UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
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| UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) |
|
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT ON THE POPULATION
PROGRAMME OF THE UNITED NATIONS
ICPD Secretariat
24 March 1994
CONTENTS
Paragraphs Page
I. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1- 3 3
II. UNITED NATIONS ENTITIES DEVOTED TO
POPULATION ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16 4
A. The Population Division of the
Department for Economic and
Social Information and Policy
Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10 4
B. United Nations Population Fund . . . . . . 11-16 6
III. COORDINATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-20 8
IV. BRIEF CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . 9
I. INTRODUCTION
1. The present document gives a brief description of the background, governing
bodies, mandates, main activities, major publications and resources of the
Population Division of the Department for Economic and Social Information and
Policy Analysis of the United Nations Secretariat and the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA). It also includes a short section on coordination and
a chronology of selected major events in the field of population in the United
Nations during the period 1946-1994.
2. Since its inception, the United Nations has been involved in the field of
population. The United Nations Population Commission was established by the
Economic and Social Council in 1946, as a subsidiary body, to arrange for studies
and advise the Council on the size, structure and changes in the world population
and on the policies designed to influence population variables, as well as on the
interactions between demographic, social and economic factors. More than 20
units, bodies and organizations of the United Nations system are currently
involved in population activities that range from data collection, research and
analysis, training, dissemination of information, provision of technical
cooperation and financial assistance, monitoring and evaluation of population
projects and programmes, and provision of secretariat services to
intergovernmental bodies. All these varied activities are carried out in
response to requests made by intergovernmental bodies of the United Nations,
particularly the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.
Currently, the Council receives reports in the field of population mainly from
the Population Commission and the Executive Board of the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA);
nevertheless, other bodies such as the regional commissions, some functional
commissions (statistics, women and social development), the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
(Habitat), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and others report also to
the Council on population-related matters.
3. Population is one of the fields where the United Nations has been
successful. In spite of the highly sensitive and controversial character of
population issues, the United Nations has served as a neutral forum to debate
openly such issues and to negotiate common strategies. Through its programme of
research and analysis, it has accomplished pioneering work in the development of
new methodologies for demographic analysis and, particularly, in creating
awareness of the key role that population variables play in social and economic
development. Its activities in technical cooperation and financial assistance
have been appreciated by developing countries because of the neutral character
of multilateral assistance and the quality of the services provided. Until now,
population has been one of the areas where effective coordination has been
demonstrated within the United Nations system. Nevertheless, further
improvements in coordination in the population field, as well as efforts to more
closely link it to social and economic efforts are definitely required.
Therefore, it is important to study the implications of the International
Conference on Population and Development for future coordination, collaboration
and harmonization of population activities, taking into account the current
process of restructuring of the social and economic sectors of the United Nations
Secretariat, as well as the discussions held on the same subject in relation to
the intergovernmental machinery.
II. UNITED NATIONS ENTITIES DEVOTED TO POPULATION ACTIVITIES
4. At present two major entities in the United Nations system are entirely
devoted to population activities: the Population Division of the Department for
Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis of the United Nations
Secretariat and UNFPA. The two organizations maintain strong relationships and
collaborate in a large number of areas and activities. Of particular importance
has been the preparation of the population conferences of 1984 and 1994. Among
the other United Nations units that undertake population activities are the
Statistical Division of the Department for Economic and Social Information and
Policy Analysis, the Social Development Division and the Division for the
Advancement of Women of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable
Development. The regional commissions undertake research, studies and other
population-related activities at the regional level.
A. The Population Division of the Department
for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis
5. In 1947, at its first session, the Population Commission urgently
recommended that the Economic and Social Council instruct the Secretary-General
to take steps as soon as possible to ensure that a sufficient qualified staff
were provided to implement the proposals of the Commission. The Population
Division was established in 1947 within the then Department of Social Affairs of
the United Nations Secretariat; at present it is one of the three divisions of
the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis.
Governing body
6. The Population Commission was established in 1946 by the Economic and
Social Council in its resolution 3 (III) and its terms of reference were set out
in 1948 in its resolution 150 (VII) "to arrange for studies and advise the
Council on:
(a) The size and structure of populations and the changes therein;
(b) The interplay of demographic factors and economic and social factors;
(c) Policies designed to influence the size and structure of populations
and the changes therein;
(d) Any other demographic questions on which either the principal or
subsidiary organs of the United Nations or the specialized agencies may seek
advice."
