ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT STRESSES NEED FOR RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT AGREEMENTS ADOPTED BY UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL CONFERENCES
Press Release
GA/SM/88
GA/9571
ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT STRESSES NEED FOR RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT AGREEMENTS ADOPTED BY UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL CONFERENCES
19990630 Didier Opertti (Uruguay), Opening Special Session On Review of Implementation of Cairo Conference, Welcomes 'Baby Six Billion'Following is the text of the opening statement by the President of the twenty-first special session of the General Assembly, Didier Opertti (Uruguay):
This special session is convened at a double point in world history as we are, for one thing, on the brink of a new century and a new millennium; and also we are poised to welcome with deep joy the six billionth citizen of the world.
I use the word "welcome" advisedly: as what sort of a world would it be if we did not welcome a new arrival, if we did not celebrate the birth of an infant? Whoever and wherever this baby is born, we wish him or her well, we congratulate the parents, and we hope for health, prosperity and a long life for the newborn.
And indeed, as we reach the figure of 6 billion inhabitants, there are some reasons to think that the new baby will be more fortunate than his predecessors, born in 1930 - 2 billion, in 1960 -- 3 billion, in 1974 - 4 billion, or in 1987 when the population reached 5 billion. Indeed, infant mortality has never been lower; life expectancy has never been longer; there has never been so much wealth in the world, and never have so many people shared in it. Never have so many people been so well educated, well fed or well housed. Educational enrolment has never been as high, particularly in primary and secondary education. However, despite all these advantages and advances, we do face serious problems of social integration and marginality that are embedded in cultural, political and economic factors. The inequality gap seems to increase in objective, as well as subjective terms, accompanied by a wide sense of deprivation.
Yet, as we know, there are also other reasons for foreboding. We hope that "Baby Six Billion" will be able to take advantage of all these good things, all this progress; at the same time, we should recall that of the 2,100 babies born during the time it takes to make my statement this morning,
1,995 will be born in the poorer countries of the world, and most likely into a poor family.
For these children, and for their parents, the prospects are rather gloomy. As a group, developing countries' life expectancy is lower, infant mortality is higher and, at the same time, income is lower than in the industrialized countries and the income distribution is very unequal. For the least developed countries, prospects are still bleaker.
We are here today in the interest of closing this gap, and to contribute to that end. Our concern, first and foremost, is for economic and social development for all countries, on a basis of gender equity and equality, of human rights and social justice. We are all aware that only by enduring sustained and sustainable development, and ensuring that all people can share in its benefits, can we secure in the next century the peace that has eluded the world during this one.
We do not have a sole and normative alternative to development. Thinking of moving towards a more equal society do not imply a unique set of universal policies, but rather the recognition that we must develop a deep understanding towards different values and beliefs without losing objective of common goals of humankind. We must be culturally orientated in facing problems of development. In this context, the population issue cannot be mechanically resolved under an universal and unique perspective, but we must carefully study the cultural and social setting of the new babies in different societies so as to promote a reliable, sustainable and understandable strategy of achieving certain goals. Prescription devoid of the study of the culture is not a good way of dealing with a world society and its problems.
The General Assembly called a series of United Nations conferences in the 1990s, which have together addressed many of these problems. The recommendations of these conferences, taken together, offer the prospect of progress in many areas, notably in the area of social development. Since the holding of these conferences, countries and the international community have been working together towards the goals they have agreed on.
You have called this special session of the General Assembly to consider and evaluate progress in one particular area, that of population and development. The International Conference on Population and Development, attended by 179 Member States in 1994, came to consensus on a Programme of Action, which is both comprehensive and particular. The Programme of Action sets out broad statements of principle; but it also makes specific recommendations for action.
The Programme of Action begins by stating the fundamental understanding: that implementing its recommendations is the sovereign right of each country, consistent with national laws and development priorities, with full respect
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for the various religious and ethical values and cultural background of its people, and in conformity with universally recognized international human rights.
The 15 principles of the Programme of Action are a very clear statement of the ground for consensus, and they are as valid today as they were when your countries agreed them five years ago.
The Programme of Action itself is the fruit of the discussion not merely of few days of the ICPD, but rather of the months and the years before the Conference. It reflects the considered views of all Member States involved in the process. The Programme of Action has been extensively quoted and relied upon in the discussion leading up to this special session, and I am sure that it will prove equally reliable in the years ahead.
The ICPD itself was the culmination of a long process of action and discussion, which may be said to have begun 25 years before with the World Population Conference in Bucharest. Its roots go even further back, to the very beginning of the United Nations, when the Population Commission was set up and the United Nations Population Division was set up to serve it. Programmes of action date from the beginning of the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) operations 30 years ago, in 1969.
I mention this history only to show that population has deep roots in the United Nations system. Over the last quartercentury, through an exhaustive and inclusive process of dialogue and discussion, through action programmes and international cooperation, population has become part of the global dialogue on economic and social development. It has become part of every country's thinking and planning. Action on population and development issues has changed the lives of our citizens for the better; it has strengthened not only individuals, but families, communities and nations; all of this, of course, in relative terms.
To this end, the ICPD Programme of Action sets goals to be implemented within five, 10 and 20 years in key areas of population and development, that is, in reproductive health; in maternal and infant mortality; in life expectancy; in education; and specifically the gender gap in education; and, most crucially, in allocation of resources necessary to help achieve these goals.
You have decided on this special session to review progress towards these goals and towards implementing the other recommendations made in the ICPD Programme of Action. Our common aim is to continue to build on what we agreed at the ICPD. We have years of experience behind us: it will all go into the discussions of the next few days.
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To conclude, in the years since 1994, countries have made excellent progress towards the goals agreed on. Policies have been reviewed and changed; new policies have been adopted. The legal framework has been examined and new laws passed to remove obstacles to implementation. There is more enthusiasm for enforcing existing constitutional and legal protections, notably in the area of gender equality and equity. Services have been reorganized and reformed. Existing partnerships between governments and civil society have been strengthened and new ones formed. Naturally, there has been redeployment of existing resources and new resources have been found.
On all sides, we find agreement on the underlying values of the ICPD Programme of Action, experience with the practicality of its recommendations, and enthusiasm for the further implementation of its provisions.
There is discussion, as there should be, about the best way to proceed, while preserving and protecting the values and principles enshrined in the Programme of Action.
In particular, there is discussion concerning the resources necessary for full implementation of the Programme of Action. We know that all countries are challenged by the demands of development: but we also know that the agreements made at the ICPD, at the Social Summit and at the Fourth World Conference on Women cannot be fully implemented without your full cooperation.
I, therefore, call on all countries to review their capabilities to provide resources for implementing the agreements of these conferences for the benefit of humankind. Our "Baby Six Billion" deserves the best human family has to offer.
I welcome you all to the United Nations, and I wish you every success in your discussions during the next few days.
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