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) |
|
***********************************************************************
This document has been prepared by the Secretariat of the United Nations
Inter-Agency Task Force on the Implementation of the ICPD Programme of
Action. For further information please contact the United Nations
Population Fund, Task Force on ICPD Implementation, 220 East 42nd Street,
New York, NY 10017 USA, or send E-mail to: pierce@unfpa.org
***********************************************************************
Report of the Second Meeting of the ICPD Inter-Agency
Task Force on the Implementation
of the ICPD Programme of Action
25 July 1995
UNFPA Headquarters
New York, NY
1. The Second Meeting of the ICPD Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF)
took place on 25 July 1995, at the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) Headquarters in New York. Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive
Director, UNFPA and Chairman of the Task Force presided over the
initial sessions and the closing segment of the meeting. Mr. Jyoti
Shankar Singh, Deputy Executive Director (Technical Services),
UNFPA, who had served as Executive Coordinator of the ICPD,
presided over the rest of the meeting.
2. The agenda and list of participants are attached to this
report.
Agenda Items I and II: Welcome and Adoption of the Agenda
3. Dr. Nafis Sadik opened the Second Meeting of the ICPD Inter-
Agency Task Force by welcoming the participants. She noted that
the work of the IATF had evoked positive comments from various
sources, including the recent session of the Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) and had generated "great expectations" concerning
the follow-up to the ICPD Programme of Action. She added that the
Secretary-General was also aware of and appreciated the work of the
IATF. The agenda was adopted as presented.
4. Dr. Sadik congratulated the members of the IATF on the
impressive body of work that had been produced since the first IATF
meeting on 13 December 1994, and commended the Task Force for the
speed with which this had been accomplished. While the guidelines
from each group varied, all were user-friendly and instructive.
She noted that the format of the Guidelines on Reproductive Health
clearly illustrated how the Resident Coordinator System could help
to operationalize programmes in the field. She also suggested that
the reproductive health dimension be included in the Guidelines on
Tracking Child and Maternal Mortality.
5. Dr. Sadik reiterated that the main purpose of the guidelines
was to provide advice to the field and, in particular, to the
Resident Coordinator to guide the operationalization of the
Programme of Action and the follow-up to other UN conferences in
the social sector. These were not meant as technical sectoral
guidelines. She observed that the Resident Coordinator should not
be expected to be an expert in the technical areas covered by the
guidelines, however, the five sets of guidelines should provide the
Resident Coordinator with guidance and a sound basis for:
developing dialogue with the Government; assisting the Government
in working in a particular sectoral area; and developing networks
and partnerships that include non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
and other groups. Dr. Sadik added that bilateral agencies were
also keenly interested in sharing the guidelines and in being part
of the process in ways that would facilitate their own work at the
country-level. She emphasized that each set of guidelines should
be accompanied by a short bibliography listing key documents and
relevant audio-visual materials. Additionally, the Resident
Coordinator should be provided with a list of experts who could be
drawn on as needed. Dr. Sadik urged all the lead-agencies to
collect these materials so that they could be sent to the field.
6. Dr. Sadik emphasized the need for improving data collection
and analysis at the country level. She noted that data systems
should help monitor the progress in achieving ICPD goals, as well
as, the impact of programmes and should guide the formulation of
future programmes.
7. Dr. Sadik stated that the Administrative Committee on
Coordination (ACC) had recognized the ICPD IATF with UNFPA as the
lead-agency. The work of the IATF would be reported on to the ACC.
Also under consideration by ECOSOC was a proposal for the
Secretary-General to report on the work of the IATF. Dr. Sadik
invited the participants to discuss, during the course of the
meeting, the appropriate format and time-table for the report. Dr.
Sadik noted that with regard to the IATF report to the Commission
on Population and Development we would need to discuss and define
its focus and content. She added that the theme of the 1996 report
was reproductive health.
8. Noting that she had received requests from several NGOs and
inter-governmental organizations to participate in the IATF, Dr.
Sadik observed that it would be very useful to have this parti-
cipation at the country-level. However, the IATF itself should not
be expanded to a point where it becomes unwieldy.
9. With regard to the future of the IATF and the Working Groups,
Dr. Sadik noted that the Working Groups had been established for
the specific purpose of producing the guidelines and once this had
been accomplished they would not continue. If necessary, ad-hoc
meetings could be convened. Dr. Sadik added that it was important
to keep alive the momentum, interest and attention that had been
generated by the IATF. At the same time, it was necessary to
ensure ways and means for receiving and acting on views and
comments received on the guidelines and the work of the IATF in
general.
