MIGRATION ‘HERE TO STAY’ – INDEED, INTEGRAL FEATURE OF MODERN LIFE, POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TOLD IN KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Commission on Population and Development                   

Thirty-seventh Session                                     

3^rd and 4^th Meetings (AM & PM)

MIGRATION ‘HERE TO STAY’ – INDEED, INTEGRAL FEATURE OF MODERN LIFE,

POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TOLD IN KEYNOTE ADDRESS

“Migration is here to stay and is indeed an integral feature of modern life”, Brunson McKinley, Director-General, International Organization of Migration (IOM) stressed in his keynote address to the Commission on Population and Development, as it continued its thirty-seventh session today.

Mr. McKinley discussed migration management in the context of the Commission’s review of the implementation of the action plan of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994.

Today, 10 years after Cairo, migration had become the concern of all, Mr. McKinley said, but the debate over whether or not to have migration was sterile and must be stopped.  He noted that there were currently an estimated 175 million international migrants -- some 3 per cent of the world’s population -- their numbers were increasing every year.

A more sophisticated discussion of the topic was needed, he continued, which should identify, define and address the fundamental policy issues, such as sovereignty, security, economic integration, national identity, social change, and the rights and responsibilities of migrants.  Comprehensive approaches to all those questions were essential.  Fortunately, public attention of a more positive nature was increasingly common, and collaborative efforts among international agencies had been growing.

The heart of the matter, he said, was that opportunities for “win-win” approaches to migration would only open up once migration was recognized as an inevitable, natural and potentially beneficial phenomenon -– both for migrants and societies.  With that realization, the difficult but rewarding job of managing migration for the benefit of all could move ahead.

Among the wide range of topics discussed in the question-and-answer session that followed was the importance of remittances, or money sent by migrants back to their home countries, raised by the representative of Tunisia.  Mr. McKinley replied that the huge flows of money involved overshadowed development aid, and could be a great force for development, if it could be better channelled.

Prior to Mr. McKinley’s address this morning, the Commission continued its open debate on follow-ups to the Cairo Conference.  As in the previous day’s meeting, representatives of countries and organizations strongly reaffirmed their support for the outcomes of that Conference, seeing a mix of progress and formidable challenges in such population issues as access to reproductive health care, concern over population growth, respect for cultural differences and empowerment of women and girls.

Some delegates expressed concerns similar to those of Miroslav Macura, Chief of the Population Activities Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE}, who pointed to a lack of national capacity for population efforts in developing countries, especially in the areas of information collection and analysis.  Unfortunately, progress in that area had stalled, and even reversed by half, in relative terms, since Cairo.  Data collection and analysis was the sine qua non for progress in population efforts, he said, and must be adequately funded.

This afternoon, the Commission began its general debate on national experience in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the ICPD, in which delegates described their progress on a wide range of social issues related to population, from reproductive health to economic opportunity.  The importance of partnerships for progress on all those issues continued to be stressed by all speakers.

Speaking today were the representatives of Bangladesh, Egypt, Jamaica, Cuba, Malaysia, Chile, Uganda, Indonesia, Lebanon, Philippines, Ireland, Norway, China, Botswana, Netherlands, Indonesia, South Africa, El Salvador, Mexico, France, Poland, Turkey, Algeria, Bolivia, Ecuador, Canada, Croatia, Luxembourg and Belgium.

Statements were also made by representatives of the World Bank and the World Health Organization.

The Commission will meet again at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 24 March, to continue its general debate and hear other keynote speakers.

Background

The Commission on Population and Development continued its thirty-eighth session today.  [For further information, please see Press Release POP/892 of 17 March.]

Statements

IFTEKHAR AHMED CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) said, on the one hand, population growth rates in the 1990s had considerably slowed, with almost universal reduction of fertility rates through increased contraceptive prevalence, and average life expectancy on the rise.  But, on the other hand, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and cholera were still the killers.  More borders were closed for immigrants and the target level of resource mobilization for implementation of the 1994 Cairo Plan of Action had not been reached.  The issue of resources constraint was more critical in the least developed countries, which accounted for the highest population growth rate of 2.44 per cent.  Persistent economic crises and deepening poverty compromised efforts to sustain interventions for the promotion of mother and child health care and survival in the least developed countries.

He said Bangladesh -- along with China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Indonesia -- had been named in the report as one of the six countries contributing about half of the annual population growth of the world.  The population growth rate had been reduced and stood at 1.5 per cent.  The total fertility rate had dropped from 6.3 to 3.3 births per woman over the last two decades and infant mortality had been cut in half over the same period.

A pragmatic approach by the Government, based on sustained commitments towards International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) goals, had greatly contributed to those achievements.  But, his country’s investment in education had also been a vital aspect in that process.  Bangladesh had proved that it could utilize assistance to bear results.  Therefore, he stressed the need for greater resource mobilization by all stakeholders in achieving the ICPD targets.  To achieve the targets, there must be greater resource flows to the developing world.  The United Nations and international agencies must be financially strengthened.

MOHAMED ELFARNAWANY (Egypt), said the Programme of Action of Cairo, hosted by his country, was the beginning of a new era in development and population efforts, and respected the cultural differences of different societies.  Developed countries needed to fulfil their financial commitments under the Cairo agreement and should coordinate with developing countries on their assistance and such issues as emigration.

