General Assembly Session 59 meeting 31

Ms. Arjoso (Indonesia)

Let me begin by expressing my delegation's appreciation to the United Nations, especially the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), for convening this important meeting to commemorate a decade of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo in 1994. My country has always been a strong supporter of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action.

This meeting serves as a keystone to maintain the momentum of the International Conference on Population and Development. I am very happy to know that many world leaders, including the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Megawati Soekarnoputri, have reaffirmed the vision that was set forth in the Cairo Programme of Action. The signatures of key leaders in the social, scientific and political sectors will help to maintain the momentum and reaffirm the dedication to achieving the ICPD's goals. I know that all of us are eager to participate in a substantive, action-oriented meeting and to discuss the challenges and obstacles that remain. Its outcome should reflect a frank assessment not only of the progress made in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action, but also of the Millennium Development Goals strategies, which, in my view, have strong linkages to reproductive and family planning goals.

I would now like to share our experiences in the efforts that have been made by the Indonesian Government in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action. The details of my full report are presented in the Indonesia country report, copies of which, I believe, are available in this Hall. I shall not dwell too long on the report, but I would highlight some of its salient features.

Since the ICPD in 1994, Indonesia's policies on population have taken a more people- and family-centred approach, with particular attention on poverty alleviation as the central challenge for development efforts. Rather than concentrate solely on demographic objectives, population policies in Indonesia emphasize the importance of human and family development, changing attitudes towards reproduction and the client-centred provision of high-quality family planning information and services to achieve sustained economic growth within the context of sustainable development.

Family planning is an integral part of the country's overall reproductive health agenda and its programmes address the full range of reproductive health dimensions, including safe motherhood. The programmes address such critical areas as quality of care in reproductive health care services, the demand-fulfilment approach, the prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS, the education of youth regarding reproductive health and family well-being, research and data collection on reproductive health, and the promotion of women's empowerment.

Ten years ago, around 179 heads of State or Government, including from my Government, pledged to improve the quality of life of women and families by providing access to family planning, reproductive health care, education, a clean environment and reproductive rights under our long-term goal to achieve sustainable development. Ten years later, we can say that significant progress has been made in Indonesia.

In Indonesia, a girl born today has better prospects than a girl who was born 10 years ago. School enrolment rates, especially for women, are increasing and life expectancy is on the rise. There has been considerable improvement in the condition and position of women in Indonesia. Women's issues are receiving more attention and have become more visible, including issues pertaining to adolescents and girl children.

However, major obstacles to gender equality, equity and empowerment remain. Currently, the problematic issues include a high maternal mortality, the gender gap in education, especially in intermediate and higher education, domestic violence, trafficking in women and girls, and lack of protection for the rights of employed women, particularly those who work overseas. Indonesia is also beginning to see the end of rapid population growth and its fertility rate is now close to replacement level. The total fertility rate is now 2.6. Infant and maternal mortality rates are declining in most provinces. The latest data indicate that, in 2002, the infant mortality rate in Indonesia was 35 per 1,000 live births, while the maternal mortality rate was 307 per 100,000 live births.

Internal and international migration is becoming an alarming issue, as is its impact on urbanization.

Our family planning programme contributes to substantial progress in decelerating population growth and has brought the fertility rate close to the replacement level. In the area of adolescent reproductive health, we have been successful in integrating related issues into the national development strategy. The main focus of the programme is to provide adolescent girls and boys with reproductive health information and counselling related to gender equality, responsible sexual behaviour, the prevention of unwanted pregnancy through the school system, group empowerment and youth centres.

Efforts to achieve reproductive health goals are challenged by a number of factors, but none is as devastating as the global epidemic of HIV/AIDS. We are seeing alarming increases in the number of infections and projections for the future are troubling.

On international collaboration, Indonesia is one of the founders and continues to support the work of Partners in Population and Development in South-South cooperation. That initiative is considered to be a successful modality among countries of the South and provides an avenue for assistance from the countries of the North. Such cooperation, however, will need to be strengthened by the substantive assistance of related international partners, in particular within the United Nations system, and from international donors.

Much more needs to be done. Nothing demonstrates the urgent need for greater action than the issue of safe motherhood in Indonesia. Today, every 15 minutes a mother is separated from her beloved children and husband. She dies in childbirth or from complications of pregnancy, especially haemorrhaging, infection or sepsis, unsafe abortion, eclampsia, or obstructed labour that requires treatment at a hospital. Over 20 per cent of women die as a result of diseases that are aggravated by pregnancy. That tragedy results in 18,000 deaths every year in Indonesia, leaving a devastating void in families, communities and the entire nation.

Yet, there seems to be a solution. Ten years ago, 179 Governments committed themselves to the ICPD Programme of Action. The ICPD prescribes the steps that will not only save millions of women's lives, but will empower individuals to achieve a better future. Universal access to education and sexual and reproductive health services are the primary goals.

The complex challenge requires comprehensive policy measures to focus on maternal mortality rate reduction. For example, there is a need for policies that focus on health sector involvement in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. National policies and programmes for reducing maternal mortality are based on the Making Pregnancy Safer initiative of the World Health Organization.

Thus, high on the agenda of national safe motherhood is the guarantee that women have access to family planning services to reduce unwanted pregnancies, improve the overall quality and capacity of the country's health systems, especially at the district level, and strengthen human resources. Some programmes are specifically directed at male involvement in reducing maternal death. Indonesia ensures that all women and adolescent girls have the knowledge and means to prevent HIV infection and that men are supportive partners. Indonesia has also reduced the vulnerability of women and girls by increasing respect for their human rights and by confronting gender discrimination and violence.

In mid-1997, the economic crisis gravely affected Indonesia's ability to carry out its ICPD commitments. The attainment of the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action, as well as those of other United Nations conferences, became increasingly uncertain at that time. However, as the international community is fully aware, the sheer fact of Indonesia's being the world's fourth most populous country was of global concern. Thanks to many donors, including the United Nations Population Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United States Agency for International Development, the Canadian International Development Agency, the Australian Agency for International Development and other providers of assistance, the adverse impact of the economic crisis, especially in the reproductive and family planning programmes, was mitigated to a certain extent. Indeed, without significant help, those programmes would have been impossible to achieve.

Indonesia regards this as a great learning experience, appreciating how the international community can reaffirm and recommit itself to the ICPD goals.

Before I conclude my remarks, I would like to reiterate once again that the ICPD Programme of Action is not up for renegotiation until the year 2015. There is no reason to slow down the implementation of the ICPD, since to do so would seriously impact our social and economic development and our achievement of sustainable development. We can modify our strategies by implementing more coordinated, effective and efficient intervention to achieve the ICPD goals.

In conclusion, I would just like to say that, since the theme of Cairo strongly underlined the linkages between population concerns and sustained economic growth and sustainable development, it is important that a special session to commemorate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the Conference 10 years down the road concentrate on regenerating the momentum of the Cairo Conference at this historical period, while our world is being propelled into the new millennium.

Mr. Mwenifumbo (Malawi)

I would like to associate my delegation with the statement delivered by the representative of Qatar on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

My delegation would like to join previous speakers in congratulating you, Sir, on presiding over this important commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Our appreciation also goes to the United Nations Population Fund for ably organizing all the activities, including the very enlightening round table discussions on the issue at hand.

The Government of Malawi attaches great importance to the implementation of the Programme of Action of the ICPD. For Malawi, the Programme of Action presents a comprehensive basis for national and international action on population issues. It is in that respect that we welcome wholeheartedly this opportunity to take stock of the achievements and future challenges in terms of population and development.

My Government has been preoccupied with initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life and living standards of our people. We have therefore aligned ourselves with all international and regional conventions and declarations on population and sustainable development, which place critical focus on sustainable socio-economic development.

Mr. Mwenifumbo (Malawi)

Malawi's population is currently estimated at about 12 million and is growing at an average annual rate of 1.9 per cent, according to the 1998 population and housing census. About 3.5 per cent of its population live in poverty. The country has made efforts to reduce poverty levels, allocating a significant percentage of its budget to social sectors.

On the population front, Malawi has formulated and adopted a national population policy, the implementation of which is in progress. A poverty reduction strategy has also been formulated as one fundamental aspect of achieving sustainable socio-economic development in the country. Further, a policy on gender and development has been adopted. Following the adoption of the policy, some discriminatory legislation and practices against women have been addressed. In addition, some reproductive health concerns and the special problems of the girl child have been raised for further action.