10. Dr. Sadik concluded by once again commending the work achieved
by the IATF. She expressed the hope that the discussions would be
constructive and fruitful and that the Task Force would be able to
finalize the guidelines. She thanked the member agencies for their
participation and invited questions and comments.
11. During the ensuing discussion the representative of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) inquired about the relationship
of the IATF to the Consultative Committee on Programme and
Operational Questions (CCPOQ). Dr. Sadik noted that she had agreed
to provide a report on the IATF to the next meeting of the CCPOQ
for its consideration, however, in the meantime the work of the
IATF should continue and not be delayed in any way. The CCPOQ had
agreed to this. Dr. Sadik added that since most of the IATF
members also belonged to the CCPOQ they should advise their repre-
sentatives of this.
12. The representative of the Economic Commission for Europe
(ECE), on behalf of the five regional economic commissions of the
UN, noted that it would be useful to include the linkages between
the regional framework and country programming.
13. The meeting then turned to the next agenda item, a review of
the activities of the five IATF Working Groups.
Agenda Item III: Review of the Working Group Reports and Guidelines
Working Group on Women's Empowerment (Lead agency: UNIFEM)
14. Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, Director of the United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM), gave a short introduction on the work of
the Working Group on Women's Empowerment which had met on 16 May
1995. She noted that ICPD was seen by many women as a key
conference on women's empowerment. She defined women's empowerment
as consisting of five components, namely, women's sense of self-
worth; the right to have choices; the right to have access to
opportunities and resources; the right to have the power to control
their own lives; and the ability to influence the direction of
social change.
15. The draft Guidelines on Women's Empowerment for the Resident
Coordinator System contained strategies to address and opera-
tionalize this concept. Ms. Heyzer stressed the importance of the
guidelines in providing legitimacy at the country level to the need
for empowering women. The guidelines also underscored the need for
multi-donor coordination and the desirability to bring civil
society and governments together in addressing this issue. Most
importantly, the guidelines were aimed at facilitating the creation
of gender-sensitive development policies by encouraging the
Resident Coordinators to play a key role in coordinating multi-
disciplinary national-level data-gathering. Ms. Heyzer also
explained that the guidelines placed much attention to the need for
training in gender analysis and gender-sensitive development
planning.
16. The issue of reproductive health was also addressed in the
Guidelines on Women's Empowerment. The guidelines stress that the
Resident Coordinators' intervention in this area should be guided
by adhering to several key principles: a woman's right and social
responsibility to decide whether, when and how many children to
have; reproductive health issues should be considered an integral
part of everyday life; women have the right to autonomy and
reproductive choice and reproductive rights; and women have the
right to make their own fertility regulating decisions. The goal
of an empowered reproductive health programme should be to increase
womenžs control over their bodies, their sexuality and ultimately
their lives. The guidelines further addressed the issues of culture
and tradition, violence against women, the role of the Convention
on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) as a
legal framework for action at the country level, the importance of
women NGOs and the need for strengthening their capacity.
17. Thanking Ms. Heyzer for her presentation, the Chairman opened
the discussion by suggesting to include in these guidelines the
need to identify knowledge and research gaps and to set up a
research agenda in this field at regional and global levels. She
further suggested to avoid instructing Resident Coordinators as to
what they should do. It is up to the United Nations system, not the
guidelines, to instruct the Resident Coordinator on what he/she
should do. It was further pointed out that an annex to the
guidelines, summarizing the activities of different organizations
in this area, should be added.
18. The representative of the ECE suggested that the Resident
Coordinators include all organizations active at the country level
in this field in the process of coordination, such as the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and
the European Union (EU). The Resident Coordinators should further
make use of the regional frameworks for follow-up activities to
ICPD. Gender issues should also be an integral part of the Country
Strategy Notes (CSNs). The Chairman noted that the guidelines will
be accompanied by an introductory note on how to use the guide-
lines, including the involvement of non-UN organizations. This note
would draw the attention of the Resident Coordinators to involving
regional organizations.
19. The representative of the United Nations Department for Policy
Coordination and Sustainable Development (DPCSD) informed the
participants of the comments she received from the Division for the
Advancement of Women. These comments would be submitted to UNIFEM.
She noted that the guidelines should place more emphasis on the
need to create economic opportunities for women, as well as the
role of men in womenžs empowerment. The Resident Coordinators
should also be encouraged to communicate the issue of womenžs
empowerment in their contacts with government officials and
representatives of UN agencies and organizations.
