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", No. 16
June 1994
Newsletter of the International Conference on Population and
Development
Cairo, Egypt, 5-13 September 1994
NEWS IN BRIEF
The Commission on Sustainable Development, at its second session,
held in New York from 16-27 May, adopted a decision on changing
consumption and production patterns.
The decision calls on Governments and the private sector to
encourage efficient use of energy and resources, minimize waste,
and reinforce values that support sustainable consumption and
production. Governments are urged to consider using pricing policy
to internalize the costs of risk and damage to the environment. The
UN Secretary-General is requested to prepare an analytical report
on the use of economic instruments and other policy measures to
change consumption patterns in developing countries.
The Commission was established to facilitate implementation of
Agenda 21, the programme of action adopted at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development. Thirteen other decisions
were adopted on issues of finance, trade and technology.
*
ICPD Secretary-General Dr. Nafis Sadik participated in a lively
panel discussion held 27 May in connection with the Commission on
Sustainable Development's session, on the topic of Women and
Sustainable Development. Other panellists were: Nancy Barry,
President, Women's World Banking; Sheila Copps, Canada's Minister
for the Environment; Elizabeth Dowdeswell, UN Under-Secretary
General and Director of the UN Environment Programme; and Chief
Bisi Ogunleye of Nigeria.
In her remarks, Dr. Sadik emphasized that the reproductive
role of women is closely linked to the environment and development.
"The Programme of Action of ICPD," she noted, "is based on the
recognition that the empowerment of women is essential for both the
individual and broader development goals, and that their education,
protection from discrimination and violence, and equitable
participation in the decision-making process should be ensured."
*
A strong statement on reproductive rights, women's health and
maternal mortality was adopted in a 27 May ceremony in Cusco, Peru.
The Inka Declaration on Reproductive Rights had 50 signers,
including the Government of Peru's Inka Region (encompassing seven
provinces), the Municipality of Cusco and a number of non-
governmental organizations.
*
"Funding the Future: Resources for Adolescent Health Programs in
Developing Countries", has been updated and expanded. The
publication is issued by Advocates for Youth (formerly the Center
for Population Options), a Washington-based NGO (1025 Vermont Ave.,
N.W., Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20005, USA). It lists
organizations that provide direct or indirect financial or
technical assistance to developing country programmes in adolescent
health. The cost is $9.60 including postage and handling.
*
The recently concluded World Health Assembly in Geneva received a
report by the Director-General of the World Health Organization,
describing WHO's contributions to the ICPD preparatory process.
These include: a policy paper reviewing the organization's
activities in the area of health, population and development;
participation in ICPD expert group meetings; discussion of
Conference objectives in meetings at all levels; establishment of
a new unit to emphasize the interaction between health and family
planning; special issues of "World Health" magazine and "World
Health Statistics Quarterly" devoted to Conference themes; regional
position papers, pamphlets and reference papers; and an
international symposium on contraceptive research and development,
organized jointly with the Government of Mexico.
*
Two prominent U.S. scientists have warned of "looming shortages of
food" unless population growth eases and agricultural production
improves significantly.
In a report sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists and
published in "Ambio", environmental journal of the Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences, Professor Henry Kendall of Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, a Nobel laureate in physics, and David
Pimentel, Cornell University professor of insect ecology and
agricultural sciences, examine three scenarios for population
growth and food supply. After considering the prospects for
expanding the use of irrigation, fertilizer, pesticides and
biotechnology to improve yields, they conclude that a significant
reduction in world per capita food production is likely by 2050.
Only in the most optimistic scenario, if population growth
stabilizes relatively rapidly and reaches 7.8 billion in 2050, is
an adequate level of food production conceivable, they write. But
this "would require a near doubling of today's production" through
"a highly organized global effort -- by both the developed and
developing countries -- that has no historic precedent".
*
Population programmes must have a higher priority in national
budgets, Margaret Catley-Carlson, President of The Population
Council, testified 7 June at the World Hearings on Development,
held at UN Headquarters in connection with the Secretary-General's
recently released report, "An Agenda for Development".
The amounts required are small compared to military
expenditures; devoting only 2 per cent of official development
assistance to population could fund most needs, she added.
Resources should be focused on meeting women's unmet needs for
contraception. Each country's level of development, the status of
women, reductions in infant mortality, contraceptive use, and
fertility are all closely related, she stated. All "must be part of
the global agenda."
***
For printed or electronic copies of the "ICPD 94" newsletter, in
English, French or Spanish, or further information, please
contact:
ICPD Secretariat 220 E. 42nd Street, 22nd floor
New York, N.Y. 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 297-5244/5245
Media contact: (212) 297-5023/5030 or 5279
Fax: (212) 297-5250
E-mail: ryanw@unfpa.org or icpd@igc.apc.org
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