[on the report of the Second Committee (A/52/628/Add.3)]

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 49/128 of 19 December 1994, 50/124 of 20 December 1995 and 51/176 of 16 December 1996 on the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development,¹

Taking note of Economic and Social Council resolution 1997/42 of 22 July 1997, in which the Council recommended that the General Assembly, at its fifty-second session, decide on the process and modalities, including the possibility of convening a special session of the Assembly in 1999, for reviewing and appraising the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development,

Stressing the need to pursue further the implementation of the Programme of Action and for Governments to recommit themselves at the highest political level to achieving its goals and objectives,

Recognizing the important contributions made by actors of civil society, particularly non-governmental organizations, to the Conference, its follow-up and the implementation of its Programme of Action,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General concerning the process and modalities for the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development;²

2. Decides to convene a special session for a duration of three days from 30 June to 2 July 1999, at the highest possible level of participation, in order to review and appraise the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development;

3. Reaffirms that the special session for the overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action will be undertaken on the basis of and with full respect for the Programme of Action, and that there will be no renegotiation of the existing agreements contained therein;

4. Welcomes the operational review of the implementation of the Programme of Action to be undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations Population Fund, in cooperation with all relevant organizations of the United Nations system and other relevant international organizations, and notes that the report and outcome of the international forum in 1999 will be submitted to the Commission on Population and Development at its thirty-second session and to the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund;

5. Decides that the Commission on Population and Development, which is currently scheduled to consider at its thirty-second session a comprehensive report of the Secretary-General on the outcome of the quinquennial review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action, should serve as the preparatory body for the final preparations for the special session for the overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action, reporting through the Economic and Social Council, and in that regard notes that the comprehensive report of the Secretary-General should also contain an overall assessment of the progress achieved and constraints faced in the implementation of the Programme of Action, as well as recommendations for future action;

6. Encourages Governments to undertake reviews of the progress achieved and the constraints faced therein in the implementation of the Programme of Action at all levels, particularly at the national level and at the level of international cooperation, with a view to contributing to the preparations for the special session;

7. Invites Governments of developed and developing countries to provide information in order to establish a useful factual basis for the review of the mobilization of resources made available - bilateral, multilateral and domestic - for population and development activities with a view to strengthening the implementation of the Programme of Action;

8. Decides that the thirty-second session of the Commission on Population and Development shall be open-ended to allow the full participation of all States;

9. Invites all other relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to contribute as appropriate to the special session as well as to its preparation;

10. Decides to invite States members of the specialized agencies that are not members of the United Nations to participate in the work of the special session in the capacity of observers;

11. Stresses the need for the effective participation of actors of civil society, particularly non-governmental organizations, in preparation for the special session, as well as the need to ensure appropriate arrangements, taking into account the practice and experience gained at the International Conference on Population and Development, for their substantive contributions to and active involvement in the preparatory meetings and the special session, and in that context invites the President of the General Assembly, in consultation with Member States, to propose to Member States appropriate modalities for their effective involvement in the special session;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session a progress report on the preparations for the special session;

13. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session a sub-item entitled "Implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development".