Egypt, he said, had tried to integrate population control efforts into its national policies, stressing the need to mobilize human and financial resources and include the efforts of all societal sectors.  Much had been accomplished since 1994 –- population growth and infant mortality had slowed and life expectancy and educational opportunities for girls had increased, for example.

One of the main concepts in the Cairo Declaration was the importance of family, he said.  It had been a difficult subject to form a consensus on, because of different concepts of the family in different societies.  No society should try to force its concepts on others.  He reaffirmed that he could not accept such impositions in further efforts to reach consensus on the issue.

EASTON WILLIAMS, manager of the Population Planning Institute of Jamaica, supported the statement of Qatar on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China.  He urged that specific passages in the report be looked at carefully, for example, those that compared the use of traditional methods in developed versus developing countries.

Mr. TALADRID (Cuba) said while progress had been reported in achieving the Cairo goals in lowering fertility rates, population growth and decreasing infant mortality, there was other less promising data, such as on the ongoing HIV/AIDS pandemic, a lack of basic health conditions, the precarious state of primary health networks and urbanization.  There were also trends concerning ageing populations and migration, with associated problems.  He reiterated his country’s support for the ICPD goals.

His country assigned a high priority to population issues in connection to development, he said.  The positive evolution of some population indicators did not represent universal progress, as there was great inequality in resources available for solutions.  He stood for comprehensive development policies that focused on the human person and sought improvement in education, health, income distribution, water, housing, access to safe food and family resources, and access to sexual rights, as well as in the fight against HIV/AIDS.  Considerable increases in development aid were needed, within the framework of the rights of governments to decide their own development priorities.

He stressed the importance of open and non-restrictive treatment of problems regarding reproductive health.  Education must play an essential role in that regard.  While progress had been made in decreasing infant mortality, maternal mortality continued to be high due to unsafe abortions.  International migration had a direct impact on populations, but also on development.  International and regional cooperation was necessary to regulate migratory flows based on the principle of shared responsibilities.  In that regard, he was concerned about a hardening in the migratory policies of receiving countries.  It was important to address the question of the benefits migration might bring to receiving countries.

Ms. SAAD (Malaysia) reported that recent conferences she had attended had reaffirmed strong support for the ICPD Programme of Action on the part of all participants.  Malaysia would also give its full support to the further implementation of that Programme of Action, and, nationally, was working with non-governmental organizations on that account.

CLAUDIO ROJAS (Chile) reiterated his country’s strong commitment to the outcomes of the Cairo Conference, saying that its language was that of human rights, including the right to health of persons and women’s right to equality.  Many households were emerging from poverty in Chile due to the empowerment of women.

There was equitable educational enrolment, he said, but not yet equal opportunity.  Many legal advances were being made to ensure gender equality.  Adolescent pregnancy was also still a major problem and responsible sexuality was being broached.  Health systems needed much improvement, and the country was engaged in the struggle against HIV/AIDS.

Mr. ZIRAREMA (Uganda) said his country’s population had increased at an annual rate of 3.4 per cent.  The country had a young age structure, which had a lot of consequences.  There were still unacceptably high levels of infant and maternal mortality, although in the area of HIV/AIDS prevalence, there had been some achievements.  The country had put in place a poverty eradication action plan in order to create an environment for economic growth, good governance, increased incomes and improvement in the quality of life of the poor.  Unfortunately, the percentage of people living under the poverty line had been rising, as development could not keep up with rapid population growth.

He said a national policy had been put in place to promote equality between women and men.  In education, the challenge was to ensure that children, especially girls, were kept in primary school and would go to higher education.

ELIZABETH LULE, Population/Reproductive Health Adviser, World Bank, said improving human development and promoting economic growth were central to the World Bank’s efforts to reduce poverty, and population was linked to those efforts in several ways.  Although major progress had been made at the policy level and in outcomes, progress had been uneven between the middle-income countries and the poorest countries, as well as within countries between the rich and poor.  Continued high population growth rates remained an issue of policy concern, especially in the poorest countries.  Countries that had experienced earlier fertility declines were experiencing very rapid ageing.

She said demand for reproductive health services was expected to increase in the next 20 years, with the largest cohort of young people entering their reproductive health ages.  The HIV/AIDS epidemic was continuing to reverse gains in life expectancy and poverty reduction, especially in Africa.  Increasing access to reproductive and maternal health services and reducing maternal mortality had been constrained by weak health systems and poor integration of those services in primary health care.  Limited resources and conflict made it more difficult for countries and donors to mobilize resources to continue implementation of the 1994 Cairo Plan of Action and the Millennium Declaration.  In addition, donor support was changing, with instruments such as sector-wide approaches and broader poverty reduction processes.  It was necessary to ensure that population and reproductive health issues were better integrated within those approaches.

To achieve the ICPD goal of universal access to reproductive health services, a more concerted effort was required to increase access to information and services for the rural and urban poor, other vulnerable groups and young people, she said.  The World Bank was intensifying its efforts as a conveyer of knowledge and financier of last resort, to be an effective development partner.  Improving maternal and reproductive health was one of the Banks’ corporate priorities.  It had currently an active portfolio of 78 projects with population and reproductive health components, amounting to $1.1 billion.  It had also made a 10 to 15 year commitment to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS.  Overall lending for health, nutrition and population themes had increased to $1.7 billion in 2003.

