traditional practitioners played a crucial role in providing effective primary health care in developing countries as they were in close contact with the community and were cost effective. On prevention and treatment of disease, including HIV/AIDS, she said that more priority should be given to preventive health measures, early diagnosis and early treatment.
Concerning maternal mortality and unsafe abortion, she said WHO indicators showed one of the largest health discrepancies between developing and developed countries. The death of a woman from pregnancy-related causes in a developing country resulted in serious health consequences for her community, her family and her children, and of a provider of much-needed income. The international community should support measures to aid the elimination of unnecessary and available mortality from such causes, and remind itself of the assistance commitments made at the ICPD. She stressed that the responsibility of men for the health status and care of women were frequently overlooked, adding that greater emphasis should be placed on their involvement in all aspects of family life, including responsibility for family planning and preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Comments from Secretariat
Mr. NIZAMUDDIN said that he agreed with the comments that had been made on the report, and that the report needed to be updated, but noted that it was
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the first time since Cairo that domestic resource flows were being reported. It could, therefore, be taken as work in progress and, in a year or two, the methodology would have been improved.
Mr. OSBORN, on the linkage of programme activities and outcomes that had been observed, said that matter was of concern to all those involved in the area of population and health. There were too many intervening or competing factors, he pointed out, and, as of now, the appropriate paradigms to handle those linkages were lacking.
On the query raised by Sweden concerning the response rate to a survey that had been undertaken by the UNFPA, he spoke of the experience of trying to obtain information from the field through wave after wave of queries. It was a management issue, he said, noting that the Secretariat could only keep trying, as some of the people in the field lacked the capacity to respond to an inquiry. In some countries, they had other pressing responsibilities, or simply could not muster the resources. In other cases, some chose not to respond out of some disconnection with the United Nations system. He cited another group of countries that might have had immediate domestic emergencies which prevented them from responding. It was not for trying, therefore, that some data was not available, but a whole range of issues.
Ms. PIERCE said the queries that had been raised would be pursued in the preparation for the ICPD review. The UNFPA had enjoyed the cooperation and participation of the Bretton Woods institutions, a trend she hoped would continue. She said she would take to heart the comments and observations made by the representatives of Sweden and Jamaica. On the subject of a "safe fatherhood" initiative raised by Jamaica, she did not think that could be taken on at the moment, but noted that there were programmes targeting male adolescents.
Mr. DODD, responding to comments on the report on the non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations in sexual and reproductive health and rights, said they provided information on the process of selection of NGOs targeted for the survey.
Mr. VLASSOFF, responding to comments on flows of financial resources for population activities, explained the reasons for the early cut-off date for the data in the report. He said a supplementary note had been distributed which updated the information and eliminated the discrepancies in the data. That new data showed almost no decrease in the external assistance.
He went on to say that he expected the next cycle of data collection to be improved and broadened. To assist in that process, two working groups would be convened in the next few months to look at the issues of resource mobilization and the changes needed in the data collection process. His office would examine the proposal by the representative of Sweden to update
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the data on financial resource flows by taking account of relevant national plans and budgets.
Five-year Review and Appraisal
DREW McVEY (Canada) said that to meet the objectives laid out in Cairo, international institutions, national governments and non-governmental partners had to approach population programmes in an integrated manner. The Commission must be clear about what it wanted to achieve from the process, and the exercise must be results-oriented. The Commission must draw lessons from recent experiences, and propose new strategies where necessary. Canada also believed that NGOs should be actively included and engaged in the review process. The non-governmental partners played an important role in the development of the ICPD objectives and in the implementation of the Programme of Action, and had much to share in terms of best practices and lessons learned.
At next year's review and appraisal, there could be the temptation to focus solely on resource flows, she noted, but that was only one component in an assessment of what had been accomplished since the development of the Programme of Action. As was evident at many conferences since Cairo, many of the issues brought up in 1994 had been advanced and reaffirmed. Canada endorsed the draft outline for the quinquennial review and appraisal developed by the Secretariat, and believed that it would provide an excellent framework for the Commission's deliberations. Two additional elements would be critical for the success of the review: a need to recognize the importance of coordination, cooperation, complementarity and accountability amongst the different players involved in the implementation of the ICPD; and the need to enhance the use of both qualitative and quantitative indicators as a means to better assess and monitor the progress towards meeting goals.
MAKOTO ATO (Japan) said that he wished that in the report the NGOs had been split along more informative lines, instead of just advocacy and service. In addition, he looked forward to more data on Japan being included in the report.
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