In recent years, the Malawi Government has increased its collaboration with non-governmental organizations and civil society in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of population-related programmes, policies and guidelines. We have seen more integration of population issues into development planning and increased advocacy and information, education and communication at all levels, including the media. Efforts to decentralize the national population policy have been stepped up through work with districts and the grassroots, especially in the areas of reproductive health services, gender, education in primary and secondary schools, works and maintenance, environment, water and sanitation.

The contraceptive prevalence rate is now estimated at 26 per cent. That has contributed to a decline in the total fertility rate from 6.7 in 1992 to the current level of 6.3. The maternal mortality rate now stands at 1,120 per 100,000 live births, up from 620 per 100,000 live births in 1992. Thus, it would have been easier to achieve the Millennium Development Goal target at the 1992 levels. The challenge of achieving the objective of maternal mortality rate reduction has nearly doubled in the case of Malawi.

Among other elements, the delinking of HIV/AIDS from reproductive health, the attrition of student nurses, and nurses leaving the country for greener pastures in the Western countries -- especially the United Kingdom -- are big challenges that have contributed to the worsening scenario. To respond to the attrition problem, the Government, through the Ministry of Health, has introduced a crash programme whereby nurses are trained for six months and then sent to hospitals. They are not fully qualified and mothers may not get top-quality services.

The child mortality rate now stands at 189 per 1,000 live births, down from 234 per 1,000 live births in 1992. The infant mortality rate is now at 104 per 1,000 live births, down from 134 per 1,000 in 1992.

Malawi remains greatly challenged by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. HIV/AIDS has negatively impacted mortality rates, especially for the adult age groups, as demonstrated by a worsening maternal mortality rate, thereby leading to reduced life expectancy at birth from 43 years in 1996 to 39 years in 2000. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate for the 15-49 age group is estimated at 16 per cent nationally. In general, some progress has been made. However, we still have a lot of ground to cover to reach the goals of the ICPD and the Millennium Development Goals.

In the remaining 10 years of the Programme of Action, Malawi will redouble its efforts on the reduction of poverty, the HIV/AIDS burden, and infant and maternal mortality rates. Other critical areas of focus include the strengthening of adolescent reproductive health services and the intensification of family planning and safe motherhood interventions. We strongly believe that the provision of universal access to quality education, especially for girls, presents a step in the right direction towards achieving the goals of the Programme of Action. Malawi will continue to apply gender mainstreaming as a strategy in all population-related interventions.

As a developing country, we remain challenged by the question of resources for the full implementation of the Programme of Action, as well as the full integration of population issues into the poverty reduction strategy. We also need to address the cultural and traditional practices that impact negatively on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, gender issues, employment, wealth distribution and overall socio-economic development. It is clear that the many complex and challenging issues of population cannot be addressed by Governments alone. Therefore, Malawi respectfully calls upon the development partners to strengthen their technical and financial assistance to our nations as we attempt to implement the recommendations of the ICPD and the Programme of Action. The worsening indicators, which place most of our countries far from achieving the Millennium Development Goals, also call for increased resources from our development partners towards the implementation of the ICPD and the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

At the regional level, Malawi is the current chair of the Southern African Forum for Population and Development (SAFPAD). SAFPAD was formed in 1996 as a platform for Government officials in the Southern African Development Community and Madagascar to consider population and development issues of interest and priority to member States. Through SAFPAD, some progress has been made at the regional level. The purpose of the establishment of that forum was to monitor progress in the implementation of the Dakar/Ngor declaration and the ICPD Programme of Action, as well as of resolutions adopted at the regional level. There has been significant progress made on the issues of population and development, especially in the organization of the 1994 programme of work of the ICPD, among others.

All countries in the forum have now formulated and adopted national population policies and their implementation is in progress. They have developed poverty reduction strategies as a fundamental aspect of achieving sustainable social and economic development in their countries. Member States have developed policies on gender and development and reviewed discriminatory policies and legislation against women, programmes for the positive imaging of the girl child, and educational policies to allow girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy to continue their education.

However, the indicators of most of our countries are far from achieving the Millennium Development Goals and the ICPD. Extra efforts among ourselves and the continued commitment of our development partners in financial and technical support are called for.

In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to appeal for continued commitment to the major population challenges facing our respective countries. Malawi is also ready to continue to share its experience with partners at the regional and international levels. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals requires serious commitments on the part of the Government and its development partners in allocating adequate resources and addressing the resource gaps, as well as in developing programmes and strategies that will assist in the attainment of the Goals.

As far as the current status of the Millennium Development Goals is concerned in the case of Malawi and SAFPAD, only two -- access to potable water and reducing under-five mortality -- can be conceived as achievable with minimum changes in policy and resource allocation. Reducing maternal mortality and eliminating poverty are the most difficult Millennium Development Goals to achieve and require special attention and resource allocation. The slow pace of fostering behavioural change is also making the immediate reduction in HIV infection rates difficult to attain. In general, the other five Millennium Development Goals are achievable only with radical changes in policies, attitudes and mindsets, and political and technical commitment.

Mr. Bunheng (Cambodia)

It gives me great pleasure to join previous speakers in commemorating the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development. It is indeed our honour to inform this body that Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, on behalf of the people and Royal Government of Cambodia, has proclaimed his full support for the world leaders' statement in support of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

It is interesting to contemplate that it was only 10 years ago that the ICPD called on the international community to adopt a new approach to link population action with human development, women's empowerment, gender equality and the needs and rights of individuals, including young people. The ICPD for the first time grounded family planning, once the main focus of population policies and programmes, within a broader framework of reproductive health and rights, including sexual health. With the assistance of the United Nations and civil society, Cambodia has embraced that message and incorporated it into national policies and planning, addressing those issues across a broad front.

HIV/AIDS is perhaps one of the most talked-about aspects of Cambodia's reaction to the ICPD agenda, with HIV seroprevalence among Cambodian adults having dropped from 3.3 per cent in 1997 to 2.6 per cent in 2002, resulting in Cambodia's being one of only three countries in the world to reverse the HIV infection rate. The National AIDS Authority has played a key coordinating role in the government response to the epidemic, while the Ministry of Health has been in charge of monitoring trends in the epidemic and of putting into practice programmes for the prevention of new infections and the care of those already affected.

On other elements of the ICPD agenda, I believe that Cambodia has made solid gains. For the first time in 36 years, Cambodia organized a national census in 1998, a magnificent achievement by the Ministry of Planning. On the basis of the 1998 data, the Government has been able to organize a Cambodian demographic and health survey, a second socio-economic development plan, a poverty reduction strategy and, most recently, a national population policy. The national population policy was launched by the Prime Minister earlier this year and provided recommendations for further actions in the 10 priority population areas, including clear links between high fertility and high population growth and poverty.

Since 1994, the Government has been increasing the number of legislative and administrative measures to protect the rights of girls and women, starting with a national birth spacing policy in 1994, a law on the suppression of kidnapping, trafficking, sale and exploitation of human beings in 1996, a labour law in 1997, and a law on abortion in 1997, and has submitted a draft law against domestic violence that we hope to reintroduce to the National Assembly this year. The establishment of the Ministry of Women's Affairs in 1996 is one of our major achievements. That Ministry has been actively and effectively pursuing a five-year strategy from 2001, gradually achieving ICPD aims.

In the years after 1994, the Ministry of Health issued guidelines on male and female sterilization and national safe motherhood policy and strategies. In November 2002, the Ministry of Health published the Health Sector Strategic Plan 2003-2007, which will target infant and maternal mortality rates as a priority and seeks to empower all people to take decisions based on informed choices. Now, the Government has integrated reproductive health into health care at the level of health centres. All Government health centres throughout the country offer birthing facilities to attempt to meet the sorely pressing need for birthing space. The training and use of midwives and the use of emergency obstetric care are being steadily increased, including in remote areas.

Given the large proportion of young people in the country, the adolescents and young people of Cambodia have been receiving more attention. The Government has been particularly encouraging towards and supportive of any organization that reaches out to the young, particularly to broaden and deepen their education on reproductive health and on the prevention of new infections of HIV/AIDS. We give particular credit to the European Union/United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) initiative that has worked through international and Cambodian non-governmental organizations to reach young people in both urban and rural areas.

All this and more shows the distance that Cambodia has come since 1994. We could not have achieved so much on our own. Partnerships have been essential to our strategy. We were very fortunate that UNFPA opened an office in Phnom Penh in 1994 and has provided Cambodia with much guidance and technical assistance in those areas, as have other United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund, to name but a few. Other bilateral donors, international agencies and civil society have also made very important contributions. Without such partnership, our path towards the ICPD goals would have been rockier indeed.

But the goals have not yet been achieved. We are still far short of reaching the ICPD targets and we still lack resources to achieve all that we would like. I would therefore like to finish with an appeal to the international community and civil society to keep the message of ICPD + 10 in mind and to strengthen their partnership in Cambodia so that the important goals will remain achievable within the foreseeable future and do not disappear from sight.