Countries would need to adapt to working within new donor support mechanisms for better resource allocation for population and reproductive health issues, she said.  Donors would need to provide timely and predictable financing and make good on promises made.  Institutional capacities and health systems needed to be strengthened for better-integrated services that were people-oriented and respected human rights.  Strengthened partnerships between donors, countries, the private sector and civil society would be key to achieving the ICPD goals in the next 10 years.

MIROSLAV MACURA, Chief of the Population Activities Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE}, pointed to a lack of national capacity for population efforts in developing countries, especially in the areas of information collection and analysis.  The ECE had been promoting data analysis and its use in population policy since its inception.  Unfortunately, progress in that area had stalled, and even reversed, since Cairo.

Citing Commission documents, he said that it appeared that spending on basic research had actually been cut by one half since Cairo, in relative terms.  The causes of those adverse trends needed to be identified and forcefully dealt with.  Relevant action on population issues could not be identified, formulated, implemented and assessed unless there were analyses of behaviour that the actions meant to modify.  Data collection analysis was not a luxury.  On the contrary, it was the sine qua non for progress and must be adequately funded.

JANE COTTINGHAM, Technical Officer, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization (WHO), said, based on a resolution of the fifty-fifth World Health Assembly requesting WHO to design a strategy for accelerating progress towards attainment of the Millennium Development Goals related to reproductive health, the organization had developed a strategy that built upon the commitments and actions already taken by Member States.  Despite considerable gains and progress, the burden of sexual and reproductive ill-health, however, was still unacceptably heavy.

She said pregnancy-related deaths continued to claim the lives of an estimated 529,000 women each year.  Neonatal mortality had not declined over the past two decades.  Access to and use of contraceptives was one of the successes of the past decade.  Yet, there were still an estimated 120 million couples in developing countries and countries in transition who had an unmet need for safe and effective contraception, resulting each year in 80 million unintended pregnancies, resulting in 45 million terminations, 19 million of them under unsafe conditions.  Over 1 million women and men died from reproductive system cancers.

Sexuality was part of being human and in many parts of the world sexual activity began during adolescence and was often risky.  The WHO’s strategy proposed key action in areas of:  strengthening health systems capacity; mobilizing political will; creating supportive legislative and regulatory frameworks; and strengthening monitoring, evaluation and accountability mechanisms.  A prerequisite for achieving the Millennium Development Goals relating to maternal and child survival and HIV/AIDS, as well as the broader reproductive and sexual health goals, was the existence of a functioning system of essential care.  Strengthening health systems required actions related to building sustainable financing mechanisms and investing in human resources.

The WHO would promote and strengthen reproductive and sexual health services as the basis of the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and as part of actions of the “3 by 5” plan:  bringing antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV to 3 million people by the end of 2005.  The WHO would continue to strengthen its partnerships with other United Nations agencies and with the World Bank, health professional associations, non-governmental organizations and other partners.  Finally, it would ensure accountability through reporting on progress on reproductive and sexual health as part of achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  The WHO strategy closely mirrored the three interrelated factors that affected implementation of the 1994 Cairo Plan of Action:  availability of financial and human resources; institutional capacities; and partnerships among governments, the international community, non-governmental organizations and civil society.

LARRY HELIGMAN, Chief, Population Studies Branch, responding to the interventions of the previous debate, expressed satisfaction with the positive response to the reports and the concrete examples that fleshed them out.  Many of the statements reflected the urgent need for the capacity to gather statistics and do analysis at the national level.

FRANÇOIS FARAH, of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), thanked all the delegates who had supported the goals and action plan of the ICPD.  The debate showed that the goals of the ICPD were relevant, sound and achievable if time and sustained resources were made available, especially where needs and constraints were immense.

Keynote Address

Introducing Brunson McKinley, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), JOSEPH CHAMIE, Director, Population Division, said there were three components to population:  birth; death; and migration.  Since Cairo, the issue of migration had come back yearly, resulting in a General Assembly resolution recommending a high-level dialogue on the subject in 2006.

Today’s guest speaker, he said, had taken office as Director-General of IOM in 1998.  The IOM’s operational budget had tripled since his first term.  He had had a career as a United States diplomat in Italy, China, Viet Nam, United Kingdom and Germany.  He was the first United States ambassador to Haiti in the post-Duvalier period.  From 1995 to 1998 the speaker had served as the United States Humanitarian Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

BRUNSON McKINLEY, Director-General, International Organization of Migration (IOM), said roughly one in every 35 persons was a migrant.  The number of international migrants was an estimated 175 million, some 3 per cent of the world’s population.  International migration was increasing year by year.  Today, 10 years after Cairo, migration had become the concern of all.  Unfortunately, balanced understanding of migration had not always kept pace with the growth of the phenomenon and the complexity of its linkages with other issues.  The result was too often anxiety and uninformed debate.

He said the majority of people who migrated today did so not because they were fleeing persecution, but because they were looking for a better life.  Modern communication and transportation ensured that more people knew about, and could aspire to see for themselves, once distant and inaccessible lands.  Ageing and shrinking populations in the developed world stood in sharp contrast to growing populations in much of the developing world.  Migrant remittances, skills and investments were the mainstay of many national economies.  “All these factors and more indicate that migration is here to stay and is indeed an integral feature of modern life”, he said.  The debate over whether or not to have migration was sterile and must be stopped.

