E/CN.9/2000/CRP.2 7 March 2000 English only 00-33110 (E) ````````` Commission on Population and Development Thirty-third session 27-31 March 2000 Item 6 of the provisional agenda* Programme implementation and future programme of work of the Secretariat in the field of population Draft medium-term plan of the United Nations Population Division for the period 2002-2005 Note by the Secretariat 1. The  proposals  for  the  medium-term  plan  for  the period  2002-2005  are  currently  under  preparation  by the Secretariat. In its resolution 53/207 of 18 December 1998,  the  General  Assembly  approved  revisions  to  the Regulations and Rules Governing Programme Planning,  the  Programme  Aspects  of  the  Budget,  the Monitoring   of   Implementation   and   the   Methods   of Evaluation   as   recommended   by   the   Committee   for Programme   and   Coordination.   The   attention   of   the Commission on  Population  and  Development  is  drawn to the following parts of the revised regulations dealing with the medium-term plan: “Regulation 4.2: The medium-term plan shall be a translation of legislative mandates into programmes  and  subprogrammes.  Its  objectives and  strategies  shall  be  derived  from  the  policy orientations and goals set by the intergovernmental  organs.  It  shall  clearly  reflect Member States’ priorities as set out in legislation adopted by functional and regional intergovernmental  bodies  within  their  spheres  of competence and by the General Assembly, on advice  from  the  Committee  for  Programme  and Coordination. “... “Regulation 4.8: The programmes and subprogrammes   of   the   proposed   medium-term plan shall be reviewed by the sectoral, functional and regional intergovernmental bodies, if possible during the regular cycle of their meetings prior to their  review  by  the  Committee  for  Programme and    Coordination,    the    Economic    and    Social Council     and     the     General Assembly.     The Committee  for  Programme  and  Coordination  and the  Advisory  Committee  on  Administrative  and Budgetary  Questions  shall  consider  the  proposed medium-term plan in accordance with their terms of reference. “Regulation  4.15:  Specialized  intergovernmental and  expert  bodies,  when  reviewing  the  relevant programmes of the medium-term plan within their sphere     of     competence,     shall     refrain     from establishing priorities that are not consistent  with the  overall  priorities  established  in  the  medium- term plan.” *  E/CN.9/2000/1. 2 E/CN.9/2000/CRP.2 2. The  present  note  contains  the   narrative   of  the draft     medium-term     plan     of     subprogramme     7.6, Population,   of   programme   7,   Economic   and   social affairs. The Commission is invited to review, comment and   make   recommendations,   as   appropriate,   on   the draft narrative of the subprogramme. Programme 7, Economic and social affairs 3. The   overall   purpose   of   the   programme   is   to strengthen international economic and social cooperation    and    to    promote    development    in    a comprehensive,   inclusive   and   far-sighted   way.   The United  Nations  is  in  a  unique  position  to  address  the interests  of  all  countries,  including  the  requirements and   development   concerns   of   countries   profoundly affected  by  the  powerful  tide  of  forces  moving  global change,    but    with    little    capacity    individually    to influence   the   processes   under   way.   The   programme will  continue  to  pay  particular  attention  to  the  overall objective  of  eradicating  poverty,  and  the  special  needs of  Africa,  the  least  developed  countries,  small  island developing  states  and  the  promotion  of  South-South cooperation. The programme  will be  further  guided by the     need     to     empower     women     through     gender mainstreaming, advocacy  and  the  design  of  policies  to achieve relevant targets. 4. Relevant     legislative     authority     of     particular importance  includes  the  programmes  and  platforms  of action  adopted  by  the  General  Assembly,  such  as  the International   Development   Strategy   for   the   Fourth United  Nations  Development  Decade,  the  Agenda  for Development  and  the  outcome  of  the  United  Nations Conference  on  Environment  and  Development  (1992) and   the   nineteenth   special   session   of   the   General Assembly (1997) on the overall review and appraisal of the  implementation  of  Agenda  21,  including  General Assembly  resolution  53/7  endorsing  the  World  Solar Programme  1996-2005,  the  Global  Conference  on  the Sustainable  Development  of  Small  Island  Developing States (1994) and the  twenty-second  special  session  of the    General    Assembly    (1999),    the    International Conference on Population and Development (1994) and the  key  actions  for  the  further  implementation  of  the Programme  of  Action  of  the  International  Conference on   Population   and   Development   (1999),   the   World Summit for Social Development (1995) and the special session   of   the   General   Assembly   entitled   “World Summit for Social Development and beyond: achieving social   development   for   all   in   a   globalizing   world” (2000), the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995) and   the   special   session   of   the   General   Assembly entitled  “Women  2000:  gender  equality,  development and peace for the twenty-first century” (2000). 