Mr. Ahamed (India)

My delegation is pleased to participate in this event to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development. We commend the Secretariat for its report on the review and appraisal of the progress made in achieving the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference, prepared for this occasion. My delegation associates itself with the statement made by the representative of Qatar on behalf of the Group of 77.

The central theme of the International Conference was to forge a balance among population, sustained economic growth and sustainable development. The objective of the agreement reached at the Conference was to raise the quality of life and well-being of human beings and to promote human development. The Programme of Action, in our view, rightly emphasized the need to integrate population concerns fully into development strategies and planning, taking into account the interrelationship of population issues with the goals of poverty eradication, food security, adequate shelter, productive employment and basic services for all.

The rate of population growth over the past decade has been higher in the poorer nations of the world, with four out of every five persons living in the less developed regions in 2004, and also higher within the poorer and disadvantaged sections of society. The emphasis on sustained economic growth and sustainable development in the Programme of Action therefore becomes extremely relevant.

India formulated a national family planning programme as early as 1952, with the objective of stabilizing the population at a level consistent with the requirements of growth of the national economy. The technological advances and improved quality and coverage of health care resulted in a rapid fall in the crude death rate in India from 25 per 1,000 in 1951-61 to 10 in 1991 and to 8 in 2002. In contrast, the reduction in the crude birth rate has been less steep, declining from 41 per 1,000 in 1951-61 to 30 in 1991 and 25 in 2002. As a result, the annual exponential population growth rate was over 2 per cent in the period 1961-1991. But from 1991 to 2001, population growth decelerated to below 2 per cent for the first time in four decades, though not uniformly across the country.

The International Conference has had a profound impact on India's policy related to population stabilization, as agreed and unanimously endorsed by our Parliament. The commitments contained in the Programme of Action find full reflection in our national population policy. India has a strong political commitment to achieving population stabilization goals. A comprehensive population policy, laying down 14 socio-demographic goals and several operational strategies, has been unanimously endorsed by our national Parliament. A national population commission has been established under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. A national population stabilization fund has been constituted, with the Prime Minister as its Chairperson and with an initial corpus of 1 billion rupees or approximately $20 million. The mobilization of resources from the private sector for undertaking several initiatives in the underserved areas, where access to health-care continues to be inadequate, is also envisaged. An empowered action group has been specially set up to design and formulate programmes in terms of both geographic and thematic areas, with a special focus on the needs and themes that require further attention.

Population policies in India are based on the recognition of the right of every woman to decide for herself the number of children she wants and when, while simultaneously acknowledging that male participation is equally critical. We neither evaluate our programmes based on predetermined targets, nor encourage the use of any coercive measures or inducements.

The 2001 census showed that the literacy rate in the last decade has gone up from 64.1 per cent to 75.9 per cent for men and from 39.3 per cent to 54.2 per cent for women. Progress in education has contributed to a reduction in the fertility, morbidity and mortality rates, as well as to the empowerment of women. Education also provides access to information. The linkages among education, expanding markets and income, and the reduction in fertility are significant for countries like ours.

The Millennium Development Goals aimed at reducing global poverty and hunger by half by 2015. The Secretary-General has pointed out that, despite some setbacks in certain countries, progress has been made in reducing poverty rates, though not in reducing the absolute number of poor persons. Despite sustained increases in the food supply globally, the number of undernourished people has grown since 1995 as food insecurity increased in many of the poorest countries.

India has made substantial progress on growth and poverty reduction over the past decade. Progress has also been made in improving literacy, enrolment completion, and gender balance in primary education. According to one estimate, with the current trends, India will comfortably achieve its targets in both income and food security. The Government of India is committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. That commitment has been most recently illustrated in the Government of India's budget for the year 2004-2005.

The central theme of the Cairo Conference was to forge a balance among population, sustained economic growth and sustainable development. The balance was based on the premise that the actions of the Governments of developing countries would be matched by assistance from the donor community. International assistance and support that was promised to the developing countries has fallen short. The Secretary-General pointed out in his report that, in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action, continued efforts and commitment are needed to mobilize sufficient human and financial resources. On the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, nations of the world -- developed and developing -- need to reiterate their resolve to achieve the goals and objectives of the Programme of Action. Sustained, continued and enhanced assistance from the international community is needed to help achieve our joint objective.

Mr. Singh (Canada)

I am pleased to address the Assembly today at this special meeting. The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo, allowed for the creation of a new standard in the level of health and well-being that people have a right to expect and recognized the need to address not only the symptoms and problems related to population and development, but also their root causes -- including poverty, abuses of human rights, gender inequality, social and economic inequity, lack of education and employment, and the absence of the principles of good governance.

Over the past 10 years our countries have used that framework as the basis for policy and action, and we have made important progress. In Canada, the ICPD Programme of Action together with other international commitments, such as the Beijing Declaration, have been important catalysts for progress towards gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and in bringing a human rights perspective to population and development efforts, both at home and abroad.

Mr. Singh (Canada)

Despite progress in some areas, maternal morbidity and mortality rates, HIV/AIDS infection, poor sexual and reproductive health and global poverty -- particularly among women and in female-headed households -- remain unacceptably high in many parts of the world and our collective responses to challenges in areas such as migration have not been adequate.

Perhaps the most significant change in the global landscape since Cairo has been the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The global community is responding to the crisis and in some areas we are beginning to see progress. We have learned that addressing gender inequality and promoting and protecting human rights, including focusing on child protection, are essential for reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS and for ensuring the economic and social stability of communities.

Stigma and discrimination continue to be significant barriers to addressing HIV/AIDS. Women -- especially poor or marginalized women -- continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in that they are both physiologically, economically and socially more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, which in turn exacerbates their vulnerability. Key to breaking that cycle is the need to examine and challenge the notion of the "ABC" approach to preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, which does not necessarily meet the urgent need of women to enjoy or exercise their rights or empower them with the tools to protect themselves from HIV and other infections. Similarly, we must ensure that campaigns, such as the World Health Organization's 3 by 5 Initiative, include a gender perspective and that delivery reaches and is reflective of the needs of all those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Addressing the linkages between sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS and ensuring coordinated and integrated efforts in those areas will make a major contribution to promoting and protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights and to combating HIV/AIDS. The work of key United Nations agencies, in particular the United Nations Population Fund, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and other sponsoring organizations, has laid a solid foundation on which to build partnerships and move this agenda forward.

In the context of changing age structures, the largest generation of youth ever is presently making its transition to adulthood. In 1994, we recognized the special needs of young people and outlined in the ICPD Programme of Action those areas which evidence suggests are most likely to be effective in maintaining and protecting the health of young people, such as access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health care and services, including information and education -- all of which recognize the rights of young people. In 2004, we must seize the opportunity and work with youth to address the needs of this generation if we are to make a significant contribution to meeting our Cairo commitments.

We must also work to address Cairo commitments on migration, including making the option of remaining in one's country viable for all people. While there has been some progress in that area over the past 10 years, issues surrounding remittances, internally displaced persons, refugees and an increasing number of undocumented migrants and international criminal smuggling and trafficking networks -- often related to lack of employment opportunities and good governance structures -- all underscore the substantial scope of the effort still required to address them. The round table held here in New York earlier this week highlighted the complex and cross-cutting nature of migration, including issues related to human security, human rights, employment, urbanization, health systems, humanitarian aid and development, and social and economic inequity.

Canada strongly supports the continued relevance of the ICPD as a comprehensive, balanced and constructive road map for international cooperation on international migration. In meeting those challenges, the ICPD Programme of Action remains as relevant today, if not more so, than it did in 1994. Canada firmly believes that the ICPD Programme of Action, together with the key actions for its further implementation, should continue to serve as the framework for action in this area.

Looking forward to the next 10 years, we need to be determined and creative in identifying and addressing the barriers to achieving the Cairo goals and commitments. We need to back up our commitments to gender equality with concrete actions that will effect positive changes in the lives of women and men, boys and girls. We need to challenge current thinking on our approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention, and we need to engage adolescents and youth in a meaningful way.

Equally urgent is the need to revisit the commitments to migration that are outlined in chapters IX and X of the Cairo document and to renew our commitments to finding solutions. Canada believes that the Cairo Programme of Action should continue to inform the debates that will take place over the next two years within the context of the Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM) and the 2006 high-level dialogue so that those discussions will consider a broad and integrated view of migration and development issues. We are pleased that the Canadian Commissioner is contributing to GCIM.