One of the principal areas of future work in migration management included the need to get the facts right, he said.  There was a need to understand the nature of migration, its causes and consequences, its benefits and its challenges.  Last year, $100 billion had been sent home in remittances.  Migrants made a crucial contribution to the economies of the societies in which they worked.  At the same time, brain drain affected many developing countries.  In the social realm, migration held great potential for nation-building, but on the other hand, migration could bring social tension, conflicted identity, and alienation caused by inadequate integration.

There was also a need to identify, define and address the fundamental policy issues, he continued.  Some of the major questions of the migration debate included issues of sovereignty, security, economic integration, national identity, social change, and rights and responsibilities.

Regarding sovereignty, he said it was the fundamental right of each country to determine who entered and remained in its territory and under what conditions.  Open societies faced the question of how to regulate movement without overly intrusive surveillance.  Much migration today occurred outside of governmental awareness or control.

As for security, he said in the wake of heightened global security concerns, it has become more important than ever for governments to know who entered their territories and for what purposes.  The question was how security concerns could be addressed without stifling legitimate and needed movement and without serious constraints on personal rights and liberties.

Addressing the issue of economic integration, he said while legal opportunities for migration for work were limited, demand for migrant workers was high and supply was even higher.  How could those factors be aligned in safer, more flexible and more equitable ways, he asked, and how could it be ensured that it was not smuggling networks that did the matching.

Another essential policy issue, he said, concerned national identity, including how core values could be identified and adhered to in the midst of growing diversity, and what was the social and political impact of transnationalism and increased multiple citizenship.  Other issues of social change included the implications for social welfare States established on the basis of a social compact between a State and its citizens.  Gender issues and the role of education needed to be included in that context.  In general, the rights and responsibilities of migrants needed to be carefully examined.

Comprehensive approaches to all those policy issues were needed, he said.  It was essential to address, at the same time, migration and development, facilitated migration, migration control and forced migration.  Cross-cutting issues, such as the protection of rights, gender, health, public information, research and dialogue were inherent to every area of migration management.  All significant players needed to participate in the issue at both the national and international level, and the full migration life cycle needed to be considered, from pre-departure to return.

In addition, he said a focus was needed on capacity-building, including the legislation, institutions and infrastructure, needed to manage the movement of people today –- safely, humanely and in an orderly manner.  Existing norms governing migration needed to be taken into consideration, and dialogue and consultation, especially at the regional level, needed to take place.  Dialogue at all levels must be better informed, more rational and less prone to superficial analysis, xenophobia and racism.  Fortunately, public attention of a more positive nature was increasingly common, and collaborative efforts among international agencies had been growing.

The heart of the matter, he said, was that opportunities for win-win approaches to migration would only open up once migration was recognized as an inevitable, natural and potentially beneficial phenomenon -– both for migrants and societies.  With that realization, the difficult but rewarding job of managing migration for the benefit of all could move ahead.

In the following interactive debate, moderated by Mr. CHAMIE, questions were raised by representatives of Bangladesh, Lebanon, Indonesia, Tunisia, Philippines, Ireland and Chile, as well as by Mr. Chamie.

Addressing a question whether the world was in need of a World Migration Organization similar to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Mr. McKinly said more and more governments were becoming interested in better management of migration, as shown by the fact that the IOM membership had increased to 102 member States and the rapid increase in the number of non-governmental organizations devoted to migration.  It would make sense to have a single focal point for those questions, he said, but a world migration organization would not be like the WTO, which was in fact a standing negotiating body working out rules and enforcing them.  The world was not ready, and might never be ready, for that kind of organization in the migration field.

A body to analyse and address the many migration concerns, he continued, would, however, make sense, as it would be a port of first call for many governments and organizations.  He believed the IOM was in the process of becoming that kind of organization.  However, United Nations status remained a controversial question, subject to an ongoing vigorous debate.  There was a strong lobby in favour of United Nations standing, but also a strong lobby against it, because most of the member governments liked the IOM the way it was, as it had a flexible and creative edge on all sorts of issues, which might be lost when it became part of the more bureaucratic United Nations.

The representative of Bangladesh asked if there some way the IOM interacted with the WTO in terms of movement of natural persons.

The representative of Indonesia asked, in post-11 September, how could it be ensured that security concerns would not override other concerns regarding migration?

Addressing a question about the absence of an across-the-board international legal instrument, he said it was possible and conceivable to arrive, over a period of years or even decades, at an international consensus on a comprehensive approach to migration which would result in a broad set of norms to be codified in an international legal instrument.  It was, however, not possible to move now immediately and directly to such a convention, whether through an international conference or through other ways.  To arrive at a consensus, more work was required at the bilateral and regional level.

He said it was necessary to build up from a base of bilateral and regional frameworks, and then see how much of that the world was ready to take on in a more universal framework.

It would be interesting to see if the governments in the WTO would succeed in establishing rules for the movement of natural persons as service providers.  It was important to focus more on the temporary side of migration, because the paradigm was shifting from a view of migration as changing of citizenship to a newer form of migration, as part of a life cycle of natural persons.

Mr. McKINLEY did not oppose an international conference, he said, answering another question, but he thought at the moment it would not bring about the results people were looking for.  The yearly IOM Council meeting was already a kind of international conference.