7. Such terms of reference remained almost unchanged until the 1974 World
Population Conference when the Council requested the Commission to examine on a
biennial basis the implementation of the World Population Plan of Action and to
contribute to its quinquennial review and appraisal. After the 1984 Conference,
the Council reaffirmed the role of the Commission "as the principal
intergovernmental body to arrange for studies and advise the Council" on
population matters. At present, the Commission, composed of 27 members elected
by the Economic and Social Council, guides only the work programme of the
Population Division (in the past it used to guide the population work of the
regional commissions as well). In addition, since 1986, it has received also
periodic reports from UNFPA, as well as reports on the population activities of
the United Nations system (including the World Bank) and intergovernmental and
non-governmental organizations.
Main activities
8. The Division is the technical secretariat of the Population Commission and
is in charge of monitoring world population trends and policies through the study
of mortality, fertility, internal and international migration and urbanization,
and other demographic phenomena, as well as of coordinating the quinquennial
review and appraisal of the progress made in achieving the goals and objectives
of the Plan of Action. It prepares the official United Nations population
estimates and projections for countries, their urban and rural areas, and their
major cities for all countries and areas of the world; examines the relationships
between population change, resources, the environment and socio-economic
development; participates in technical cooperation activities; and houses the
coordinating unit of the global Population Information Network (POPIN).
Selected major publications
9. World Population Trends and Policies (a biennial monitoring report); World
Population Prospects (a biennial report that presents the official population
estimates and projections of the United Nations); Review and Appraisal of the
World Population Plan of Action (a quinquennial report); and the Population
Bulletin of the United Nations (biannual). Other publications include technical
manuals, research reports, and policy analyses. In addition, the Population
Division develops and disseminates software for population and statistical
analysis and maintains databases.
Resources
10. The Population Division is funded from the regular budget of the United
Nations and from extrabudgetary resources. For the biennium 1992-1993, its
estimated expenditures amounted to US$ 21.896 million; for the biennium 1994-
1995, the estimated budget is US$ 24.03 million, of which $7.9 million is from
the regular budget, $3.4 million from extrabudgetary resources for substantive
activities (90 per cent from UNFPA), $10 million from extrabudgetary resources
for operational projects (100 per cent from UNFPA), and $2.7 million from
services in support of extrabudgetary programmes; these figures do not include
the estimated costs of servicing the Population Commission and the International
Conference on Population and Development. For the biennium 1994-1995, the
Division has a total of 72 authorized posts consisting of 40 professional posts
(26 paid from the regular budget and 14 from extrabudgetary resources) and 32
general service posts (18 paid from the regular budget and 14 from extrabudgetary
resources) (A/48/6 (Sect.9)).
B. United Nations Population Fund
11. In 1965, the Population Commission recommended to the Economic and Social
Council an expanded population programme that included assistance in the field
of population. In July 1967, the Secretary-General decided to establish a trust
fund in response to Council resolution 1084 (XXXIX) and General Assembly
resolution 2211 (XXI). Two years later, the Fund was put under the
administration of UNDP. In 1972, the General Assembly, following a
recommendation from the Secretary-General, decided to change the character of the
Fund from a trust fund of the Secretary-General into a fund established under the
authority of the General Assembly. Since then, it has received cumulative
voluntary pledges of over US$ 3 billion to be used in developing countries at
their request. UNFPA currently finances more than 90 per cent of the population
programme of the United Nations system (the World Bank excluded).
Governing body
12. The Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA, composed of 36 members, came into
existence in 1994 and replaced the previous UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council. The
General Assembly had decided in 1972 that the Governing Council of UNDP would be
the governing body of UNFPA and the Governing Council served in this capacity
from 1973 to 1993. The Executive Board includes in its annual agenda various
items devoted to the Fund, such as the report of its Executive Director,
technical and evaluation reports, guidelines for the provision of assistance,
proposals for country programmes, and financial and audit reports; it will
consider country programmes at other sessions throughout the year.