Canada considers that implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action is essential for implementing the internationally agreed poverty reduction and development goals outlined in the Millennium Declaration and the associated Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Indeed, sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, human rights, education and the root causes of migration underpin the MDGs agreed at the Millennium Summit, not least of which are the Goals related to environmental sustainability, the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women, child mortality, maternal health and reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS.

Without continued significant political and financial commitment by both developed and developing countries to achieving the core commitments of the ICPD Programme of Action, we will not be able to meet the internationally agreed poverty reduction and development goals outlined in the Millennium Development Goals.

We cannot ignore the challenging issue of financing. We must continue to explore options for new mechanisms to generate additional resources to meet the ICPD goals.

Finally, let me turn to the issue of partnerships. Partnerships at the international regional and national level -- between Governments, international organizations and all elements of civil society, including youth, indigenous populations and non-governmental organizations -- are critical for creating an enabling environment for population and development. Governments alone cannot ensure the full implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action.

In this respect, we applaud the efforts of the United Nations system and of our civil society partners, particularly over the past year, to bring together and challenge diverse constituencies to develop joint partnerships for population and development. These include the various round tables and technical meetings organized by the United Nations Population Fund, as well as the innovation and initiative taken by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS in launching the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS.

Canada will continue to work closely with all partners at the national, regional and international levels to ensure that we successfully meet the goals and objectives set out at Cairo. We recognize that the challenges before us do not have easy solutions, but we commit ourselves to this cooperative effort.

Ms. Taracena Secaira (Guatemala)

In 1994, Guatemala was one of the 179 countries that participated in the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). During the last ten years, Guatemala has advanced in the implementation of the commitments laid down in the Programme of Action, within the framework of the Peace Agreements signed in Guatemala in 1996 and the Constitution of the Republic.

As a result of the regional process of evaluation of the fulfilment of those commitments laid down in the Cairo Programme of Action -- a process carried out in a series of meetings held this year in Santiago, Chile, and San Juan, Puerto Rico -- Guatemala wishes to express its satisfaction at the achievements that have marked this decade. The ICPD has certainly contributed to the social and human development of all Guatemalans, both male and female. We associate ourselves with the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the Conference and congratulate the Office of the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on its progress in carrying out the Programme of Action with regard to respect for human rights, education, integral health, environmental protection, the status of women, gender equality and fairness.

In the past few years, Guatemala has worked to mainstream population and development issues in the national agenda, particularly with respect to legislation and public policies in the spheres of social development, health, HIV/AIDS, education, the environment, the complete advancement of women, and other areas. Guatemala's position on those issues has been changing substantially since the end of the internal armed conflict. Democratization processes, the need to overcome the consequences of the struggles that raged for years and plunged the country into confrontations between families, communities and social groups, and that led to the destruction of the traditional unity of the family, increased poverty and forced migration, are all involved in the change.

Within this framework, the conclusion of the Peace Agreements in 1996 has also contributed to the recognition of equal rights for men and women in various areas of social and political life and the participation of women in the development of Guatemalan society, as well as the commitment by the State to eliminate any form of discrimination, de facto or legal, against women.

It is necessary to note the efforts aimed at cooperation with civil society in promoting the initiative for a Social Development and Population Law. This has underscored Guatemala's commitment to implementing the Cairo Programme of Action. Our new law was enacted on the basis of a consensus reached by a multisectoral forum, with the participation of various churches, universities, indigenous peoples, the business sector, the media, women's organizations and other representatives of organized civil society. This law, which is novel to our country, addresses key topics relating to social development in Guatemala and is an example of the progress the country has achieved in this area.

Within this same framework, Guatemala has achieved significant changes in the social sphere based on an equitable and humane approach, particularly with regard to preventive and curative health care for mothers and newborn and for women and men in the rural sectors who have found it very difficult to enjoy the benefits of development. There have been considerable improvements in the equitable access by boys and girls to basic education. Moreover, citizens' participation has been encouraged and the rights and specific needs of women and indigenous peoples have been recognized. Nevertheless, we have not lost sight of the reality -- an impoverished population that is ever more vociferous in its demands for the elimination of discrimination, just and equal treatment and access by women to the decision-making hierarchy.

In the years immediately ahead, Guatemala will strive to consolidate the progress that has been made, particularly as mandated by its Social Development Law. Moreover, the country will ensure that the concerns of women are incorporated in all spheres of Guatemala's development, not with a partial vision, or one seen under the heading "women's affairs", but rather one that takes into account the need for women to play a proactive role in the development of their country.

In compliance with the Cairo Programme of Action, Guatemala has embraced a new paradigm that is based on human rights. Guatemala maintains its position against the practice of abortion, in the belief that life begins at the moment of conception, as provided for under article 3 of our Constitution. It follows that any action that endangers life can, obviously, not be countenanced by us. Guatemala concurs with paragraph 8.25 of the Cairo Programme in considering that abortion should not be promoted as a method of family planning. It is thus clear that neither at the Cairo Conference, nor at the meetings or in statements at Santiago and San Juan, have the practices of abortion been promoted. This position is fully in keeping with the feelings and beliefs of the majority of the Guatemalan people.

The Government of Guatemala wishes to confirm its commitment to the Cairo Programme of Action and will continue to comply with it, within the constitutional precepts and the laws existing in our country.

Mr. Maurer (Switzerland)

It is with pride that we look back on the revolutionary step taken 10 years ago by the international community: the adoption of the Cairo Programme of Action.

It was then that our perception of population and demographic issues changed. In Cairo, our heads of State expanded the idea of family planning to include reproductive health and a package of reproductive rights, in particular the right freely to choose contraception and family size. That rights-based approach recentred development on the human being. Members may recall the phrase used at the time: "Let us no longer just count people -- let us make people count".

With this new, broader vision of population and development issues, which has shifted the focus of family planning to reproductive rights and health, the lives of millions of women, young people and children have improved. Today, the idea that individuals, women and men alike, should have the right -- and the responsibility -- to freely choose the size of their families and decide for themselves whether to use contraception, has gained ground. The number of births per woman has decreased overall. Access to health services has clearly improved, and a number of countries have taken very important steps to bring their legislation into line with the Cairo Programme of Action, to promote gender equality and to enhance the role of women.

We are mindful of the fact that much remains to be done in order to guarantee full reproductive rights and reproductive health, including access to reproductive health services by all -- men, women and adolescents. It is absolutely unacceptable that over 500,000 women die during childbirth each year. Those are deaths that are preventable. It is our duty to ensure access to information about contraceptives, especially for young people, and to do everything we can to protect women and men from sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS. In doing so, we must fully take into account and respect the sociocultural environment and the values of the society in question.

Switzerland believes that a connection must be made between universal rights and moral and cultural values, so as to ensure that universal human rights are better observed and that they play their proper part in the daily lives of all.

With respect to the Millennium Declaration, eight development goals for poverty eradication were formulated. Switzerland believes that those Millennium Development Goals are the synthesis of all of the goals set during the world conferences of the 1990s. We must all have the firm conviction that poverty eradication is impossible without improving reproductive rights and reproductive health, as well as gender equality and universal access to education.

Switzerland appreciates the efforts being made in this context by the United Nations and its operational agencies. Here, I would like to pay special tribute to the United Nations Population Fund in implementing the Programme of Action at the national level. The Fund plays a crucial role in areas such as reproductive health, gender equality, family and youth. It has shown remarkable skill, particularly with regard to cultural matters, at sensitive moments, and has proved to be a reliable partner of the developing countries when defending the right of the individual to reproductive health.

We believe that we are on the right track. I assure the Assembly that Switzerland will do everything in its power to help to implement the Cairo Programme of Action.

Mr. Siv (United States)

The United States is pleased to join with others on this tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), because of our firm commitment to advancing the well-being of women and their families and to upholding the positive values and ideals embraced in the ICPD Programme of Action.

While the Programme of Action is not a perfect document, it has historic importance and reflects the aspirations of the international community. It provides a broad concept of population policy -- one that is focused on humanity and the human condition, that respects cultural, religious, and social values, and that firmly condemns Government control and coercion.

As with all of our work in the United Nations, the United States approaches the ICPD Programme of Action in the context of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Those documents commit the world community to protecting the dignity and worth of each human person -- a concept at the heart of the ICPD.

In the years since the ICPD, we have seen that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to population. In many countries, today's population trends are positive: longer lifespans, healthier families and greater prosperity. In others, there is a sadder story to tell. Maternal mortality remains a devastating sorrow, undiminished since Cairo. More than 1.1 billion people exist in poverty, living on less than $1 a day. Increasing urbanization in the developing world brings the challenge of providing for some of the world's poorest peoples.