20. The representative of the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) emphasized creating economic opportunities for women in terms
of income generation. He further commented on the need for lifelong
training, in addition to lifelong education, to be included in the
paragraph on education. He also promised to submit some factual
comments on the report of the Working Group to the secretariat of
the IATF. One of the representatives of the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) shared the view that gender training
was important and that gender issues needed to be included in the
CSNs.
21. The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO)
welcomed the emphasis in the guidelines on gender training. She
felt that the guidelines should not target women exclusively but
should also emphasize the importance of an enabling environment for
empowering women and focus on the roles and responsibilities of
men, particularly young men. The World Bank representative
suggested that some clarification be included in the guidelines on
how to make effective use of the comparative advantages of the
different United Nations agencies and organizations. The repre-
sentative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) stated that the introductory note to
the guidelines should include reference to the role of culture and
tradition.
22. The Chairman concluded the discussions on the Guidelines on
Women's Empowerment by reiterating the decisions made on the
follow-up procedure, namely that the set of guidelines would be
accompanied by a general introductory note which would explain
their purpose and underscore common dimensions.
Working Group on a Common Data System (Lead agency: UNICEF)
23. Ms. Tessa Wardlaw, Project Officer, Statistics and Monitoring,
Planning Office, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), gave a
brief introduction on the work of the Working Group on a Common
Approach to National Capacity Building in Tracking Child and
Maternal Mortality. She explained that the Working Group parti-
cipants had decided to focus on developing a common approach to
tracking child and maternal mortality. The larger task of deve-
loping a common data system would be taken up by the ACC Sub-
committee on Statistics.
24. The guidelines were divided into two parts: child mortality
and maternal mortality. She explained that the focus on child
mortality was chosen because of the huge numbers (12 million or
more deaths of children under five years of age) and the fact that
under-five mortality measures are a key indicator for human deve-
lopment and well-being. To track child mortality, the guidelines
proposed a three-step approach: (1) determine what country level
child mortality data are available; (2) determine a reasonable set
of child mortality estimates over time; (3) fill data gaps.
25. Maternal mortality, on the other hand, was a rare event. Also,
maternal deaths were often not reported, or when they were, they
were not correctly classified as maternal deaths. As a result, most
maternal mortality measurements were under-estimates. Also, the
progress in achieving the ICPD goals needed to be measured against
the 1990 baseline data, but in many countries there was no baseline
data on maternal mortality. The guidelines draw attention to
measurement problems, so that Resident Coordinators are aware of
the limited value of the existing data. Ms. Wardlaw pointed out
that an important alternative to measure maternal mortality with
conventional methods was to monitor the processes which lead to
reductions in maternal mortality, such as access to emergency
obstetric care. UNICEF and WHO had developed process indicators,
but more field testing was required.
26. The Chairman thanked Ms. Wardlaw for her presentation and
opened the floor for discussion.
27. The Director of the United Nations Statistical Division began
the discussion by reminding the participants that with regard to
the development of a common data system, the ACC Subcommittee on
Statistics could play a coordinating role. Further he offered that
DESIPA would prepare a proposal that would elaborate common
approaches to data collection and presentation including, for
example, development of more explicit guidelines to countries not
only for monitoring mortality but social goal indicators more
generally such as those to be developed on reproductive health. In
the meantime, the guidelines on a Common Approach to National
Capacity Building in Tracking Child and Maternal Mortality should
be issued.
28. The representative of the World Bank expressed the Bank's
support for a common approach. He noted that the Bank had decided
to discontinue its own population projections as of the beginning
of this year and to use the data of the Population Division. With
regard to the guidelines, he suggested that the guidelines should
stress the need for the timely collection and analysis of data and
the explicit identification of their sources. The representative
of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
complimented UNICEF for the excellent guidelines. He stated,
however, that the guidelines were too focussed on monitoring and
less so on the importance of data collection for policy purposes.
The UNICEF representative replied that it was definitely the
intention to emphasize the link between data and policy-making.
29. The WHO representative reminded the participants of Dr.
Sadik's statement on the need to set in motion a system to get the
information the UN agencies and organizations need for policy and
programming. She also suggested that this Working Group continue
working on the development of alternative indicators and methodo-
logies, including those on reproductive health. The Chairman then
concluded that the participants were in favour of setting up a
smaller working group with representatives of UNICEF, UNFPA, the UN
Statistical Division, WHO, and other interested organizations. The
UN Statistical Division would take the lead and submit a proposal
on how to proceed.