Mandate
13. The aims and purposes of the Fund were set out by the Economic and Social
Council in 1973 in its resolution 1763 (LIV) and were reaffirmed in 1986:
"(a) To build up, on an international basis, with the competent bodies of
the United Nations system, the knowledge and the capacity to respond to national,
regional, interregional and global needs in the population and family planning
fields; to promote coordination in planning and programming, and to cooperate
with all concerned;
"(b) To promote awareness, both in developed and in developing countries,
of the social, economic and environmental implications of national and
international population problems; of the human rights aspects of family
planning; and of possible strategies to deal with them, in accordance with the
plans and priorities of each country;
"(c) To extend systematic and sustained assistance to developing countries
at their request in dealing with their population problems; such assistance to
be afforded in forms and by means requested by the recipient countries and best
suited to meet individual country's needs;
"(d) To play a leading role in the United Nations system in promoting
population programmes and to co-ordinate projects supported by the Fund."
Main activities
14. At present the Fund supports population programmes in 137 countries and
territories and has field offices, each headed by a Country Director in 58 of
them. Assistance at the country level is being provided, in most cases, as part
of a country programme that defines the objectives and strategy for UNFPA
assistance in the framework of national population and development objectives.
Those country programmes, which used to be based on a "needs assessment"
exercise, have been developed since 1988 on the basis of a Programme Review and
Strategy Development (PRSD) exercise. UNFPA also funds regional and
interregional activities and services that supplement and complement activities
at the country level. For example, the Fund extends technical assistance and
advisory services to country programmes through its recently established Country
Support Teams (CSTs) system. The system, which became operational in 1992,
comprises eight multidisciplinary teams located in the developing regions with
80 advisers. Participating in the CSTs system are the Department for Economic
and Social Information and Policy Analysis of the United Nations Secretariat, and
the United Nations regional commissions, the International Labour Organisation
(ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the
World Health Organization (WHO) and non-governmental organizations.
Selected major publications
15. The State of the World Population (annual); Inventory of Population
Projects in Developing Countries around the World (annual); Guide to Sources of
International Population Assistance (triennial); Global Population Assistance
Report (annual); and Populi (10 issues per year). Other publications include
PRSD reports, evaluation reports, programme advisory notes and other technical
publications.
Resources
16. UNFPA is totally funded by voluntary contributions. Income from pledges
and interest totalled US$ 238 million in 1992, US$ 219 million in 1993, and US$
243 million is estimated for 1994. UNFPA has 837 authorized posts (180
professional and 657 general service posts, of which 105 professional and 135
general service posts at are at headquarters, two professional and two general
service posts in Geneva, and 73 professional and 520 general service posts in the
field).
III. COORDINATION
17. There are various mechanisms that ensure the harmonization, cooperation and
coordination of population activities within the United Nations system. The
Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), a standing committee of the
Economic and Social Council, is the principal subsidiary body on matters related
to planning, programming and coordination and assists both the Council and the
General Assembly in their sector-by-sector examination of the programme of work
of the United Nations to guarantee the harmonization and complementarity of the
different activities. CPC also proposes guidelines and recommends actions to
appropriate units and organizations on their programmes of work and carries out
assessments of legislative decisions on matters pertaining to coordination of
activities. Population is one of the topics that has been included in the
programme of work of CPC. After the 1984 Mexico City Conference, the Economic
and Social Council invited the Population Commission and the UNDP/UNFPA Governing
Council to exchange information and to make available to each other the results
of their sessions in order to improve coordination.
18. The Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) was established in 1947
as an inter-agency structure to ensure harmonization, cooperation and
coordination within the United Nations system. It is composed of the executive
heads of the specialized agencies and the major programmes and organs of the
system and is chaired by the Secretary-General himself. UNFPA has been a member
of ACC since 1980. An ACC Sub-Committee on Population was functioning between
1968 and 1977 as an inter-agency coordinating entity but it was abolished in
1977, as a result of the restructuring of the social and economic sectors of the
United Nations system. Nevertheless, ACC established in 1979 the Ad Hoc Inter-
agency Working Group on Demographic Estimates and Projections. For the
preparatory work of the 1984 and 1994 population conferences, ACC established ad
hoc task forces for those conferences.
19. The Joint Consultative Group on Policy (JCGP) was established in 1981 by
the executive heads of UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA and the World Food Programme (WFP) to
promote the coordination of child survival, family planning and the needs of
vulnerable groups in their programmes of work. JCGP has been very active in
other areas such as women and development, structural adjustment, training of
personnel, programme collaboration and coordination in Africa (including the
sharing of common premises and services).