Worst of all, the number of individuals living with HIV has grown from approximately 14 million in 1994 to over 38 million today. The international community is only now beginning to make headway against the ferocity of that disease.

Yet let there be no confusion. The United States is committing substantial resources to meeting these challenges. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) alone spends more than $1.4 billion on international health assistance, exclusive of HIV/AIDS programming. Furthermore, we are rapidly escalating our support for HIV prevention, care and treatment activities. These are carried out through both the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, with planned expenditures through 2008 of $15 billion.

The promotion of behaviour change -- encouraging abstinence and fidelity -- is integral to our fight against HIV/AIDS. Working with parents, we must encourage our young people to make safe and healthy choices. Equally important, we recognize that empowering and protecting women is a critical component of efforts to stop the spread of the disease.

The status of women -- and the influence of cultural norms, property rights and economic opportunity on their lives -- are all critical factors in reducing their risk of HIV infection.

The United States is the largest single donor of maternal health assistance, including family planning and reproductive health programmes. For these, USAID programming has exceeded $475 million annually over the past 4 years -- a $50 million increase in funding since 2000. In recent years, we have increased our maternal and reproductive health assistance to countries in Africa and the Near East.

As we entered this 10-year review process, there was a need for greater clarity about what the ICPD Programme of Action does and does not say on sensitive issues like reproductive health services. The regional review process has been helpful because it has served to allay one of our key concerns, which was that some might be misusing the ICPD to promote abortion.

However, what we have heard over and over in regional reviews is that nations do not believe that the ICPD Programme of Action promotes, endorses, or supports abortion. The United States concurs that nothing in the Programme should be understood to promote, endorse, or support abortion, and, with the understanding that States will not misuse it in that way, we are pleased to continue to offer our support for the ICPD and its Programme of Action.

The United States is advancing the goals of the ICPD Programme of Action on many fronts. Through programmes that support both the education and political participation of women around the world -- and that help men appreciate the importance of women's participation -- we are contributing to greater gender equity globally.

We support basic education for girls as well as boys in order to reduce poverty, improve health and social well-being, and sustain economic growth.

We are also advancing the position of women in the developing world by promoting entrepreneurship and prosperity with microenterprise programmes. Our Millennium Challenge Account offers new hope for some of the world's poorest countries. We recognize that the participation of women is vital to the success of a country's long-term development strategy.

We encourage increased political participation by women and the strengthening of their role in decision-making processes. We provide support for leadership and advocacy training, educational exchange programmes, and civil society and democracy skills workshops. We have actively supported the great strides made by women in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq in securing their rights under the law. That includes the right to vote, as successfully exercised by the women of Afghanistan last Saturday.

The promotion of gender equality will always be a high priority for the United States. Equally high priorities for us are respect for motherhood, the rights and responsibilities of parents, and the family as the basic and fundamental unit of societies everywhere.

We also wish to highlight one of the ICPD's most significant accomplishments: the crafting of a global consensus on migration that continues to this day. Migration is a global phenomenon. All countries are, to some extent, countries of origin, transit, and destination. America is supporting regional migration dialogues that promote orderly, legal and humane migration policies. Those policies should also uphold international protection for refugees, asylum seekers and victims of trafficking. We believe that these regional approaches are most likely to yield concrete results for all countries.

The ICPD Programme of Action was the first major United Nations document to focus attention on the issue of trafficking in persons. The global community has indeed made substantial progress in that area. President Bush has taken strong action to combat trafficking at home and abroad, urging action through the United Nations and signing legislation domestically. Since 2001, the United States has provided more than $295 million to support anti-trafficking programmes in more than 120 countries.

In sum, there is much to be proud of in what we have accomplished together in the past 10 years, although much remains to be done. The United States looks forward to continuing our partnership in the process of advancing our shared goal of a better life for all.

Mr. Amayo (Kenya)

My delegation appreciates the able manner in which Mr. Ping is continuing to steer the deliberations of the work of the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session. We align ourselves with the statement issued by Qatar on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

In recognition of the intrinsic link between demography and sustainable development and the special challenges it poses for the developing world, our heads of State and Government met in Cairo 10 years ago and came up with a Programme of Action aimed at addressing those issues. The Programme of Action identified key sectors and corresponding goals whose attainment was imperative to sustainable development, namely universal access to education; reproductive health; gender equity and equality; reducing infant, child and maternal mortality; and combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Kenya reaffirms its commitment to the decisions made at Cairo and sees them as the way forward towards addressing population, reproductive and health issues. We hold the view that the Consensus reached at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) should not be reconsidered or renegotiated. As we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the ICPD, it is imperative that we take stock of the progress made and the challenges faced in this arena.

Issues of population and reproductive health remain integral to addressing poverty eradication. This has been exacerbated by hunger and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Unfortunately, developing countries, particularly in Africa, lag behind in indicators identified by the Programme of Action, such as life expectancy. That has been attributed to the socio-economic transformations that have resulted from malaria, tuberculosis and cholera, as well as from the HIV/AIDS pandemic itself.

As noted by the Secretary-General, the Millennium Development Goals, particularly the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, cannot be achieved if population-related issues as well as reproductive health issues are not addressed. It is therefore imperative that the ICPD Programme of Action and Millennium Development Goals be addressed simultaneously.

At the national level, the Ministry of Health, the National Council for Population Development and the Family Planning Association of Kenya are working in close collaboration to address these issues as well as formulate policies and implement national population and reproductive health programmes. Poor economic performance over the past few years has been compounded by the devastating effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which has affected the productive population. The attainment of the Millennium Development Goals will depend on how effectively we deal with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which, in sub-Saharan Africa, has reversed the economic and social gains of the past decades.

We appreciate the assistance of our development partners and of the United National Global Fund in that regard, but we would caution that a lot more needs to be done. My delegation would like to highlight the need to reach the target 0.7 per cent of gross national product target as official development assistance by developed countries. In that regard, we welcome the announcement by the European Union this morning that it intends to fill the entire reproductive health commodities gap -- $75 million -- this year.

Mr. Amayo (Kenya)

The Kenya Government has implemented various policies aimed at long-term economic stability and development. These include the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2001-2004; Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation; Adolescent Reproductive Health Strategy; Gender Policy; and Youth Policy.

Kenya has also adapted the ICPD Programme of Action domestically, in the form of the National Population for Sustainable Development policy. In addition, the International Conference on Population and Development's reproductive health agenda has been articulated in the National Reproductive Health Strategy. Other measures put in place by the Government include the introduction of free and compulsory primary education and the recognition of the central role played by women in development. Care is being taken to address this particular gender disparity by advocating for the girl child and appointing women to positions of authority.

Let me conclude by stating that we note with satisfaction the overwhelming support expressed at the regional ICPD+10 review meetings and reaffirm our commitment to the ICPD Programme of Action and the key actions of the five-year review. We appreciate the continued support of our development partners. However, my delegation would like to urge them to increase financial support in order to ensure stable and predictable achievement of the ICPD goals and the Millennium Development Goals.

Mr. Sunaga (Japan)

I would like to join the other delegations gathered here in celebrating the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).

As we all know, the ICPD Programme of Action marked a turning point in international cooperation on population and development. Indeed, it has not only strengthened the commitments and efforts of the international community but is also bringing about a significant change in the way we address population issues, shifting the focus from macroscopic demographic control to a human-centred approach respecting the rights of individuals.

As a result, during the past ten years, many actions have been taken at the international, national and regional levels, and much progress has been made in a number of countries. However, we still have many challenges ahead in order to fully implement the ICPD Programme of Action and achieve its objectives.

The issues with which we are dealing here are extremely important for attaining the Millennium Development Goals. That is why Japan gives the highest priority to assistance in this sector. For instance, more than 20 per cent of Japan's annual grant aid is spent on health, particularly that of mothers and children, and on fighting infectious disease. Japan supports capacity-building for doctors and midwives, the building of health systems and hospitals and the provision of other health-care facilities and medicine. Japan has introduced a maternal and child health handbook in some Asian countries. The handbook is given to pregnant women to enable them to keep their health and medical records, as well as those of their children, until their children reach the age of six. This has greatly contributed, in Japan and several Asian countries, to increased education among expecting mothers, comprehensive care for newborn children and medical exams thereafter.

Japan also attaches particular importance to the basic education of girls. Promotion of girls' education is a key element in the empowerment of women. Education increases women's participation in decision-making and provides economic opportunities. Japan supports programmes to improve girls' access to education, including the creation of separate washroom facilities in schools and the distribution of school lunches to provide incentives for poor families to send girls to school.