30. All participants agreed that in the meantime the current
guidelines should be finalized and sent to the Resident Coor-
dinators, while further work is being carried out on a common
approach to data collection and analysis. The representative of
the ECE expressed the hope that problems in measurement would not
lead to discontinuation of ongoing activities in data collection,
particularly at the regional level. The guidelines should
encourage Resident Coordinators to continue current work in this
area.
Working Group on Basic Education (Lead agency: UNESCO)
31. The Chairman invited Mr. Gustavo Lopez Ospina, the
representative of UNESCO, to present the Guidelines on Basic
Education. UNESCO served as the lead-agency for the Working Group
on Basic Education.
32. Mr. Lopez Ospina noted that in formulating the Guidelines on
Basic Education one key contextual element for the Working Group
was the World Conference on Education for All (Jomtien, Thailand,
1990). The Working Group had emphasized the need to incorporate
open learning outside the school setting. It underscored that
opportunities for learning must be offered to those who had never
been to school as well as a second chance to those who had dropped
out. Such an approach would have a special impact on women who
constituted 60 per cent of the world's illiterates. The guidelines
highlight the fundamental elements of Basic Education; present
strategies for programme implementation; suggest the types of
resources available; indicate sources of technical assistance;
emphasize the use of data; and suggest how momentum may be
generated and institutions mobilized. The guidelines also
emphasize the need for good data, an effective strategy and timely
action. The Working Group had stressed that the guidelines for
Resident Coordinators be clear, concise and available in the
appropriate language.
33. The UNESCO representative added that the guidelines currently
provided a brief background on Basic Education and outlined a
strategy for coordination. The guidelines also underscored that
under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator, the inter-agency
group could serve as a strong catalyst for change at the country
level. In addition, they noted the need to eliminate gender
disparities in education; and to encourage partnerships amongst
Government, NGOs, UN agencies and civil society in an effort to
make "education for all the business of all".
34. During the discussion that ensued, the UNIFEM representative
noted that paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Guidelines on Basic Education
were very useful and had been incorporated into the Guidelines on
Women's Empowerment. She suggested that the paragraphs could be
incorporated in the other sets of guidelines as well.
35. UNDP and UNICEF representatives observed that the guidelines
needed to have a greater focus on gender disparities in basic
education and the need to eliminate those disparities since the
elimination of gender disparities was a key objective. Several
other participants concurred with this view. One participant
suggested that the gender dimension should be added to the
principal sections of the guidelines.
36. The Chairman noted that the goal set by ICPD takes the
"Education for All" concept further and emphasizes the need to
dispel gender disparities. He added that the Guidelines on Basic
Education would be amended as suggested and that the two annexes
under preparation would shortly be completed.
37. The representative of the IATF Secretariat informed the
meeting that the Guidelines on Basic Education had been sent for
review to Resident Coordinators in ten countries and replies had
been received from three Resident Coordinators (Ghana, Morocco and
Sudan). These Resident Coordinators noted that the guidelines
served a very useful purpose in providing insights into key issues;
one expressed the need for more details on how to proceed on
specific issues. The Chairman then invited the representative of
WHO to introduce the Guidelines on Reproductive Health.
Working Group on Reproductive Health (Lead agency: WHO)
38. Ms. Carla AbouZahr, the WHO representative, noted that the
Working Group on Reproductive Health held its meeting on 29 June
1995 at WHO Headquarters in Geneva. She observed that the
Guidelines on Reproductive Health were developed on the basis of
the Working Group discussion with a thematic focus on "what is new"
and "what is different" with regard to the concept of reproductive
health. The WHO representative stated that the guidelines were
divided into two parts: (1) Key Facts about Reproductive Health;
and (2) Key Actions for the Resident Coordinator System to Improve
Reproductive Health. Noting that reproductive health is a crucial
part of general health and impacts all stages of life, the WHO
representative underscored that reproductive health does not start
out from a list of diseases, problems or programmes. The aim of
interventions is reproductive health and rights rather than
population policies and fertility control. She highlighted the
involvement of people (including women, adolescents and other
marginalized groups such as refugees and migrants) as being a key
element in defining reproductive health concerns and responses and
stated that this marked a new approach.