20. The Population Commission, through its periodic follow-up to the
recommendations adopted by the population conferences sponsored by the United
Nations, is periodically informed about the work done by the United Nations
system (including the World Bank) and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations. Furthermore, at every session of the Commission representatives
of the United Nations regional commissions, programmes and bodies, and
specialized agencies, as well as of non-governmental organizations make
statements on their population activities. This de facto arrangement has
facilitated the work of the Economic and Social Council in its function of
coordination within the system, although de jure the Commission does not have
such mandate.
IV. CHRONOLOGY OF SELECTED MAJOR EVENTS
IN THE FIELD OF POPULATION IN THE UNITED NATIONS
1946 þ The United Nations Population Commission was established by the Economic
and Social Council, in its resolution 3 (III), to arrange for studies and
advise the Council on the size, structure and changes in the world
population and on the policies designed to influence population factors,
as well as on the interplay of demographic, social and economic factors.
The Population Division was established within the Department of Social
Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat and has since served as the
technical secretariat of the Commission.
1953 þ The Population Division issued the first edition of The Determinants and
Consequences of Population Trends, the first comprehensive analytical
inventory of existing knowledge about the interrelationships between
population, the environment and the process of social and economic
development. A revised version was published in 1974.
1954 þ The first World Population Conference took place in Rome under the
auspices of the United Nations; it was co-sponsored by the International
Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), a non-governmental
organization. The Population Division served as the secretariat of the
Conference, which was a scientific meeting of experts participating in
their personal capacity.
1962 þ The General Assembly recognized the strong relationships between
population and development and "that the health and welfare of the family
require special attention in areas with relatively high rate of population
growth"; it also recognized that "it is the responsibility of each
Government to decide on its own policies and devise its own programmes of
action for dealing with the problems of population and economic and social
progress". Finally, in resolution 1217 (XII), it requested the Secretary-
General to conduct a population inquiry among Governments.
1963 þ The First Asian Population Conference (New Delhi), sponsored by the
former Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE), suggested
that the United Nations should provide assistance also for action
programmes relating to population problems.
1965 þ At the thirteenth session of the Population Commission the following
items were discussed: (a) rapid population growth in developing countries
which, according to Philippe de Seynes, the Under-Secretary-General for
Economic and Social Affairs, was an obstacle to economic progress; (b)
technical assistance to countries in implementing their population
programmes; Julia Henderson, Director of the Bureau of Social Affairs of
the same Department, indicated that the United Nations was ready to
respond to requests from Governments for such assistance; (c) the results
of the United Nations Population Inquiry among Governments (53 responses,
of which 27 were from developing countries); and (d) the report of the
Committee of Experts, which identified five priority working areas and
recommended that the United Nations should provide assistance on all
aspects of population problems, including family planning.
þ The Economic and Social Council, in resolution 1084 (XXXIX), endorsed
the expanded population programme recommended by the Population
Commission.
þ The second World Population Conference took place in Belgrade under the
auspices of the United Nations and co-sponsored by IUSSP. The Population
Division acted again as the secretariat for the Conference which was a
scientific meeting of experts participating in their personal capacity
(852 participants, which was a figure nearly double the number of
participants that attended the 1954 Conference at Rome).
1966 þ The General Assembly, in resolution 2211 (XXI), authorized the United
Nations and the specialized agencies to assist countries in the field of
population.
1967 þ The Secretary-General, in his address to the Economic and Social
Council, announced the establishment of a trust fund for population
activities. The trust fund was named the United Nations Fund for
Population Activities (UNFPA) and was managed by the Population Programme
and Projects Office of the Population Division, which was established for
that purpose; 10 officers were appointed, who, within two years, had
visited 84 developing countries.
1968 þ The Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) established a Sub-
committee on Population as a means of ensuring inter-agency coordination
among the various units, bodies and organizations of the United Nations
system; it played a major role in reviewing the mandates and work
programmes of its members and made arrangements for joint activities. The
Sub-committee was abolished in 1977 as a result of the restructuring of
the economic and social sectors of the United Nations Secretariat.
1969 þ The Secretary-General decided to transfer the responsibilities of the
trust fund from the Population Division to the United Nations Development
Programme. The Population Division remained a substantive office involved
in research and analysis; it also continued to appraise project requests
received from UNFPA.