Japan is also committed to gender equality. For example, projects providing support for women account for 11 per cent of Japan's technical assistance and 25 per cent of its grants to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders. In 2003, the Government of Japan organized a symposium on eliminating female genital mutilation in Khartoum, Sudan. That practice is deeply rooted in tradition, and there is, therefore, opposition to its elimination. Nevertheless, it is a practice that infringes not only on women's health but also on women's human rights, and there is no question that it must be brought to an end.

As my delegation has mentioned on many occasions, the Government of Japan promotes human security. Human security means the protection of human lives, livelihood and dignity, and the empowerment of individuals. The principles embodied in this concept are largely incorporated in the ICPD Programme of Action. Having said that, I have to note that population is a sensitive issue that touches on individuals' moral decisions and the cultural and traditional values of each society. Therefore, what is most important in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action is partnerships, not only between developed and developing countries, but also among civil society, international organizations and, of course, ordinary people.

Ms. Zbarskaya (Russia)

The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) was a powerful impetus to the international community, including to the Russian Federation, for elaborating and implementing comprehensive national policies for resolving demographic problems in a context of sustainable and long-term economic and social development. We are convinced that the implementation of the objectives of the Cairo Conference will make a substantial contribution to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Over the last ten years, in certain key areas of the ICPD Programme of Action, significant progress has been reached. We must recognize the important role played by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in this process. However, progress in attaining the goals of Cairo has been mixed.

We believe, in this connection, that national and international population programmes should be based on an analysis of the real situation in the developing and developed countries and in countries in transition. Of great importance for assessing the implementation of the decisions taken in Cairo was the European Population Forum 2004, held in January. During the Forum, current demographic trends were analysed, as was experience in resolving the pressing problems confronting all countries of the region.

The last decade has been marked, for the Russian Federation, by difficult and complex population processes. For more than ten years now, the main determining factor for demographic development in our country has been de-population, which has been the result of protracted changes in the reproductive behaviour of families and has led to a significant drop in reproductive rates and an increase in mortality rates. As in many European countries and industrially developed countries, the one-child model for families has become the prevalent model in the Russian Federation.

At a time when the birth rate has practically halved the rate for population reproduction, maintaining and safeguarding reproductive health and rights for Russians has become a top priority. In order to implement our national priorities, the Government of the Russian Federation, after the Cairo Conference, has been engaged in actively elaborating an ideology for a State population policy. In 2001, a concept was endorsed for the demographic development of the Russian Federation up until 2015, which formulated the most important areas of the Russian Federation's public policy in the area of population. The main strategic goals seek to improve the health of the population to increase life expectancy, to lower preventable death rates, particularly for working age men, to stimulate the birth rate and strengthen the family through greater prosperity, by improving the quality of life and living standards, social protection for the family, incentives for people to have children and greater educational outreach on population matters.

As a result, there has been a drop in mortality rates for women by approximately one third during the past decade. There has been a continuing drop in infant mortality and the number of abortions has been cut almost in half. The total birth rate has increased to 130 children per 100 women. The State is trying to meet the needs of the elderly, which is a growing segment of our society -- more than 13 per cent of the population are over 65 years of age.

However, when you evaluate the demographic situation as a whole, and particularly the health of Russian citizens, including their reproductive health, we must recognize that the situation is far from ideal, and the steps being taken to improve the situation are not always effective.

Mortality rates are extremely high, particularly among men of working age. Life expectancy is dropping, the overall morbidity rates are on the rise, and despite some reduction, maternal mortality rates remain approximately two to two and a half times higher than in developed countries. In one out of every four cases, the cause of maternal death is abortion. Artificial interruption of pregnancy is still the most prevalent method of family planning in our country.

The rate of contraceptive use over the last 10 years has been virtually unchanged. They are used by about a fifth of all women of child-bearing age. There has been a surge in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The rapid spread of the disease is because of the spread of HIV/AIDS among drug users. Among HIV-infected persons, 80 per cent are young people under 30 year of age. The Government of the Russian Federation, together with international and Russian public organizations and funds, are taking steps to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, primarily among the most vulnerable risk groups, as well as among adolescents and young people. One of the most important areas for this work is in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission.

An important component in assessing progress made in implementing the goals of the Cairo Conference is a comprehensive analysis of the problem of international migration. The Programme of Action recognizes the positive impact of international migration on the recipient and source countries, as well as on the transit countries. For many reasons, population migration will play a particularly important role in helping to achieve strategically necessary levels of stable demographic development for Russia in future decades. It is through migration that Russia can mitigate the negative effects of depopulation and population ageing in the near future.

At this time when the world is confronting a growing threat of terrorism, obtaining reliable and detailed information about international migration is becoming exceptionally important. One of the major conditions for that is to have uniform standards for statistics relating to international migration. Those standards must become the basis for comprehensive, internationally comparable information for all national statistics offices. We think it is essential to do more work in this area.

In addition to our own efforts, the Government of the Russian Federation attaches great importance to international cooperation in the area of population. For Russia, it is still crucial to have resolute support for our reforms in the sociodemographic sphere. We hope to develop cooperation on those issues, both through our traditional bilateral partners and with our multilateral organizations, including the United Nations system and primarily the United Nations Population Fund.

Mr. Løvald (Norway)

"We are gathered here to answer a moral call to action." These were the opening words of Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Norwegian prime minister, in her keynote address to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo 10 years ago. The Cairo Conference answered the call by formulating a Programme of Action that was a milestone in the history of women's rights and an equally important achievement in the field of population and development.

But even more important, in the course of the last 10 years the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), together with its partners in development, has succeeded in making the Cairo Programme a guiding instrument for action. The Programme has become core thinking and practice internationally, and it is a very encouraging sign that every region in the world is reaffirming its commitment to the Programme. This year's State of the World Population Report shows that significant steps have been taken to follow up the Cairo agenda. We would like to take this opportunity to commend Thoraya Obaid for her commitment and leadership, and to say how much we welcome the news of her continuing three more years in office.

In 2000, world leaders committed the global community to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Meeting the ICPD goals is both consistent with and essential to the achievement of the MDGs. We will not reach the MDGs if we fail to safeguard the reproductive rights and services enshrined in the ICPD Programme of Action.

While focusing on 2015, we are gathered here to reaffirm and reinforce our efforts to meet the Cairo commitments. Gender equality and empowering women continues to be an all-encompassing and paramount challenge. The current high global rate of maternal mortality and incidence of women with birth-related injuries and disabilities tells a story of women without security or rights, disempowered and deprived of human dignity. We need gender equality in order to achieve universal access to reproductive health services, to reduce poverty and to promote sustainable development.

We would like to join the United Nations Population Fund in emphasizing the fact that the fight against HIV/AIDS is linked to reproductive and sexual health. We need an integrated and concerted approach to halting the spread of this pandemic and improving access to reproductive health services. To ignore the link between HIV/AIDS and reproductive health is to miss the opportunity to help millions of women, men and their families and prevent unnecessary suffering and untimely death. We are facing the largest youth generation in history, and we have a common responsibility to secure reproductive rights and universal access to reproductive services, and to prevent and stem the spread of sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, and unwanted pregnancies. This task is more urgent than ever.

Population policies and reproductive health and rights are fundamentally about people. The work of civil society organizations, in partnership with other relevant actors, is an indispensable part of our efforts to reach out to people and to secure their rights.

Norway remains fully committed to the Cairo Programme of Action: the Norwegian Government plans to increase overall official development assistance (ODA) to 0.95 per cent of gross national income (GNI) for the next year, and this includes additional support to the United Nations Population Fund. Education is priority number one in Norwegian international development policy. By focusing on education, with special emphasis on girls, we are addressing the underlying causes of gender imbalance and poverty. The Norwegian Government will shortly be launching a new development strategy for children and youth in the South. The motto of the strategy is: "There is not one reason to promote the rights and welfare of children and youth, there are two billion reasons." The strategy reflects the importance the Government attaches to population issues and sexual and reproductive health and rights issues, and especially its concern about the vulnerability of children and young people.

To reaffirm and reinforce our efforts will be a test of solidarity and ability to act on our commitments.

Mr. Chowdhury (Bangladesh)

Ten years ago in Cairo we reaffirmed that population growth is an important element in the development process. There, we agreed on an action plan with a strong sense of ownership and commitments for partnership. Today, we meet a decade later to take stock of our achievements since then.

Despite a significant drop in the growth rate between 1994 and 2004, 784 million persons have been added to the world population. The growth rate of the least developed countries remained especially high, at 2.4 per cent per year. During the period 2004 to 2015, 52 countries -- accounting for 14 per cent of the world's population -- are still expected to experience growth rates above 2 per cent per year. Of those 52, 31 are least developed countries. Population growth remains a valid and vital issue in development and that renders the achievement of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) goals a categorical imperative.