39. The guidelines point out that each country must define its own
reproductive health programme in light of its own needs and
priorities in this area. The reproductive health programme should
be the product of and should derive from a local "bottom-up"
process. Reproductive health priorities need to be defined through
a participatory process at the national level. She stressed the
need to clarify that reproductive health is not just a bio-medical
issue but is determined by a whole series of structures and
relationships -- social, economic, legal, civil and sexual.
Clearly, women bear the greatest burden of reproductive ill-health.
Also, young people of both sexes are particularly vulnerable to
reproductive health problems because of a lack of information and
access to services. The WHO representative noted that the
reproductive health concept had major human resource implications.
Also, there is a clear need to define and develop better indicators
for monitoring and evaluation, particularly of quality concerns. It
should also be emphasized that data collection is a means to an end
and not and end in itself. She concluded by mentioning the key
actions for the Resident Coordinator System that were outlined in
Part II of the guidelines.
40. During the discussion that followed, the representative of the
World Bank complimented WHO on its leadership role in producing
clear guidelines in a timely fashion. He suggested the following
revisions: (1) delete the word "must" from the sub-heading of item
5; and (2) rephrase the second sentence in the first paragraph
under item 8, so as to avoid any negative connotation in the use
of the word "experts". The representative added that item 10,
Monitoring and Evaluation is very important and needs to be
developed further. He emphasized the need to develop surveillance
systems that utilize performance-based/operational measures and
move away from population-based measures.
41. Mr. Eduardo Gutierrez, Director, Office of UN System Support
Services, UNDP, stated that he was very pleased to note the kind of
discussion that was taking place as well as the nature and scope of
the guidelines that had been developed. The clear focus on speci-
fics is ultimately what is most useful to the Resident Coordinators
and their teams. He added that it would be helpful to include the
following information in the guidelines: (1) Availability of
Resources -- the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board at its recent session
had approved the use of 1.7 per cent of overall resources
(approximately US $18 million per year) by the Resident Coordinator
System; (2) Regional dimension -- in an effort to integrate the
follow-up to various UN conferences, several proposals were under
consideration. A major debate on development was scheduled to take
place in the near future and the main actors had indicated a clear
willingness for synthesizing and integrating the outcomes of
various UN conferences. It was also important to bear in mind
Chapter III of the Agenda for Development, as well as, the upcoming
triennial review of operational activities. Clearly, all this
would have implications for the Resident Coordinator System and the
guidelines should signal that changes would take place as a result
of the effort to integrate the follow-up process; and (3) Training
-- it is essential to think of ways and means to include the
guidelines in the training offered to Resident
Coordinators. The UNDP representative concluded by noting that it
would also be useful to select a few Resident Coordinators and have
them review and provide feedback on the guidelines. He observed
that perhaps this could be done in Beijing at the time of the
Women's Conference.
42. The Chairman thanked Mr. Gutierrez for the useful information
he had provided and noted that some of it could be incorporated in
the introductory note to the guidelines.
43. The other UNDP representative noted that it would be useful to
indicate in the guidelines that the reproductive health concept was
new and would evolve and be further elaborated over time. She
added that the Working Group should orchestrate an information
exchange amongst countries on how the ICPD Programme of Action was
being operationalized. She also stressed the need to further
develop Part II of the guidelines and, in this context, underlined
the need for greater emphasis on national capacity building.
44. The representative of FAO observed that item 9 "human re-
sources for reproductive health" should be developed further. In
particular, training needs should be outlined. Also, the issue of
training should be included under the item on Monitoring and Eva-
luation.
45. The representative of the ECE commended the format of the
Guidelines on Reproductive Health and suggested that the same
format be followed in the other sets of guidelines. She added that
the need for regional coordination could be highlighted in part II,
section 6 of the guidelines. The ECE representative agreed with
the suggestions made by the UNDP representative and noted that
perhaps the guidelines should underscore the need for Resident
Coordinators to seek co-financing and cost-sharing for programme
operationalization. She observed that this may be especially
necessary in countries where Governments may not be keen to promote
reproductive health.
46. The WHO representative expressed her appreciation for the
comments made and noted that they would help to strengthen the
guidelines. She welcomed further comments and noted that WHO would
need about three weeks to finalize the Guidelines on Reproductive
Health.
47. The Chairman agreed that this schedule was appropriate and
noted that the annexes to the guidelines should also be completed
in the same time-period. IATF members were asked to submit their
comments to WHO within two weeks. The Chairman then closed the
discussion on the Guidelines on Reproductive Health.
