POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HEARS REVIEWS OF ACTIVITIES OF REGIONAL COMMISSIONS ON POPULATION MATTERS
Press Release
POP/663
POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HEARS REVIEWS OF ACTIVITIES OF REGIONAL COMMISSIONS ON POPULATION MATTERS
19980225 Representatives of the five United Nations regional commissions presented highlights of their 1997-1998 population activities to the Commission for Population and Development, as it considered their programmes and activities on population matters this afternoon.Consensus existed among African governments that sustainable development, with emphasis on food security, social development and environmental security, was the key to poverty reduction in Africa, the representative of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) said. As a result of that, the ECA had carried out activities to evaluate progress towards the achievement of demographic targets set by member States.
The fertility and family survey organized by the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) had grown into a pan-ECE enterprise, with many countries in Europe, along with the United States and Canada, participating in it, its representative said. He pointed out that through much of the 1990s, the ECE had been involved in the implementation of a variety of projects such as data pertaining to migration and ageing.
A representative from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) said that the Commission had promoted exchanges of information on population trends and policies. In addition, it had updated a computer software package for analysing geographically disaggregated data down to the city block level, known as REDATAM. The twenty-seventh session of ECLAC, to be held in Aruba in May, would be the principle regional intergovernmental preparatory activity for the forthcoming special session of the General Assembly to review implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), to be held in 1999.
Programmes of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) would foster national self-reliance for programme design and implementation, according to its representative. The Commission conducted research on population-related issues, including labour trends related to women and migration. Working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), ESCAP was organizing a high-level regional meeting, to be held in March in Bangkok, to review actions taken to implement the ICPD Programme of Action and regional population goals.
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A representative of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said the Commission had started a population information system whose scope was now being enlarged. In 1997, it brought together -- for the second time -- the heads of the population centres in the Arab countries. It had also organized a variety of technical training programmes.
Also this afternoon, the Commission concluded the discussion of the Population Division's programme of work for 1998-1999. The representatives of Brazil and Kenya spoke on that item, as did a representative from the World Health Organization (WHO). The Director of the Population Division, Joseph Chamie, responded to questions.
The Commission will meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday, 28 February, to take action on draft proposals.
Commission Work Programme
The Commission on Population and Development met this afternoon to continue consideration of its programme questions: programme performance and implementation in 1997; and programme of work for 1998-1999. (For background on the current session see Press Release POP/657 issued 23 February.)
Statements
LUCIMAR COSER CANNON, Adviser, Coordinator of Planning, Ministry of Health of Brazil, said that in her country, young people were migrating to the major cities at an extraordinary rate. More attention should be given to promoting healthy behaviour and community service among young people. She suggested that priority should be given to young people during the Population Division's next work programme.
SIMON BULLUT, Ambassador, National Council for Population and Development of Kenya, said demographic data was lacking in Africa for several reasons. Ongoing civil strife, poor national capacities and, in Kenya's experience, the fact that donors were often unwilling to sponsor data collection in certain areas all impeded data gathering. Modalities should be developed to facilitate data collection in areas where there was civil strife, he said, stressing that the Population Division should place special emphasis on data collection.
A representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that without the demographic estimates being provided by the Population Division, the WHO would be unable to meet its responsibilities in the area of analysis of epidemiological conditions and trends. Her organization welcomed the increased attention being given to the development of estimates and projections of adult mortality. Not enough was currently known about the number of adult deaths in different population groups at different ages. Yet such information was essential if the international community were to understand changing patterns of ill-health and develop the needed social, economic and biomedical interventions to address them. On the concerns about the prevalence of HIV in India, she explained that the number of reported estimates was small because reported cases were generally only of full-blown AIDS. On the contrary, the estimates of HIV prevalence developed by the WHO and the United Nations Co-sponsored Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) were based on reported information from a variety of sources. She stressed the great value the WHO placed on the work of the Population Division and looked forward to increasing collaboration in that area.