Although the long-term trend was towards globalization and international rules, he was aware of the fact that there were a number of governments whose main policy was to lower migration.  He was, however, optimistic that the counter-current was not as strong, as most governments focusing on reducing migration were not fighting the basic analysis of migration as an important and beneficial phenomenon.

Asked about post-11 September issues, he said key would be to put in place systems that would help law enforcement to identify problem travellers, but at the same time allowed the 99.99 per cent of legitimate travellers to travel more easily.  Countries that did not get it right would be left out of the international economic community.

Tunisia’s representative then asked whether the remittances of migrant workers –- money sent back to their home countries -- could greatly increase if such migrants were better paid, and also about the timeliness of an international conference on migration.  The representative of Canada asked about emerging gender issues in migration.  The Philippines’ representatives asked about the resistance to speaking about the issues of migration.  Ireland’s representative asked about international norms for non-asylum seekers, and Chile asked to look at the economic benefits of migration to receiving countries, along with best practices in managing migration at the national level.

Mr. McKINLEY said that remittances made up very large sums of money, much of which flowed through informal channels.  He hoped such flows could be made more formal, for both the benefit of the migrants and their families and the countries that received such flows, which could be put to work in better ways.  The resistance to remittance management was diminishing and could be the key to future social development.  Regarding North-South divisions over the international conference, he said he aimed at bridging such divisions by encouraging dialogue that took into account the mutual gains of migration.

Women in migration was a growing phenomenon that broke the pattern of the past, he said.  It was a great concern of the IOM.  Most aspects of the phenomenon were positive and reflected the empowerment of women, but there were negative aspects such as the spread of HIV and trafficking in women.

Continuation of General Debate

VASSILY A. NEBENZIA (Russian Federation) said during the decade following Cairo, Russia had been marked by low fertility and high mortality rates.  In 2001, the Government had adopted a concept to address strategic goals including public health, increasing life expectancy, and strengthening the family by improving quality of life, among other things, paying particular attention to reproductive health for adolescents and youth and preventing maternal and infant mortality.  An inter-agency concept for reproductive health had been worked out and had resulted in improved benchmarks for reproductive health.  Infant mortality rates had been stabilized and maternal mortality had been reduced.

He said with regard to a declining population, measures were aimed at stabilization and gradual increase of population.  Migration would enable Russia to address negative trends in population.  The Government was committed to ensuring reproductive health and furthering the value of a healthy and long life and strengthening the institute of family.

Mr. BRUNBORG (Norway) said the ICPD action plan remained very relevant to his country.  National programmes included gender equality laws and policies and there were also policies and laws that encouraged leave for family purposes for both men and women.  Laws concerning immigrants have been liberalized, while laws to combat trafficking and genital mutilation had been instituted.

He said that HIV/AIDS, though not spreading as quickly as expected, was still growing and targeted by national strategies.  Further progress towards the goals of the Cairo action plan required the building of partnerships at all levels, in which civil society was actively involved.

JIN XIAOTAO (China) said in recent years China’s emphasis was on coordinated development of urban and rural areas on the social and economic fronts, and a harmony between man and nature and between domestic development and opening up to the outside world.  At the core of a scientific development concept was protection of human rights and all-round human development.  The Government had signed a number of international conventions in that regard.  Mainstreaming the gender perspective was an integrated part of the national strategy for development.  A 2001 Population and Family Planning Law covered aspects such as fertility, informed choice of contraceptive methods and access to reproductive health knowledge and information, among other things.

He said in recent years the Government had integrated implementation of the 1994 Cairo Plan of Action with achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.  Actions included a national Strategic Study on Population and Development, establishing an incentive and aid system for rural households who practice family planning, and addressing the imbalanced sex ratio at birth and implementing the “Caring for Girls” project.  The “Quality of Care” programme in family planning and reproductive health, piloted in 1995, had strengthened protection of citizens’ rights, disseminated reproductive health knowledge, promoted informed choice and provided health care for women of different age groups in 11 counties.  It had been expanded to more than 800 counties.  China had also improved the sexual and reproductive health conditions of its 200 million youths and 130 million migrants.

He said integrating reproductive health services with HIV/AIDS prevention and control had proved to be a cost-effective practice.  The State Council had set up an inter-agency coordination system for HIV/AIDS prevention in 1996, formulated a mid- and long-term plan of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in 1993 and had recently formed a special commission on HIV/AIDS prevention and control and decided to provide free treatment for HIV/AIDS carriers.  After nearly three decades, China had successfully curbed excessive population growth and was transitioning from a focus on quantitative population control to providing quality reproductive-health services to clients.  Challenges included an unstable fertility level, continuous population growth, an irrational population structure, and insufficient financial resources for population and family planning.

ALFRED M. DUBE (Botswana) said his country’s 2001 population and housing census showed that most of the indicators and targets of the ICPD Programme of Action had been met or surpassed through a number of key policy instruments including the cultural dimension aimed at improving the quality of life.  However, the HIV/AIDS pandemic now represented the biggest impediment to effective implementation of those policies and had reversed the gains Botswana had made in basic indicators.  Although there had been a notable decline in the total fertility rate, there were indications of increased mortality rates.  Botswana had put in place programmes and interventions towards prevention, treatment, care and support.

