UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)
|
| UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) |
|
"ICPD 94"
January 1994
Number 11
Newsletter of the International Conference on Population and
Development, Cairo, Egypt, 5-13 September 1994
ROUND TABLE EXPLORES POPULATION-ENVIRONMENT LINKS
The linkages between population, environment, and sustainable
development were the subject of a round table held in Geneva from
24-26 November 1993. The meeting, part of the ICPD preparatory
process, was organized by the International Academy of the
Environment, Geneva (IAE), in collaboration with the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA), with support from the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Government of Switzerland.
IAE Director Professor Bernard Giovannini welcomed
participants. Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of UNFPA and
Secretary-General of ICPD, then addressed the round table. She
stressed the potential impact on the environment of the current
unprecedented population growth rates. The issue of consumption is
equally important and must also be addressed with vigour, she
stated.
It is time to go from research to the formulation and
implementation of policies in the population/environment field, Dr.
Sadik added. She said she expected the recommendations of the round
table to be a valuable contribution to the ICPD preparatory
process.
The 35 or so participating experts from around the world took
as the starting point of their discussion five regional ecosystems
where environmental degradation and resource depletion are serious,
and where poverty and population pressures appear to be
contributing factors.
The Round Table on Population, Environment and Sustainable
Development in the Post-UNCED Period endorsed the principles and
guidelines for action embodied in the Rio Declaration and Agenda
21, both adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED). The meeting highlighted
certain recommendations as most pertinent to restoring a balance
between population, the environment and resources in the context of
sustainable development.
A set of recommendations was adopted for action by
international and regional organizations, national Governments,
local communities and non-governmental organizations.
A central recommendation refers to the need to place
population at the centre of development, environment and education
policies at all levels. The need to make family planning
universally available is stressed, as is the importance of
income-generation and employment opportunities for the poor.
Sectoral recommendations address food production and demand,
and the need to preserve forests, biological diversity, coastal and
marine resources, and fresh water supplies.
Institutional recommendations emphasize the emancipation of
women, building institutional capacity, and the need to reexamine
laws pertaining to land ownership and education.
The final recommendation addresses resource mobilization and
the need for innovative approaches to the provision of financial
assistance and technological cooperation.