5. The  programme  has  the  most  extensive  capacity within the system for economic, social and demographic   statistics,   including   data-gathering   and analysis on demographic issues, and distinct capacities in    the    key    areas    of     macro-economic     analysis, sustainable   development,   social   development,   public economics and public administration, as well as gender issues and the advancement of women. In addition, the programme     makes     available     its     normative     and operational capacities for providing effective integrated support    for   policy    formulation    by    the    concerned intergovernmental    bodies    and    processes    and    for advancing   their   follow-up   at   both   the   global   and national  levels.  Of  special  importance  in  this  regard  is the   promotion    of    policy    development    on    macro- economic  issues,  such  as  those  being  pursued  in  the finance    for   development    process;    in    the    General Assembly’s  ‘renewal  of  dialogue  through  partnership’; in  the  high-level  consideration  of  economic  and  social issues  in  the  Economic  and  Social  Council,  including the   Council’s   dialogue   with   the   finance   and   trade institutions;  in  the  continuing  policy  dialogue  in  the Assembly    and    the    Council    on    globalization    and interdependence and their implications for development; and in the integrated follow-up to global conferences.    The    programme    also    has    a    special responsibility for coordination, through support for the Council  and  for  interactions  between  the  Council  and the Administrative Committee on Coordination, as well as   for   the   Executive   Committee   on   Economic   and Social Affairs. Subprogramme 7.6, Population Objective 6. The objective of this subprogramme is to increase the    understanding    of    the    nature    of    demographic phenomena, in particular the interrelationships between population and development, and at providing technical cooperation in the field of population. 3 E/CN.9/2000/CRP.2 Strategy 7. Within  the  Department  of  Economic  and  Social Affairs,  the  Population  Division  is  entrusted  with  the responsibility  for  this  subprogramme.  During  the  plan period,  on  the   basis   of   the   outcome   of   the   special session   of   the   General   Assembly   and   the   decisions taken     by     the     Commission     on     Population     and Development,  the  Division  will  undertake  the  second quinquennial review and appraisal of the Programme of Action  of  the  International  Conference  on  Population and   Development   and   will   assist   Governments   and other actors in achieving the key actions for the further implementation of the Programme of Action adopted at the   special   session   of   the   General   Assembly.   The Division will prepare official United Nations population estimates and projections, including age and sex  patterns  of  mortality  and  fertility,  for  all  countries and  areas  of  the  world,  as  well  as  the  official  United Nations  estimates  and  projections  of  urban  and  rural areas  and  major  cities  and  effective  dissemination  of worldwide   population   information,   via   the   Internet, including through the  Population Information  Network and by other means. Expected accomplishments 8. Expected accomplishments include: (a) Stronger   support   for   the   Programme   of Action  of  the  International  Conference  on  Population and  Development,  as  well  as  the  key  actions  for  their further    implementation    adopted    by    the    General Assembly, at its special session; (b) Expanded capacity  of  Member  States in the analysis   and   application   of   population   trends   and policies,  and  in  monitoring,  appraising  and  reporting on   substantive   elements   of   the   key   actions   for   the further implementation of the Programme of Action; (c) Increased    ability    of    Member    States    to formulate  national  population  and  related  policies  for the   effective   implementation   of   the   Programme   of Action and their  improved institutional capabilities  for the   collection   and   analysis   of   national   population information. Indicators of achievement 9. Indicators of achievement include: (a) Increased access     by Governments     to information on population trends and their interrelationships with social and economic development   as   an   input   to   policy   formulation   and increased  understanding  of  the  social,  economic  and other  factors  that  affect  mortality,  fertility,  migration and population growth, and how  population change,  in turn,  affects  the  social,  economic  and  environmental conditions and well-being of people; (b) Increased awareness about emerging population    issues    requiring    the    attention    of    and response  by  the  international  community,  such  as  the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic,    international    migration    and    population ageing;   and   the   role   of   population   in   development planning.