He said although Botswana had enjoyed high economic growth rates, poverty and youth unemployment were still major challenges.  Poverty was associated with a lack of skills, resources and legal and cultural barriers that restricted women’s participation in productive activities.  Botswana had introduced schemes aimed at addressing those problems.  It had undertaken as a priority to provide universal access to a full range of reproductive health care and family planning services.  It had expanded and reoriented the Maternal Child Health/Family Planning Services to a broad sexual and reproductive health approach, which included adolescents and men.  Collaboration with partners had enabled the Government to sub-contract to non-governmental organizations some programmes such as the provision of services to people with disabilities, to youth and to rural communities, as well as programmes on HIV/AIDS and environment.

Ms. SALDEN (Netherlands) said that action was essential to fully implement the ICPD.  Her country continued to increase its financial commitments to international programmes concerning reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.  In addition, the Netherlands would use its upcoming European Union presidency to highlight the Cairo agenda.  Cooperation and partnership was essential and the efforts of non-governmental organizations were also indispensable.

Reproductive health commodities, including contraceptives, were crucial for the implementation of the Programme of Action, she said.  Funding and capacity in that area were needed at all levels.  A multifaceted approach to fighting HIV/AIDS had been instituted.  Regarding abortion, data had shown that voluntary and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education and services were the key to preventing unwanted abortion.

In the Netherlands, she added, the approach to all work with adolescents was characterized by openness, which fostered responsibility.  Young people had the right to information, education, youth-friendly services –- on the basis of anonymity and the right to express sexual orientation.  Participation of young people for further progress in the Cairo goals was essential.

SUMARJATI ARJOSO (Indonesia) said the reports under consideration noted shortfalls and gaps in implementation.  Despite meaningful South-South cooperation to deal with the population challenge, many of developing countries still faced the dim prospect of not achieving the goals of the Cairo Programme of Action or the Millennium Development Goals and were desperately in need of support from international partners.  Over the last few decades in Indonesia, significant progress had been registered in the areas of population, poverty and development, despite the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998.

She said the latest Demographic Health Survey 2002-03 demonstrated substantial progress in ending rapid population growth.  Mortality was declining, and many provinces were taking steps to confront HIV/AIDS.  Her Government was also addressing international migration.  In the area of reproductive rights and health, it put emphasis on family planning and sought to eliminate gender discrimination and promote informed choices and decisions based on available comprehensive reproductive health education and services.  Steps have also been taken to allocate resources to meet the growing demand for information, counselling, services and the full range of safe and effective contraceptive methods.  However, the nations in the region must vigorously seek ways and means to combat HIV/AIDS.

To achieve the goals of the Programme of Action, continued efforts were needed to improve gender equality, mobilize sufficient human and financial resources, strengthen institutional capacities, and nurture partnerships, she said.  It was her country’s intention to revise its Population and Family Development Act to serve as the legal basis for a coordinating body for national population policies and to help promote sustainable development.  Due to the need to allocate its resources towards rapid economic recovery after the financial crisis, Indonesia had not been able to reach the 20/20 Initiative goals of allocating 20 per cent of its national budget for social development.

Ms. MABITSELA (South Africa) said that the Programme of Action of the ICPD was among the first of the major international programmes endorsed by South Africa as a free, democratic country, and one of the foundations of its 1998 population policy.  Since the Conference, the number of households had grown dramatically, with almost 3 million new households requiring assistance.  The economically active population grew by about 4 per cent per year, outstripping the growth of jobs.

The UNFPA had been among her country’s key partners, she said, and was supporting the improvement of capacity for policy implementation, integrated population and development interventions and related advocacy and information programmes.  For further progress, it was necessary for South Africa to further reinforce democracy, with measures aimed at integrating all of society into a growing economy.

The integration of population factors into development planning had progressed well in most areas, she said.  The current challenge was to support local level capacity development for population and development integration.

VERONICA SIMAN DE BETANCOURT (El Salvador) said the report had underscored that many countries had advanced towards achieving of the goals of the 1994 Cairo Plan of Action, despite the fact that many challenges remained.  Complacency should be avoided, as should pessimism.  For her Government, the 1994 Cairo Plan of Action was a frame of reference that guided its policies and programmes and complemented efforts to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Some of the advances in her country included programmes to include gender issues, dissemination of the natural reproduction programmes throughout the country, advances in control and prevention of HIV/AIDS and defining a national policy for the disease.  There was also increased access to reproductive health services, including mobile units for reproductive health services in inaccessible areas.  There were strategies to promote responsible reproductive health in high risk groups.

She said some areas must receive priority focus because they had achieved less progress, including maternal and infant mortality, food security, and prevention of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  She would like to hear from other countries that had innovative approaches to those problems.

ELENA ZUÑIGA HERRERA (Mexico) said her Government’s commitment to Mexico’s women was expressed in the creation of the National Institute of Women.  The Government promoted the concerted participation of all government sectors in favor of women.  Between 1994 and 2003, access to basic reproductive health had increased from 89 to 96 per cent of the population and contraceptive prevalence had increased from 65 to 73 per cent.

Mexico faced an enormous challenge of overcoming deep social inequalities.  Social backwardness tended to involve people in a perverse demographic circle.  People in regions with the most social backwardness were also those with the highest backwardness in reproductive health, contributing to an unequal development scheme.