A representative of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) said that through much of the 1990s, the ECE had been involved in the implementation of projects focusing on such areas as data migration and ageing. Many of its
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projects were continuing. Its fertility and family survey had grown into a pan-ECE enterprise, with many countries in Europe, along with the United States and Canada, participating in it. Its micro-data had been standardized and was archived in Geneva, with about 10 reports expected to be ready by the end of this year. Findings in those reports were expected to begin to find their way into policy-making circles. Concerning a project on the status of older persons that was now being undertaken, he noted that large samples of older individuals had been collected from censuses conducted around 1990, and researchers were now preparing national monographs on older persons. He noted that in a number of countries in transition, mortality had risen to levels higher than in many developing countries.
Speaking on behalf of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Director of the Latin American Demographic Centre (CELADE) said the Centre had been promoting exchanges of information on population trends and policies. With other ECLAC divisions, it had updated a census-based data bank to monitor urbanization and spatial distribution trends. It was also preparing a report on the links between migration and development. The CELADE had prepared a specialized computer software package, known as REDATAM, for the analysis of geographically disaggregated data down to the city block level. In 1997, the programme had been redesigned to adapt to modern computer systems.
Turning next to the follow-up to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), he said that the main regional intergovernmental preparatory activity for the forthcoming ICPD+5 would take place at the twenty-seventh session of ECLAC, to be held in Aruba in May. In accordance with the provisions of the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Plan of Action on Population and Development, and reflecting the aims of the ICPD Programme of Action, the CELADE would submit a report on reproductive health and poverty in the region. At the meeting, country delegates would report on progress achieved in the fulfilment of ICPD goals. To support that process, the CELADE, with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), had issued guidelines for preparing national reports.
A representative of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said that during 1997 the Commission had conducted research, organized training courses and workshops, and disseminated information to countries in the area. Its research had focused on a variety of topics, including migration and female employment. It had organized a regional seminar on cooperation between governmental and non-governmental organizations for population related activities. Ultimately, ESCAP's activities were aimed at fostering national self-reliance for programme design and implementation, he added.
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In 1998, ESCAP would strive to build knowledge and improve the quality of population services and information, he said. Working with the UNFPA, ESCAP had organized a high-level regional meeting, to be held in March in Bangkok, to review actions taken to implement the ICPD Programme of Action and regional population goals.
A representative of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said the Commission had started a population information system. In 1997, it had brought together for the second time the heads of the population centres in Arab countries. It had also organized a variety of technical training programmes. In addition, the technical support services carried out several missions during the year. The ESCWA was involved in the ICDP processes as well as in the implementation of outcomes of other United Nations conferences.
A representative of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) said that consensus existed among African governments that sustainable development, with emphasis on food security, social development and environmental security, was the key to poverty reduction in the region. The work of the new Division of Food Security and Sustainable Development was arranged around three thematic areas centring on promoting rapid demographic transition in those countries that still recorded high population growth rates. The ECA continued to support regional demographic training centres and advisory and technical services. Because of the emphasis on poverty reduction, the ECA had carried out activities to evaluate progress towards achievement of demographic targets set by member States at the Dakar-Ngor regional conference and other commitments such as those of the ICPD and other global conferences.
JOSEPH CHAMIE, Director of the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, responded to questions posed by Commission members. He said he appreciated the rapid growth that was occurring in Brazil's cities; the Division was including Brazil in its study of "mega- cities". While recognizing the importance of young people, he also stressed the need to address the increasing numbers of older persons in Latin America and the Caribbean.
It was difficult to obtain statistics in conflict situations, he said. Some colleagues in the field of population had tried to obtain statistics after conflicts subsided. He then said the Division worked closely with international agencies such as the WHO.
Member States were the Division's source of data, he stated. He worked closely with the Department's Statistics Division, which was mandated to collect data, and indicated the Commission's concerns to it. United Nations agencies, regional commissions, funds and programmes all used the same
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population figures. That was an important achievement within the United Nations system.
At times, the Commission's suggestions were at odds with those of the General Assembly's Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), he said. With the Commission pressing the accelerator while the Fifth Committee was stepping on the brakes, the Division sometimes suffered whiplash. Nonetheless, he stressed that the Commission's comments and suggestions were very useful.
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