COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONCLUDES THIRTY-THIRD SESSION

Press Release
POP/765

COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT CONCLUDES THIRTY-THIRD SESSION

The Commission on Population and Development, concluding its thirty-third session this afternoon, approved a draft resolution that would have the Economic and Social Council request the Population Division of the United Nations to pay particular attention to: the gender dynamics and demographic implications of the HIV/AIDS pandemic; infant, child and maternal mortality; and ageing.

By terms of the text, the Council would also request the Division to improve the statistical description and analysis of all forms of discrimination and abuse against women and children, including sexual abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence, as well as on the gender dimensions of migration. Further, the Council would request the Division to continue to incorporate gender perspectives in all its research on population policies, levels and trends, including the analysis of demographic, social and economic data disaggregated by age and sex, so that governments might benefit by achieving a better understanding of the relationships between population, gender and development in the global context and through inter- country comparisons.

According to a draft decision approved today, as orally amended, the Council would reaffirm its decision that "Population, environment and development" should be the special theme for the Commission at its thirty-fourth session in 2001. It would decide that the special theme for the Commission at its thirty-fifth session in 2002 should be "Reproductive rights and reproductive health, with special reference to HIV/AIDS syndrome", and for the thirty-sixth session in 2003, "Population, education and development". The Population Division would be requested to give due attention to the impact of HIV/AIDS in the preparation of reports for the forthcoming theme sessions of the Commission.

The Commission also approved the draft provisional agenda for its next session and the report of its current session.

In closing remarks, the Commission Chairman, Simon B. Arap Bullut (Kenya), thanked the former Bureau and all of the delegations for contributing to the Commission's successful outcome.

The Director of the Population Division, Joseph Chamie, drew members' attention to the clock and explained that the second hand was the focus of delegations and journalists; the minute hand was the focus of economists; while the hour hand represented the longer-term preoccupation of demographers. Explaining

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change and making projections was difficult, yet important, he said: Trends in fertility, mortality and migration should be monitored and forecasts should be made. Charting interactions among population trends and the new international population order was vital, but assessing their consequences was difficult.

Highlights of Session

The rapid rate of population growth in some regions, population decline in others, population ageing, international migration, HIV/AIDS and other demographic trends and population changes were bringing about a "new international population order", the Director of the Population Division, Joseph Chamie, told the Commission, when it opened its session on 27 March. Changes in the size, age, structure, composition and distribution of populations had profoundly influenced social and economic conditions, politics, and relationships among countries and regions, as well as between groups within countries. History had shown that such compositional shifts could produce negative public sentiment and xenophobia, but history had also shown that such shifts could generate innovation, revitalization and tolerance.

Upon his election as Commission Chairperson, Simon B. Arap Bullut (Kenya) said that more attention should be given to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Indeed, in the Commission's consideration of its theme, population, gender and development, many members emphasized the devastating impact of the pandemic. The South African representative said that HIV/AIDS sneaked into societies without much warning and was usually discovered too late. Its shocking impact had demonstrated that reproductive health, reproductive rights and family planning services had to be complemented by a legal and social framework that allowed women the freedom to exercise reproductive choices.

The observer for the Holy See told the Commission that efforts should be intensified to overcome HIV/AIDS, with special emphasis on "absolute" avoidance" of irresponsible or exploitative sexual behaviour -– particular threats to women and girls. At the same time, reproductive health care should include nutrition, parental education and care, obstetrical and gynaecological services, support for breastfeeding, and protection and sustenance of the unborn child from conception on.

During a general debate on national experiences in population matters, several speakers drew attention to high rates of infant and maternal mortality. On maternal mortality, the representative of Canada said that 500,000 women died worldwide in 1998 from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, with nearly 100 per cent of those deaths occurring in developing countries. The vast majority could have been prevented if adequate resources and services had been available. Universal access to high-quality family planning and reproductive health services would address the root cause of such tragedies.

On ageing, Mr. Chamie told the Commission that, for Japan and the countries of Europe, low fertility, combined with low mortality and increased longevity, was resulting in smaller and older populations. For example, the number of workers for each retired person had declined markedly in the developed countries. The representative of Croatia said the ageing process would have a long-term impact on

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future demographic, economic and social development, and the number of aged women would grow much faster than that of men. The "feminization of ageing" would raise specific problems in health care, social security and social integration. The Austrian representative recommended as a model her country's creation of "citizens' centres for voluntary work" for the elderly, to enable them to lead active lives.

To counter ageing populations, the issue of replacement migration was discussed and a working paper entitled "Replacement Migration: Is it a Solution to Declining and Ageing Populations?" was distributed. The Population Division Director described the paper as a demographic exercise to study population declines and identify ways to offset their impact. Several delegations expressed concern that the study had taken a one-dimensional approach to the complex issue of ageing by examining the benefits of the phenomenon for developed countries, experiencing declining populations, while not considering the negative effects of an exodus -- or "brain drain" -- of working age populations on developing countries.

Commission Background

The Commission, a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council, is charged with studying and advising the Council on population changes and their effect on economic and social conditions. Following the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994), it was decided that the Commission would meet annually, beginning in 1996, to assess implementation of the Cairo Conference's Programme of Action. A five-year review was held at a General Assembly special session last July. The current Commission session was the first since the high- level plenary review.

Membership

The 47 members of the Commission in 2000 are: Algeria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Malawi, Mexico, Niger, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Yemen, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.

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