1970 þ The Economic and Social Council decided to convene the Third World
Population Conference to consider "basic demographic problems, their
relationships with social and economic development, and population
policies and action programmes needed to promote human welfare and
development". In its resolution 1484 (XLVIII), the Council designated the
Population Commission as the preparatory body for the Conference. The
Council, in its resolution 1485 (XLVIII), also recommended that the
General Assembly proclaim 1974 as the World Population Year and requested
the Secretary-General to designate the Executive Director of UNFPA as the
officer responsible for the organization of the World Population Year.
1972 þ The General Assembly, in resolution 3019 (XXVII), placed UNFPA under its
authority and decided that the Governing Council of the United Nations
Development Programme should be the governing body of the Fund.
1973 þ In resolution 1763 (LIV), the Economic and Social Council defined the
mandate of UNFPA; this mandate was reaffirmed by the Council in its
resolution 1986/7.
1974 þ The third World Population Conference held at Bucharest adopted by
consensus the World Population Plan of Action (WPPA).
þ After discussing the report of the Conference and the results of the
World Population Year, the General Assembly, in resolution 3344 (XXIX),
called upon the Population Commission and other relevant bodies to study
the Plan of Action; requested the Economic and Social Council to pay
particular attention to the monitoring and review and appraisal of the
Plan; invited the Council to continue to provide over-all policy guidance
within the United Nations system on population matters; and requested the
Population Commission to report on the implications of the results of the
Conference, including the implications on the Commission itself.
1975 þ The Population Commission, at its eighteenth session, identified three
main areas in which it could play a leading role: (a) programming of work
and reviewing the progress of work; (b) monitoring of trends and policies;
and (c) review and appraisal of WPPA. The Economic and Social Council, in
resolution 1946 (LVIII) and decision 89 (LVIII), requested the Commission
to examine on a biennial basis the results of the continuous process of
monitoring of population trends and policies and to coordinate the
quinquennial review and appraisal of progress made towards the achievement
of the goals and objectives of the Plan of Action.
1978 þ As part of the restructuring of the economic and social sectors of the
United Nations Secretariat, the responsibility for technical cooperation
were transferred from the Population Division to the Population Branch of
the new Department of Technical Cooperation for Development.
1979 þ ACC established the Ad hoc Inter-agency Working Group on Demographic
Estimates and Projections. Since then, this is the only formal
coordinating mechanism in the field of population that reports to ACC.
1980 þ UNFPA became a member of ACC at the invitation of the General Assembly
in resolution 34/104.
1981 þ The General Assembly, in resolution 36/201, decided to establish the
annual United Nations Population Award. The Executive Director of UNFPA
was designated Secretary of the Committee for the Award.
1984 þ The International Conference on Population was held at Mexico City to
discuss a series of population issues of the highest priority and to
contribute to the review and appraisal of the Plan of Action. The
Population Commission, meeting in open-ended session, was designated as
the intergovernmental preparatory body for the Conference. The Executive
Director of UNFPA was appointed Secretary-General of the Conference and
the Director of the Population Division as the Deputy-Secretary-General.
The Conference was organized jointly by the Department of International
Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat and UNFPA.
The Director-General for Development and International Economic
Cooperation established an interdepartmental Steering Committee for the
Conference in order to provide overall policy guidance. The Conference
reaffirmed the principles and objectives of the World Population Plan of
Action and adopted 88 recommendations for the further implementation of
the Plan; among them, recommendation 83 urged that UNFPA be strengthened
further to ensure the most effective delivery of population assistance.
In resolution 39/228, the General Assembly, endorsed the report of the
Conference and requested the Population Commission to review the results
and implications of the Conference.
þ The Steering Committee for the Conference met several times after the
1984 Conference and made a number of recommendations, subsequently
incorporated in Council resolution 1986/7.
1985 þ The Economic and Social Council, in resolution 1985/4, endorsed the
results of the Conference and requested the Commission to examine also the
monitoring of multilateral population programmes and to prepare reports on
the population activities of the United Nations system as well as on the
work of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in
implementing the Plan of Action.
1986 þ The Economic and Social Council, in resolution 1986/7, invited the
Population Commission to examine periodic reports on the population
activities of UNFPA, other units, bodies and organizations of the United
Nations system, as well as of intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations; it also invited the Population Commission and the Governing
Council of UNDP/UNFPA to exchange information and to submit to each other
the results of their sessions.
1987 þ The General Assembly, in decision 42/430, taking into account decision
1987/175 of the Economic and Social Council, decided to rename UNFPA as
the United Nations Population Fund, but retaining the UNFPA acronym.