She said the effect of emigration over the demographic dynamic was increasingly noticeable and worrisome.  The country was losing about 400,000 persons a year.  The Government was committed to a nation able to offer equal options for all inhabitants, so they did not have to look for options in other countries.  However, the structural character and magnitude of the phenomenon confirmed the need to advance towards establishment of a safe, legal and ordered migratory regime.

PIERRE-ALAIN AUDIRAC (France), supported the statement made by Ireland on behalf of the European Union, and said that among the main lessons from his country’s national experience was that concerns over the ageing of the population had been mitigated by family-friendly policies.  On the other hand, a continuously-lengthening lifespan had many other implications.  Retirement reforms were, therefore, instituted last year.

In addition, government action on women’s rights and gender equality had produced considerable progress in the past 30 years in reproductive rights and health, the fight against domestic violence and the reconciliation of professional and work life.  Sexual mutilation, forced marriage, stereotypes, dependency and work inequity were other targets.

Regarding asylum and immigration, French legislation was now consistent with the European Union and efforts had been expanded to integrate immigrants better.  Important measures were being taken to assist the situation of inhabitants of peri-urban areas.

France had made population issues a priority in its aid programmes, including reproductive health within family planning programmes, and programmes to protect women and infants’ health, as well as women’s rights and economic participation.  Prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS was another priority, including fostering hospital partnerships for southern countries.

EWA FRATCZAK (Poland) said in her country 2002 had been the fourth year in a row when there had been a drop in population and the first year with a negative natural increase, because of international migration and a drop in the number of births.  Mortality had not changed significantly.  Progress in health protection was expressed by a significant increase in life expectancy.

There was an increasing acceptance and understanding of women’s rights, she said.  Despite progress in the reduction of discrimination against women, there were still cases of unequal treatment of women and men, for example in the labour market.  Education for family life, based on marriage between man and woman, brought forth increasing awareness of decision-making concerning the number of children.  That tendency was reflected, among other things, by a substantial decrease in the number of teenage mothers.

YILMAZ TUNA (Turkey) said that in his country the interaction between population and development was considered in almost all sectors, through development plans and the national environmental action plan.  Action had been taken to promote full access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services.  Additional support programmes were targeted to children of poor families.

A national committee, he said, had been recently set up to prepare a national programme of action on ageing.  Within the framework of the Women’s Health National Action Plan and development plans, reproductive rights and reproductive health issues had also been addressed.  The main constraint was the low level of social status and education of women in rural and shanty areas.  Reproductive health needs and rights of adolescents had recently come to the fore with three UNFPA-supported programmes.

Sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, were also priorities, with comprehensive coordination and targeting of at-risk groups.  In addition, Turkey actively supported all international efforts aimed at combating human trafficking, and instituted laws to protect women and foster gender equality.  With the extension of compulsory primary education, girls’ education had been further encouraged.

Emerging population issues in Turkey included integrative approaches for decreasing child and maternal mortality, the establishment of data systems for indicators in reproductive health and a focus on international migration.  In conclusion, he reiterated that all relevant activities in Turkey were in compliance with the ICPD vision.

DJIHED EDDINE BELKAS (Algeria) said that his country had mainstreamed the Cairo goals into its national development policies.  In the area of population, the growth rate had declined from 3.2 to 1.43 per cent and the fertility rates had been reduced as well.  Maternal mortality rates and child mortality had also declined.  Life expectancy had increased, along with education rates, such as the enrolment rates for girls, which stood at 49.5 per cent.  Education had beneficial effects in many areas that concerned population.

Algeria, he said, had devoted a large part of its national budget to the sectors of population and health.  For the improvement of the situation of women in the country, government programmes had been instituted, including a national commission charged with the revision of the family code.  Older persons had also become protected by various legal instruments that improved pensions.  Public health was being expanded.  In all those areas, however, gaps still existed.  Better cooperation with the international community would allow further progress.

RENE PEREYRA MORATO (Bolivia) said for his country the 1994 Cairo Plan of Action had provided important guidance for public policies, due to its deeply humanistic content.  It was based on a defence of human rights and on the vision that people, not macroeconomic indicators, must be the centre of concern for development.

Since 1994 Bolivia had advanced health policies regarding, including through the rights expressed in a national reproductive sex-health programme and standards for contraceptives.  For some time, Bolivia had had a committee to follow up on Cairo, with the participation of 32 public institutions, international organizations and civil society.  They had elaborated indicators, a national report and a declaration of principles.

His country might achieve the Cairo goal of reducing analphabetism, as well as enrolment in primary education.   The same could not be said about infant morality, however, which stood at 66 per 1,000 births.  That did not mean there had not been progress in the indicator, but the decrease had not been as dramatic as expected because of current social exclusion and discrimination of poorer groups and migrants.  In conclusion, he said now was not a time to debate new issues, but to debate what to do to implement the Cairo Programme.

Mr. JIMÉNEZ (Ecuador), aligning himself with the statement on behalf of the Group 77 and China, said a plan for development had been elaborated to ensure access to health services, to strengthen education programmes and to achieve a balance in the population, among other things.  Since 1990, life expectancy has increased from 70 to 74 years and infant mortality dropped from 44 per 1,000 to 25 per 1,000.  At present, 65 per cent of fertile women used contraceptives.  Analphabetism had diminished from 11.7 per cent in 1990 to 9 per cent in 2001.

