DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES WINNERS OF 1999 UN POPULATION AWARD

Press Release
DSG/SM/57
POP/728

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES WINNERS OF 1999 UN POPULATION AWARD

Following is the text of the remarks of Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette at the ceremony for the 1999 United Nations Population Award, which was delivered today in New York on her behalf by Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations Gillian Martin Sorensen:

It is a pleasure to welcome all of you to the United Nations Population Award ceremony for 1999.

The Award was created by the General Assembly in 1981 to raise awareness about the economic and social implications of population trends, particularly as they relate to development. This year, the intergovernmental Committee for the United Nations Population Award has selected two laureates whose vision and determination have touched the lives and changed the attitudes of entire communities.

Let us now give a round of applause to Dr. Seyed Alireza Marandi, from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and to the National Committee for Population and Family Planning of Viet Nam, represented here by Dr. Tran Thi Trung Chien.

Dr. Marandi is a rare individual who almost single-handedly transformed the population and reproductive health policies and programmes of Iran.

Iran's population programmes have gone through massive changes over the past 30 years. Before the Islamic Revolution, the country had a national family planning programme that was quite visible and enjoyed the support of government leaders, but which faced difficulties in bringing information and services to the people. With the revolution, family planning was proscribed as being against religious beliefs, and little was done to promote maternal and child health.

When Dr. Marandi became Deputy Minister of Health in 1983, and then Minister of Health in 1985, he moved decisively to change this situation, and to make population and reproductive health a central issue.

How did he do it? First, he promoted an effective public health programme of childhood immunization, reaching deep into remote rural areas. Then, he began a broader campaign of health education and health services that dramatically reduced mortality and infectious diseases. Next, he addressed the issue of high fertility and rapid population growth, paying special attention to the health of women and girls, and particularly their participation in the promotion of family planning.

Dr. Marandi also opened a public discussion within the Government, despite the general reluctance to address this highly sensitive subject.

At the same time, he convinced prominent religious scholars of the importance of smaller, healthier families. Ultimately, through the language of persuasion, he showed that responsible parenthood and family planning do not run counter to religious beliefs, but rather are an integral part of them.

Thanks largely to this leadership, Iran has seen a dramatic decrease in its population growth rate, from 3.2 per cent in 1986 to 1.4 per cent in 1997. A once high-fertility rate is near replacement level, and child- and maternal- mortality rates have decreased dramatically. Just as significantly, Dr. Marandi has illustrated that population and reproductive health policies and programmes are among the most effective when they are developed in accordance with faith and shared by society as a whole.

This year's second laureate, the National Committee for Population and Family Planning of Viet Nam, was established in 1984 and plays a key role in the coordination, management and monitoring of the country's population and family planning policy, programmes and strategies.

The Committee's membership includes representatives of ministries, mass organizations and non-governmental organizations. Its network of professionals and volunteers work in large and small communities throughout the country to inform and educate people about population and reproductive health, including family planning; to expand the range and quality of services; and to create and mobilize public support for these issues.

In recent years, Viet Nam has achieved substantial progress in a range of important health and socioeconomic development indicators. Income levels have increased, as have investment and commercial activity, and although per capita income remains among the lowest in South-East Asia, it is likely to increase gradually over time.

The Government of Viet Nam is fully committed to the principles of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Viet Nam's population of 75 million is second only to Indonesia in the region. Fertility rates have plummeted in recent years. So has infant mortality.

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But population density is high, and the population is projected to increase to nearly 100 million over the next generation.

The Government has adopted a strategy to stabilize population by 2015, by fostering small families through a voluntary programme. A full range of international donor agencies and non-governmental organizations are supporting the Government's development activities. It is in this context that the National Committee for Population and Family Planning is playing its vital role. It fully deserves recognition for the success of Viet Nam's rapid fertility decline, one that is clearly linked to strong programmes and the commitment of the Government.

On behalf of the United Nations, I congratulate the winners of the 1999 United Nations Population Award. Their outstanding contributions to global problem-solving in population and development are an inspiration to us all, especially as we near the five-year review of progress achieved in implementing the landmark decisions adopted at the ICPD in Cairo.

When the General Assembly meets here in special session later this month, it is my strong hope that leaders at all levels will recommit themselves to the entire ICPD Programme of Action, and that the progressive forces unleashed at Cairo will receive an important boost towards achieving the goals we all hold dear.

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