In Bangladesh, a country of 135 million, through an appropriate macroeconomic and social policy mix we have addressed this problem with a considerable degree of success. Some of that success can be measured in terms of reduced population growth and fertility rates, increased life expectancy and expanded child immunization. I do not intend to burden the Assembly with statistics. I shall, nevertheless, mention a few to underscore my point. The fertility rate in Bangladesh has declined from 6.3 per woman in 1973 to 2.9 in 2000. The contraceptive prevalence rate has reached approximately 54 per cent, as compared with approximately 25 per cent in 1985. The under-five mortality rate has declined from 133 per 1,000 live births in 1992 to 94 in 2000. During the same period the infant mortality rate has also decreased from 94 to 66 per 1,000 live births. Those are but a few examples. In Bangladesh, according to the World Bank, the population growth rate has been reduced at a rate that is unprecedented in recorded history.

The Government is focusing on behavioural-change communication campaigns to promote a wider choice of contraceptives, address adolescent fertility, promote gender equity and equality and improve access to maternal and emergency obstetric care services. Eleven ministries, one private-sector organization, one university and all municipalities are involved in the process of integrating reproductive health and gender concerns into social development efforts. The World Bank stated in a recent report that Bangladesh was undergoing a demographic transition at a low income level without resorting to coercive measures. We thank our bilateral and multilateral development partners for their support. We particularly laud the role of the United Nations Population Fund.

A pragmatic approach by the Government, based on sustained and firm commitments towards ICPD goals, a strategy based on maternal and child health, an extensive network of field workers and clinics, a committed field force with women-to-women services, decentralized service delivery through satellite clinics and Expanded Programme on Immunization centres, all have greatly contributed to those achievements. Nevertheless, we feel it was our investment in education -- for both children and adults -- that has been the most vital element in that process.

For more than a decade education has been accorded one of highest priorities in our fiscal allocations. We have significantly increased the budget for primary, secondary and girl's education, primary health care and social development. We have been able to substantially increase primary school enrolment, which now stands at 80 per cent --one of the highest levels in developing world. We have achieved gender parity in enrolment at the primary and lower secondary levels. Government efforts are being supplemented by non-governmental organizations, with another home-grown concept -- non-formal education -- being implemented with State collaboration. That programme targets children between 8 and 10 years of age who have left or have never attended school. Similar programmes are run for adults, and the adult literacy rate has surged to 64 per cent as compared with 34 per cent a decade ago.

As noted by the Secretary-General, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, cannot be achieved if questions of population and reproductive health are not adequately addressed. Indeed, the full implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action is a sine qua non for the achievement of the MDGs.

Bangladesh remains firmly committed to the principles, goals and targets of the ICPD and the key actions identified in that regard. We believe that development remains primarily a national responsibility -- domestically owned and driven. The initiatives taken so far to that end have been, in our view, moving in the right direction. We are making our best efforts. We have achieved some progress, but they still fall short of the ICPD goals. We remain resource-strapped. To achieve our targets, there must be a greater flow of resources to the developing world from our partners. Responding to the concepts of partnership, the global community has made a series of commitments. They must be honoured. Assurances given must be kept. Assistance is needed to build our capacity for a better future for all -- an aspiration that must be brought to fruition.

Mr. Latheef (Maldives)

Maldives is currently going through an unprecedented phase of social and economic development. Having experienced rapid economic growth and sustained social development during most of the past two decades, population growth rates are now falling steeply.

Current population projections suggest that this year Maldives is witnessing a very momentous stage in its demographic transition. This year, our population include the largest number of adolescents that the country will probably ever have. The repercussions of that demographic wave will be felt for many years to come as those adolescents pass through the various stages of the population age structure.

The most immediate concern of the country at the moment is to expand the job market through economic growth and diversification, while at the same time providing the large numbers of adolescents with the right type of training and skills to enable them to take advantage of the employment opportunities that will be available to them as they become job seekers over the next few years. That calls for a multifaceted approach to address the needs of the adolescents of today. In addition to addressing the issues of adolescent health and nutrition, appropriate policy and adequate investment in the development of human capital during the current decade are crucial for the country's long-term sustainability.

The dispersal of our population across 200 islands scattered over 90,000 square kilometres of ocean presents major challenges in providing essential health-care services -- challenges both for providers and for clients, in terms of costs and timeliness. Furthermore, poor inter-island transport and environmental conditions, such as abrupt and unexpected changes in weather and lack of cultivable land on the islands, make the lack of food security a very real threat for our communities. Those are just some of the harsh realities we have to encounter on a fairly regular basis.

Related to those challenges, recent studies have revealed that undernutrition is a major problem among the Maldivian population. Among children under the age of five, one in four is affected by stunting and 30 per cent are underweight. Those conditions, as we know, are more prevalent among girls: here, Maldives is no exception. Overcoming the problem of undernutrition is a major priority for the country, because we realize its long-lasting implications for the quality of life of individuals and the sustainability of the social and economic development of the whole nation.

Rapid economic growth has increased the developmental gap between the urban and the rural populations. Similarly, it has increased urbanization and urban congestion, creating serious disparities within the urban population. There is an urgent need to address these issues related to urban population growth.

Despite these challenges, Maldives has managed to improve the quality of life of its citizens significantly over the past few decades. Most indicators of social development have improved steadily.

The generous contributions made by our bilateral and multilateral development partners and particularly the support of the United Nations and its various agencies, have been crucial in these achievements. The Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the Millennium Development Goals have been sources of great inspiration that, in addition to providing us with clear directions, have given us the courage and confidence to forge ahead with our development ideals.

We in Maldives take immense pride in these accomplishments. However, we cannot afford to be complacent. Several areas of priority concern remain to be addressed. Issues of population congestion, overcrowded housing, growing youth unemployment and increasing rates of drug abuse and delinquency need to be addressed urgently. Emphasis needs to be placed on enhancing the quality of education and health care, providing employment opportunities for the growing numbers of secondary school leavers and establishing a social safety net for the elderly, the needy and the deprived on a gender-parity basis, while ensuring equity or access both within urban and rural populations and between urban and rural populations.

Overcoming these hurdles could be daunting for Maldives in the face of graduation from least developed country status in the absence of the kind of supportive mechanism that is currently under formulation to sustain socio-economic growth. In this context, I wish to express my profound gratitude to our development partners and to the United Nations system for their understanding and for the care with which they are proceeding to address this important issue.

I should like to assure the Assembly that Maldives remains committed to implementing the ICPD Programme of Action with a renewed spirit. We are confident that our development partners will continue to extend their full support to us in our efforts.

On behalf of my Government and on my own account, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and heartfelt thanks to the United Nations, in particular the United Nations Population Fund, for having organized this gathering. I wish the ICPD every success.

Mr. MacKay (New Zealand)

Population and reproductive health rights are among the most sensitive issues that we confront at the United Nations. They are the most personal of choices. They have fundamental and far-reaching public significance. They are at once issues of human rights and of human development.

The agreement forged at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994 is all the more remarkable given those sensitivities. The Cairo Conference was, in every sense, a landmark event, and, along with others, New Zealand today reflects with pride on that achievement. The ICPD now occupies a place at the centre of the international human rights and development architecture. New Zealand reaffirms it without equivocation.

Ten years on, the Cairo Programme of Action remains as important to New Zealand today as it was then. It is chiefly as a result of that international consensus that progress on these issues has been made. It provided us all with the momentum and the mandate. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has recently signed the World Leaders Statement on ICPD to underscore New Zealand's commitment.

Nevertheless, the facts remain grim. The implementation of reproductive health rights falls short of the target in many parts of the world. Men and women continue to suffer or die in circumstances that are preventable. The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to spread and is having an impact on human development in all regions, including New Zealand's own, the Pacific. These facts demand continuing international attention and accelerated action.

I would like to highlight the concern of my Government that discrimination is continuing to impede access to sexual and reproductive health information and services. All too often, individuals are denied such access because of their age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation or other status, or because they are too poor to afford access to safe care and services. New Zealand calls upon States to eliminate all forms of discrimination in population policy decisions. Prescriptive religious solutions to this problem are as illusory as they are dangerous.

New Zealand would like to commend the very important work of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). New Zealand remains a steadfast supporter of UNFPA's mission and work, and is providing an increasing amount of core and non-core resources to the Fund. Following the withdrawal of one major donor, New Zealand was able to make additional, extraordinary core resources available to UNFPA to help make up the shortfall. We encourage all donors, and other countries in a position to do so, to support UNFPA's work through the provision of adequate funding.