Agenda Item IV: Review of the Common Advocacy Statement on Social
Issues
Working Group on Policy-Related Issues (Lead agency: UNFPA)
48. Mr. Michael Vlassoff, Senior Technical Officer, Technical and
Evaluation Division, UNFPA, introduced the work of the Working
Group on Policy-Related Issues. He explained that the Working
Group had decided to address the "common advocacy" concern by
drawing up a Statement of Commitment that would then be issued by
all agencies and organizations involved in the IATF. The aim of
such a statement would be to ensure that all UN agencies and
organizations use the same language regarding population and
development issues. The "Statement of Commitment on Population and
Development by the United Nations System", drafted by the Working
Group, is divided into three sections: a general introduction
stressing the commitment by the UN agencies and organizations to
implement ICPD; a section on the linkages between population issues
and other development issues; and a concluding section calling for
global partnership in addressing these interrelated issues.
49. During the discussion that followed, different points of views
were expressed as to the "Statement of Commitment". One of the
representatives of UNDP noted that the Programme of Action was in
fact a statement of commitment. The Chairman stated that the idea
behind such a Statement was to ensure that in the follow-up to ICPD
all the UN agencies and organizations would say the same thing.
This Statement just reiterates what is in the Programme of Actions
of the ICPD and the World Summit for Social Development (WSSD); it
is not an operational tool describing the actions to be carried by
various organizations.
50. The UNICEF representative offered some suggestions which she
felt would further strengthen the Statement. She thought that the
Statement did not give adequate attention to the central issues of
the ICPD Programme of Action, such as education, health, including
reproductive health, and womenžs empowerment. If the purpose of
this Statement is to link the ICPD with the WSSD, then this should
be made clear in the introduction. The Statement should be made
more operational, not in the sense of guidelines, but in committing
the UN system to implement ICPD. She also suggested changing the
order of topics in section II, to read: education; health; womenžs
empowerment; environment; food security; employment and sustainable
livelihoods; and poverty eradication. Subsequent speakers,
however, felt that the existing sequence could be retained.
51. The UNICEF representative also suggested some changes in the
opening sentence, to read as follows: "The organizations and
agencies of the United Nations System fully commit themselves to
the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International
Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), in accordance with
their respective mandates, building upon international agreements
related to population and development". In order to resolve the
difficulties the representative of UNICEF had with the reference to
paragraph 8.25 in the last paragraph on page 6 of the Statement,
the Chairman suggested that the complete text of paragraph 8.25 of
the ICPD Programme of Action be included in the Statement.
52. One of the representatives of the United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis (DESIPA) felt
that the tone of the Statement was too pessimistic. He also
suggested to add the word "programme" after "policies" in paragraph
14, line 5. Another representative of DESIPA noted that the issue
of data gathering should be extended to all issues in the Statement
and not just in the section on poverty eradication. The repre-
sentative of the IMF stated that her organization would like to be
associated with the Statement. The IMF would submit some comments
on the text. It was currently looking into ways to integrate the
issues included in the Statement in its own policies.
53. The representative of WHO, like UNICEF, felt that the
Statement did not adequately reflect the main issues of the ICPD.
Also, she would like to see included in the section on health
reference to paragraph 7.3 of Programme of Action on reproductive
rights and in the goals section mentioning of paragraph 8.5 of
Programme of Action, containing the goals in the field of life
expectancy. She further suggested some editorial changes, i.e., to
add the "quality" before "care" in paragraph 18, line 7, and the
word "primary" before "health-care" in paragraph 18, last line.
54. The ECE representative cautioned the participants to be
careful with the use of the word "commitment". She suggested to
change the title to "Statement of Immediate Follow-up". She also
questioned why there was nothing on migration in the Statement.
55. The participants felt that a common statement was useful as an
advocacy tool. The Chairman suggested that UNFPA redraft the
Statement, taking into account the comments received. The final
text could eventually be submitted to the CCPOQ and then ACC for
final consideration, although such a statement could stand on its
own. The issue of reordering would be decided later, based on the
comments received. It was agreed that the tone should be more
positive and that, where necessary, the commitments should be made
more specific.
Agenda Item V: Future Work of the Inter-Agency Task Force
56. It was agreed that four of the working groups had completed
their work, but could be convened on an ad-hoc basis, if deemed
necessary. The IATF participants decided that the tasks dealt with
by the Working Group on a Common Approach to National Capacity
Building in Tracking Child and Maternal Mortality would be
addressed further by a smaller group consisting of UNICEF, UNFPA,
DESIPA, WHO and other interested organizations. DESIPA would
submit a proposal for future work aimed at inter alia elaborating
and refining the current guidelines and perhaps extending them to
social indicators more broadly.
