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ECOSOC Resolution

Economic and Social Council Resolution 1991/93
International Conference on Population and Development



The Economic and Social Council,



Recalling General Assembly resolutions 3344 (XXIX) of 17 December 1914 on 

the United Nations World Population Conference, 37/14 B of 16 November 1982 

on Secretariat organization for United Nations special conferences, 39/228 

of 18 December 1984 on the International Conference on Population, 44/210. 

of 22 December 1989 on future needs in the field of population, including 

the development of resource requirements for international population 

assistance, S-18/3 of I May 1990, containing the Declaration on 

International Economic Cooperation, in particular the Revitalization of 

Economic Growth and Development of the Developing Countries, 45/199 of 21 

December 1990, containing the International Development Strategy for the 

Fourth United Nations Development Decade, 4S1206 of 21 December 1990 on the 

implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries 

for the 1990s and 45/216 of 21 December 1990 on population and development



Recalling also its resolution 1989/91 of 26 July 1989, in which it decided 

to convene an international meeting on population in 1994, under the 

auspices of the United Nations



Noting with satisfaction the appointment of the Executive Director of the 

United Nations Population Fund as Secretary-General of the 1994 

international meeting on population and of the Director of the Population 

Division of the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs as 

the Deputy Secretary-General of the meeting



Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on preparations for a 

1994 intentional meeting on population 1/ and the progress made in the 

preparations for the meeting



Emphasizing the national sovereignty of all countries in formulating, 

adopting and Implementing their population policies, mindful of their 

culture, values and traditions, as well as of their social, economic and 

political conditions, and consistent with human rights and with the 

responsibilities of individuals, couples and families,



1. Decides that the meeting should henceforth be called the International 

Conference on Population and Development



2. Invites the Secretary-General of the Conference and all concerned organs, 

organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, in carrying out the 

preparatory activities of the Conference, to draw on the guidelines provided 

in the Declaration on International Economic Cooperation, in the 

Revitalization of Economic Growth and Development of the Developing 

Countries, 2/ and the International Development Strategy for the Fourth 

United Nations Development Decade, 3/ as well as on the results of the 

Second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, 4/ the 

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and the 

International Forum on Population in the Twenty-first Century, 5/ and to 

draw on other recent major intergovernmental instruments and meetings;



3. Decides that the objectives of the Conference should be:

(a) To contribute to the review and appraisal of the progress made h1 

reaching the objectives goals and recommendations of the World Population 

Plan of Action 6/ and to identify the obstacles encountered;

(b) To identify instruments and mechanisms in order to ensure the 

operational implementation of the recommendations

(c) To maintain and strengthen the level of awareness of population issues 

on the international agenda and their linkage to development

(d) To consider the desired focus of intensified action at the global, 

regional and national levels, as well as all necessary ways and means of 

treating population issues in their proper development perspective during 

the forthcoming decade and beyond

(e) To adopt a set of recommendations for the next decade in order to 

respond to the population and development issues of high priority identified 

in paragraph 4 below;

(f) To enhance the mobilization of resources needed, especially in 

developing countries, for the implementation of the results of the 

Conference, resources should be mobilized at the international and national 

levels by each country according to its capacity



4 Emphasizes that population, sustained economic  growth and sustainable 

development will be the overall theme of the Conference and identifies 

within that theme the following groups of issues, which are not listed in 

any order of priority, as those requiring the greatest attention, during the 

forthcoming decade, from the international community and from the 

Conference:

(a) Population growth, changes in demographic structure, including ageing of 

population, and the regional diversity of such changes, with particular 

emphasis on the interaction between demographic variables and socio-economic 

development;

(b) Population policies and programmes, with emphasis on the mobilization of 

resources for developing countries, at the international and national levels 

by each country according to its capacity-

(c) The interrelationships between population, development environment and 

related matters

(d) Changes in the distribution of population, including socio-economic 

determinants of internal migration and the consequences for urban and rural 

development, as well as determinants and consequences of all types of 

international migration

e Linkages between enhancing the roles and socio-economic stab of women and 

population dynamics, including adolescent motherhood maternal and child 

health, education and employment, with particular reference to the access of 

women to resources and the provision of services;

(f) Family-planning programmes, health and family well-being; 5. Stresses 

the need, in connection with foregoing issues, to take account of the 

particular circumstances of the least developed countries-



6. Authorizes the Secretary-General of the Conference to convene s: expert 

group meetings corresponding to the six groups of issues identified in 

paragraph 4 above, in order to provide the required input for consideration 

by the Conference, ensuring the participation of a full range of relevant 

disciplines and or geographical regions



7. Requests the Director-General for Development and International Economic 

Cooperation to provide overall guidance, orientation u coordination of the 

input from the appropriate secretariats of the United Nations system to the 

preparatory activities of the Conference



8. Requests the Secretary-General of the Conference to make use of the 

substantive contribution of all organs, organizations and bodies of the U 

system concerned, as well as of intergovernmental and non-government 

organizations, in the preparatory activities for the Conference-



9. Also requests the Secretary-General of the Conference to make full use of 

the existing resources of all units of the United Nations system concerned, 

in particular the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs 

and the United Nations Population Fund;



10. Invites the regional commissions to convene as soon as possible meetings 

or conferences to review the experience gained in population policies and 

programmes in their regions, in the light of paragraphs 3 and 4 above, 

bearing in mind the relationship between such policies and programmes and 

development issues, and to propose future action, as part of their 

contribution to the preparatory activities for the Conference-



11. Requests the Secretary-General of the Conference to report to the 

Economic and Social Council at its regular sessions of 1992, 1993 and 1994 

on the progress made in all aspects of the preparatory activities for the 

Conference



12. Also requests the Secretary-General of the Conference to report to the 

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development on the status of 

the preparations for the International Conference on Population and 

Development;



13. Decides, in principle, to hold the second session of the Preparatory 

Committee in August 1993, immediately following the rescheduled 

twenty-seventh session of the Population Commission, to review the state of 

the preparatory work, including the reports of the expert groups on their 

meetings;



14. Also decides, in principle, to hold the third session of the Preparatory 

Committee early in 1994 to review the documentation for the Conference, 

including the draft recommendations



15. Recommends that the General Assembly consider establishing a voluntary 

fund for the purpose of supporting the developing countries, in particular 

the least developed among them, in participating fully and effectively in 

the Conference and its preparatory process and that it invite Governments to 

contribute to such a fund



16. Requests the Conference to report to the Economic and Social Council and 

to the General Assembly.



32nd plenary meeting, 26 July 1991



1/ E/l 991/5.

2/ general Assembly resolution S-18/3. 

3/ General Assembly resolution 45/199. 

4/ A /45/695.

5/ See Report of the International Forum on population in the Twenty-first 

Century, Amsterdam the Netherlands 6-9 November l 989 (New York, UNFPA, 

1989) 

6/ Report of the United Nations ~=~

19i4 United Nations publication, Sales No. E. 75.XIIL3), chap. 1.






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