However, he said, there were problems, such as unemployment, extreme poverty and exclusion.  Government action was based on a fight against corruption and unemployment, provision of food security and legal security, improvement of competitiveness and political reform.  Of the total social budget, 45 per cent was allocated to education.  To protect and ensure stability of social investment, the Government was establishing an anti-cyclic social fund.

PATRICIA HOES (Canada) said that, in the interest of the implementation of the Cairo Programme, challenges must continuously be addressed in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights, poverty reduction, gender equality and internal and external migration.  In particular, the most basic reproductive health needs of populations, especially women and adolescents, were not being met.  In addition, the HIV/AIDS pandemic still posed a serious threat to social development.

Canada, she said, was doing its part to achieve relevant Millennium Development Goals.  It strongly supported the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including the right to make informed choices about one’s own sexual and reproductive health across the life cycle.  Services, which include safe, reliable and high quality family planning methods, as well as education and services to deal with the causes and consequences of unsafe abortions, were all essential parts of a comprehensive health-care programme.

Her country supported the increase of access to such reproductive-health services globally.  For that purpose, it valued partnership at all levels and also prioritized the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS and initiatives, such as the New Partnership for Africa.  The ICPD was also relevant as a road map for international cooperation on migration.  She hoped the current meeting marked a renewed commitment to accelerate efforts to implement the Programme of Action.

STEFICE STAZNIK (Croatia) said since the tragic war her country was devoting its energy to issues of reconstruction and recovery, while experiencing a stagnant population growth and low fertility rate.  The family structure had also been changing, and the share of employed women in the workforce was increasing.  The National Programme of Demographic Development adopted in 1996 proposed a wide range of economic measures to increase population growth.

A 2003 National Family Policy aimed at the creation of a family-friendly environment in which partnership between spouses would be strengthened, she said.  However, the current trend of an ageing population continued and the size of the working population was shrinking.  Last month, a Council for Population Policy had been established to draft a new comprehensive population policy that took into account existing national strategies and current regional and global trends.  A recently adopted law on gender equality was the first Croatian law to deal with gender equality issues in a systematic manner.  A law on protection against domestic violence had also been adopted.

For Croatia, migration was another important issue, as the country needed to deal with the sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons.  To create the necessary preconditions for their sustainable return, Croatia continued to implement a comprehensive programme to provide alternative housing, including social housing projects for previous holders of tenants’ rights.  Croatia, as a transit country, was intensifying efforts to prevent trafficking in migrants, in particular women and children subject to forced labour and sexual exploitation, and had adopted a national plan for the suppression of trafficking in persons.

MARC BICHLER (Luxembourg) said the demographic situation in his country was characterized by a slightly growing population, as well as by an ageing population.  Only high immigration could balance that equation.  The number of foreigners residing in his country was 37 per cent.  The immigrants had contributed to the multicultural culture of the country.  Since the 1990s Luxembourg had been a land of welcome for increasing numbers of refugees.  The high number of foreigners was also increased by the presence of 120,000 border workers.

In terms of sustainable development, there were a number of challenges, he said.  The ageing population was weighing down on the health and pension systems.  The multicultural character of the country was a challenge to the education system.  As a consequence of its national policies, it had been necessary to make investments in international cooperation for development.  Education, primary health care and reinforcement of the status of the woman were priorities in that regard.

In 2000, Luxembourg had joined the small number of countries that had met the commitment of spending 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product on development.  That figure should reach 1 per cent by the middle of the decade.

ALAIN COOLS (Belgium) endorsed Ireland’s statement on behalf of the European Union and said that recent important population trends included the fact that the bulk of the remainder of global population growth would take place by 2050.  Another important trend was that the developing countries were experiencing an ageing of population faster than developed countries.

Actions in line with the ICPD, concerning the Belgian population, included demographic studies, provision of reproductive health care, prevention of AIDS, fostering equality between men and women and improving education.  Assistance for similar purposes had been provided to developing countries.

It was clear that the growth rate must still be brought into line with sustainable development, by promoting the notion of responsible parenthood and addressing fertility rates.  It was key to give women the right to make choices over reproductive issues.  Access to primary health services was extremely important in the fight against AIDS.  Belgium would continue its commitment to the Cairo programme in a participatory manner and in collaboration with non-governmental organizations and academic institutions.

MOHAMED FADHEL AYARI (Tunisia) said, despite growing wealth and international progress, the vast majority of the world population continued to live in poverty.  The goals of Cairo were far from being achieved.  Enhanced international community cooperation and increased resources were necessary to implement the Cairo Programme.  However, the financial resources fell short of the goal set by the Conference.  The shortfall of resources could lead to increases in maternal and infant mortality and other negative consequences.  There was a need for attention to the issue of migration, for which cooperation of the countries involved was necessary.

He said Tunisia had greatly reduced its poverty rate from 12.9 per cent in 1980 to 6.2 per cent in 1995 and today it was 4.2 per cent.  Life expectancy had increased from 67 years in 1987 to 73 years now.  His country had one of the smallest population growth rates in Africa.  The fertility index had been reduced from 3.38 children per woman in 1990 to 2.23 in 1998 and 99 per cent of boys and girls were enrolled in primary education.  Tunisian women were equal partners in all areas.  Forty-seven years ago, polygamy had been repealed.

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