57. At the suggestion of Dr. Sadik, who chaired the closing
session, it was agreed that the Working Group on Reproductive
Health would continue its work, since reproductive rights and
reproductive health were new and evolving issues. This Working
Group would deal, inter alia, with the development of performance
indicators in reproductive health. The Working Group would,
however, not meet for some time, given the range of meetings on
this topic already planned for in the near future. The
organizations will keep WHO informed of developments in this area
and vice versa.
58. In response to the views expressed by the Commission on
Population and Development, at its 28th session, the Inter-Agency
Task Force decided to establish a Working Group on international
migration. Such a working group would deal, in the first instance,
with chapter X "International Migration" of the Programme of
Action. The working group would explore the implications for inter-
agency collaboration in this area. The ILO, together with the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the
International Organization for Migration (IOM), and with the
support of the regional economic commissions and DESIPA, would
organize this working group. It was suggested that ILO serve as
the lead agency for this working group. The ILO representative
indicated that he would consult with headquarters and revert to the
IATF Secretariat on this matter.
Agenda Item VI: Other Matters: Action Items
59. A schedule for finalizing the guidelines was drawn up: by 11
August, each of the organizations present would send their comments
on the guidelines to the lead agency; by 18 August the lead agency
would send the completed guidelines to the IATF Secretariat. These
would be compiled and sent out to the Resident Coordinators with an
introductory note which would address the purpose and common dimen-
sions of all the guidelines.
60. The meeting was reminded that each set of guidelines should
include a short bibliography of the key publications in the area
and citations of relevant audio-visual materials. Each agency
should also submit a brief profile of its activities in the
respective fields of women, reproductive health and common data
systems. It was noted that most organizations had already
submitted a brief profile of their activities in the area of basic
education.
61. With regard to the reporting on the IATF to the 29th session
of the Commission of Population and Development (26 February - 1
March 1996), it was decided that the IATF Secretariat would draft
an outline for the approval by the organizations involved in the
IATF on their input for the report. This outline would be sent to
the agencies and organizations by early September.
62. It was agreed to have the third meeting of the IATF prior to
the 29th session of the Commission on Population and Development,
i.e., end of February 1996. With regard to the shipment of
materials to the Resident Coordinators, the UNDP representative
noted that they would pouch those materials when the IATF secre-
tariat made them available to UNDP. In order to assure broad
dissemination of IATF materials, UNICEF suggested that they be put
on a CD-ROM and the UNDP representative noted that the materials
should be added to the UNDP gopher.
63. In closing the meeting, Dr. Sadik thanked the organizations
for their hard work and commitment of the past six months. She was
very pleased with the way the IATF had functioned and expressed the
hope that the spirit of cooperation that had prevailed in the first
half year would continue in the months ahead.
=================================================================
Second Meeting of the ICPD Inter-Agency Task Force
25 July 1995
UNFPA Headquarters
New York, NY
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
United Nations
Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development
(DPCSD)
Ms. Jeannie Peterson
Senior Adviser on Population
Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development
DC2 - 2246
United Nations
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 963-4177
Fax: (212) 963-4260
United Nations,
Department for Economic and Social Information
and Policy Analysis (DESIPA)
Mr. Hermann Habermann
Director, Statistical Division
Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis
DC2 - 1420
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 963-4996
Fax: (212) 963-9851
Mr. Y.C. Yu
Chief, Demographic and Social Statistics Branch
Statistical Division
Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis
DC2 - 1520
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 963-4983
Fax: (212) 963-1940
Mr. Larry Heligman
Assistant Director, Population Division
Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis
DC2 - 1918
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 963-3208
Fax: (212) 963-2147
Mr. Anthony Turner
(TSS) Technical Support Services Sampling Specialist
Statistical Division
Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis
DC2 - 1552
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 963-4877
Fax: (212) 963-1940
Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
Ms. Dunja Pastizzi-Ferencic
Deputy Executive Secretary
Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone: (011) 41-22-917-2694