þ The Special Commission of the Economic and Social Council on the In-
depth Study of the United Nations Intergovernmental Structure and
Functions in the Economic and Social Fields studied the views and
proposals of the subsidiary bodies of the General Assembly and the
Economic and Social Council in the economic and social sectors. A survey
was made among the members of the Population Commission. Its Chairman
submitted a reply indicating, inter alia, that the Commission should be
regarded as a permanent subsidiary body of the Council and that its
existing mandate should be expanded to include: (a) the coordination of
population activities in the United Nations system; (b) provision to the
UNDP Governing Council of policy guidance on priority population needs;
and (c) explicit reference to the monitoring of population assistance
programmes.
1989 þ The Economic and Social Council, in resolution 1989/91, decided to
convene an international meeting on population in 1994 in order: to
assess the progress made and identify the obstacles encountered in
carrying out the World Population Plan of Action; to create awareness; to
provide guidance; and to adopt a consolidated set of recommendations; it
also designated the Population Commission, meeting in open-ended session,
as the preparatory committee for the 1994 meeting. The Secretary-General
appointed the Executive Director of UNFPA as the Secretary-General of the
1994 meeting and the Director of the Population Division as the Deputy-
Secretary-General.
þ The UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council, in decision 89/46, took note of the
Fund's emphasis and commitment to coordination and inter-agency
cooperation (notably through ACC and the Joint Consultative Group on
Policy) and provided instructions on enhancing the role of the United
Nations resident coordinators.
þ UNFPA finalized a review and assessment of its experience during its
first 20 years of existence and the results were presented to the
UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council and to the General Assembly, and were
published as Population Policies and Programmes: Lessons Learned from Two
Decades of Experience.
þ UNFPA, in cooperation with the Government of the Netherlands, organized
the International Forum on Population in the Twenty-first Century, which
was held at Amsterdam from 6 to 9 November 1989; attended by
representatives from 79 countries, it recommended population goals and
objectives for the coming decade, and estimated a minimum annual cost of
US$ 9 billion in the year 2000 for supporting basic population activities.
The General Assembly, in resolution 44/210, took note with appreciation of
the Amsterdam Declaration on A Better Life for Future Generations, which
was adopted by the Forum.
1991 þ The UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council, in decision 91/37, endorsed the
Country Support Teams (CSTs) approach for successor support-cost
arrangements in assisting UNFPA representatives in providing, coordinating
and managing technical advisory services and technical backstopping.
þ The Economic and Social Council, at the recommendation of the
Preparatory Committee for the 1994 population meeting, at its first
session, decided in its resolution 1991/93, that the meeting should be
called the International Conference on Population and Development and
recommended that the Preparatory Committee for the Conference become a
subsidiary body of the General Assembly. The General Assembly, in its
resolution 48/186, endorsed the decisions adopted by the Council and
decided that the Preparatory Committee for the Conference should become a
subsidiary body of the General Assembly.
1992 þ The General Assembly, in resolution 47/199, stressed that national plans
and priorities constitute the only viable frame of reference for the
national programming of operational activities of the United Nations
system; that a country strategy note should be formulated by interested
recipient Governments with the assistance of and in cooperation with the
United nations system under the leadership of the resident coordinator;
that the funding organizations of the United Nations system, within the
context of the Joint Consultative Group on Policy (JCGP), should harmonize
their programme cycles and to adapt them to national budget cycles, plans
and strategies; and that the separate identities and representation of
funds and programmes at the country level should be ensured in the
framework of a clear and improved division of labour, in accordance with
their mandates.
þ With the creation of the Department of Economic and Social Development,
the Population Branch of the former Department of Technical Cooperation
for Development was merged with the Population Division.
1993 þ The UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council, in decision 93/27, reaffirmed the
continued use of existing criteria and threshold levels in determining
priority status of countries for UNFPA assistance; reviewed the
implementation of the arrangements related to the technical support
systems (TSS), in particular the establishment of UNFPA country support
teams; and encouraged the Executive Director to continue her efforts to
decentralize decision-making to the field.
þ Further restructuring in the economic and social field established the
Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis in
which the Population Division is located.
1994 þ The International Conference on Population and Development to be held in
Cairo, in September, will discuss a draft programme of action which
includes a chapter on the follow-up to the Conference calling for the
adoption of appropriate procedures for evaluating and monitoring the
Programme of Action.