Fax: (011) 41-22-917-0036
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Ms. Leila Bisharat
Director, Planning Office
United Nations Childrenžs Fund
UNICEF House
H - 1330
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 303-7996
Fax: (212) 303-7959
Ms. France Donnay
Senior Adviser, Women's Health
United Nations Childrenžs Fund
UNICEF House
H - 1056
New York, NY 10017
Telephone:(212) 326-7313
Fax: (212) 326-7336
Ms. Tessa Wardlaw
Project Officer, Planning Office
United Nations Children's Fund
UNICEF House
H - 1328
New York, NY 10017
Telephone:(212) 326-7183
Fax: (212) 303-7959
Ms. Lesley Miller
Project Officer, Health Promotion
United Nations Children's Fund
UNICEF House
H - 1047-1
New York, NY 10017
Telephone:(212) 326-7609
Fax: (212) 326-7336
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Mr. Anders Wijkman
Assistant Administrator and Director, Bureau for Policy and
Programme Support United Nations Development Programme
DC 1 - 2028
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 906-5020
Fax: (212) 906-5857
Mr. Eduardo Gutierrez
Director, Office of UN System Support Services
United Nations Development Programme
DC 1 - 1718
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 906-5500
Fax: (212) 906-3609
Ms. Renata Lok
Senior Adviser
United Nations Development Programme
DC 1 - 2040
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 906-5038
Fax: (212) 906-5365
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
Ms. Noeleen Heyzer
Director
United Nations Development Fund for Women
FF - 0616
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 906-6435
Fax: (212) 906-6705
Ms. Kristin Lewis
Executive Assistant to Director
United Nations Development Fund for Women
FF - 0616
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 906-6892
Fax: (212) 906-6705
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Mr. David Freedman
Director, ILO Liaison Office
International Labour Organisation
Liaison Office with the United Nations
220 East 42 Street, Suite 3101
New York, NY 10017-5806
Telephone: (212) 697-0150
Fax: (212) 883-0844
Ms. Miki Takihana
Research Officer
International Labour Organisation
Liaison Office with the United Nations
220 East 42 Street, Suite 3101
New York, NY 10017-5806
Telephone: (212) 697-0150
Fax: (212) 883-0844
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Mr. Alain Marcoux
Senior Officer, Population Programme Service
Sustainable Development Department
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Via delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Telephone: (011) 39-6-5225-3201
Fax: (011) 39-6-5225-5490
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO)
Mr. Gustavo L¢pez Ospina
Director, Interdisciplinary and Inter-Agency Cooperation Project:
Environment and Population Education and Information for Human
Development (EPD) United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization 7, place de Fontenoy
75700 Paris, France
Telephone: (011) 33-1-45-68-08-68
Fax: (011) 33-1-45-66-96-84
World Health Organization (WHO)
Ms. Carla AbouZahr
Associate Coordinator, Reproductive Health
Division of Family Health
World Health Organization
20, Avenue Appia
CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Telephone: (011) 41-22-791-33-67
Fax: (011) 41-22-791-41-89
The World Bank
Mr. Thomas Merrick
Senior Population Adviser, Human Development Department
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Telephone: (202) 473-6762
Fax: (202) 522-3235
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Ms. Harriet Shugarman
Special Assistant to the Director
International Monetary Fund
Office at the United Nations
DC 1 - 1140
New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 963-0355
Fax: (212) 319-9040
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Dr. Nafis Sadik
Executive Director
Mr. Jyoti Shankar Singh
Deputy Executive Director, Technical Services
Ms. Catherine S. Pierce
Manager, UNFPA Task Force on ICPD Implementation
Ms. Mari Simonen
Chief, Office of the Executive Director
Mr. Arthur Erken
Programme Officer, UNFPA Task Force on ICPD Implementation
Mr. Michael Vlassoff
Senior Technical Officer, Technical and Evaluation Division
Ms. Ranjana Dikhit
Technical Adviser (Programme)
Reproductive Health Branch, Technical and Evaluation Division
=================================================================
ICPD INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE
Second Meeting of the Task Force
Tuesday, 25 July 1995
UNFPA Headquarters
Rafael M. Salas Conference Room
19th Floor
AGENDA
I. Welcome and Chairmanžs overview of the work of the Task Force
II. Adoption of Agenda
III. Review of the reports and guidelines produced by the Working
Groups
IV. Review and adoption of the Common Advocacy Statement on Social
Issues
V. Future Work of the Task Force - items for consideration:
1. Working Groups - should existing ones continue; should
additional groups be set up?
2. Scope of work - response to the view of the twenty-eighth
session of the Commission on Population and Development,
"that the Task Force's work should be expanded to include
migration issues."
3. Inputs for the Report of the Inter-Agency Task Force to
be submitted to the twenty-ninth session of the Commission on
Population and Development.
VI. Other Matters