For its part, New Zealand is continuing to grapple with the complex issues of population and reproductive health. New Zealanders, like others, can be reticent about discussing them. New Zealand has seen an increase in unplanned pregnancies, abortion and sexually transmitted infections with long-term consequences for health and fertility. The New Zealand Government is responding by consulting closely with the community and by implementing a sexual and reproductive health strategy.

New Zealand honours its commitment made at Cairo by placing a high priority on the right to sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS education for all and gender equality in our international development assistance programme. We fund programmes that educate and empower people, especially women, by increasing their choices and access to maternal-child health care, sexual and reproductive health care and their ability to protect themselves from and, if necessary, to live with, HIV/AIDS.

Last year, my Government consulted New Zealanders on what they wanted for themselves and their families. The response was clear. They want to be part of a society in which individuals have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy their sexuality, to choose when or if to have children and to keep themselves safe from harm. These are simple wants. They are universal human rights.

On this important occasion, States should put aside politics and look at the facts of population and development. If the world is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, then we must also achieve the ICPD goals. Without one, we cannot achieve the other. Today, New Zealand once more adds its voice to the growing call for the full implementation of the commitments agreed upon at Cairo 10 years ago.

Mr. Pak Gil Yon (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)

I hope that this colourful event will be an important opportunity not only to enhance social awareness of population and development, reproductive health and gender equality issues, but also to reaffirm Member States' political commitments to the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and to the Millennium Development Goals, and to further common efforts and cooperation among Member States.

Insufficient reproductive health services, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, poverty and a lack of financial resources represent major hindrances to resolving population issues. In particular, the economic stagnation and poverty aggravation caused by the negative effects of globalization, as well as all forms of conflict and natural disasters, further complicate the task of resolving population-related issues in the developing countries.

In that regard, I would like briefly to mention the view of my delegation on the concerted efforts of, and cooperation among, Member States to resolve population issues.

First, every country should show firm political will and strong leadership to reaffirm and put into effect its commitment pledged at the ICPD and at the Millennium Summit. It is important for each country to map out and implement a population policy and a national action plan for reproductive health, poverty eradication and economic development that conforms to its own situation, and to concentrate national attention on social issues through concerted efforts and by investing in that area.

Secondly, it is necessary to create a regional and international environment that is favourable to the successful resolution of population issues -- including reproductive health and poverty eradication -- and to active cooperation in that field. It is therefore essential to respect the sovereignty and right to development of other countries and nations, as that will allow for the establishment of a truly cooperative relationship among countries on the basis of the principle of equality, mutual benefit and non-interference in other's internal affairs, with a view to ending unreasonable sanctions and blockades and creating a fair international economic order.

If the developed countries fulfil their commitment to invest 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product in official development assistance and take measures to allocate 4 per cent of official development assistance to population issues, that will be of substantial assistance in resolving issues related to populations, reproductive health and poverty eradication.

Even during the past 10 years -- a difficult period in the history of the country -- the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has made substantial efforts in the area of population and development, in consonance with the realities of the country, as it attaches great importance to the ICPD Programme of Action given the Programme's direct connection with the future development of the country and the improved well-being of the people.

Under the wise leadership of the great leader General Kim Jong Il, the Government has set out the constant improvement of the people's well-being as the supreme principle underlying State activities and has paid close attention and made strong efforts to promote the health of the people and the qualitative growth of the population.

Despite the difficult situation of the country as a result of many years of natural disasters, the Government has continued to enforce laws such as the Law on Public Health, family laws and the Law on Gender Equality. The country has a compulsory and free educational system as well as a free medical care system, thereby taking care of women and children at State and public expense.

The Government has systematically improved women's well-being, including reproductive health services through the "section-doctor system", and has been working to resolve the main population-related issues, such as environmental protection, the urbanization of the population, family planning, and ageing.

The Government has acceded to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, taken an active part in international activities related to population and development, and has strengthened international and regional cooperation in that field.

Reaffirming its support for the ICPD Programme of Action, the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will in future, as it has in the past, continue to make every possible effort to implement the Programme of Action and to closely cooperate with international organizations, including the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the international community in order to promote the well-being of the people and achieve the sustainable development of the country.

Mr. Montealegre (Philippines)

It is an honour for the Philippines to participate in the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The Philippines associates itself with the statement of the representative of Qatar on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

For my delegation, today marks a time for celebration and a moment for reflection. It is a time to celebrate the achievement of the goals set out by the ICPD Programme of Action and an opportunity to contemplate ways to address the lack of -- or slow -- progress in the realization of the commitments made in the area of population and development goals over the past 10 years.

This is also an excellent opportunity to assess our ICPD accomplishments at the national level, share our experiences in achieving them, and identify effective methods for advancing population goals, reproductive health, gender equity and women's empowerment -- all geared to hastening the process of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The population policy of the Philippines underwent a paradigm shift from the context of demographic targeting to a recognition that population is part of the human development agenda. Embodied in a client-centred, integrated reproductive-health approach, the Philippine Population Management Program (PPMP) has been incorporated since 1993 in the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan, focusing on the improvement of the quality of life of the Filipinos.

Over the years, the Philippines has registered milestones in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action in terms of policy reforms, legislative directions, and participation of civil society and other sectors, as well as the use of innovative strategies in the dissemination of information on the Government's population and reproductive-health goals. That implementation was facilitated by the strong support of both the executive and the legislative branches of the Government, leading to major policy and programme changes that address the needs of individuals and families.

On policy reform, the Government's policy under the PPMP is anchored in responsible parenthood, or the ability of couples to decide freely on the timing and size of their families; respect for life, or protection of the lives of the unborn; proper birth spacing; and informed choice, where couples and individuals are provided with all of the necessary information on natural and artificial methods of family planning.

Significant gains were also achieved in the legislative area. These include the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004; the Anti-Rape Law, passed in 1997; the creation of family courts, which have original jurisdiction over cases of domestic violence and other forms of abuse; and the Paternity Act of 1996, which encourages men to take responsibility for their sexual and reproductive behaviour and participate equally with women in all areas of family and household responsibilities.

Other legislative measures passed were aimed at achieving coverage and delivery in the area of health services, such as the National Health Insurance Act and the Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act; the strengthening of the role of women, youth, indigenous peoples and the elderly in development -- such as the Women in Development and Nation-Building Act, the Youth in Nation-Building Act, the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act, and the Senior Citizens Act -- and protecting the welfare of women, children and migrant workers and their families through such measures as the Anti-Discrimination Against Women Act, and the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act, among others.

The past decade also witnessed the active participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private sector and other sectors of civil society such as women, men, labour organizations, youth, academia, the religious sector and the media, in mobilizing support for population issues and reproductive health. They formally organized themselves into alliances for a sustained and synchronized advocacy for policy reforms on population issues and reproductive health.

We likewise made progress in the area of information, education and communication of policies and programmes geared to educate the people about the issues surrounding population and their reproductive health. The Government has adopted both non-traditional and creative approaches, such as theatre presentations, concerts and the literary and creative arts to disseminate and popularize the Government's efforts nationwide.

Moreover, the Philippine Government has undertaken steps towards the following: institutionalizing the Philippine Population Expenditures Account, which is envisioned as a monitoring and advocacy tool for encouraging a greater allocation of resources for population and reproductive health issues; addressing the issues related to service delivery through capacity-building for service providers and partnerships with local Governments, NGOs and the private sector; and encouraging a greater acceptance and practice of family planning methods through the Family Planning Social Acceptance campaign.

Likewise, in support of population data and information management, the Commission on Population of the Philippines, in coordination with the United Nations Population Fund, has developed and installed the Demographic and Socio-Economic Indicator System to address the inadequacy of data on population and reproductive health.

These are some of the landmark achievements and innovative approaches of the Philippines over the last decade on ICPD implementation. However, with a population that stands at 76.5 million since 2002, and a growth rate of 2.3 per cent, the Philippines remains confronted by socio-economic challenges that demand a holistic and comprehensive approach. Cognizant of our commitments to the ICPD goals, the Philippines continues to pursue further efforts to achieve a favourable balance between population distribution and economic activities.

On a final note, the Philippines believes that success in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action depends on the efforts of every sector in individual countries. However, international cooperation would contribute greatly to this implementation, especially in countries that lack adequate resources. In this respect, we call on our developed partners who have not yet done so to do their share in fulfilling their commitments to allocate 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for official development assistance. We also urge them to renew their commitment to the ICPD and fulfil the agreed targets for financial assistance.

Lastly, it is imperative for the General Assembly to look at the phenomenon of migration in line with the ICPD goals. There is a need for closer international cooperation between the various countries involved, in order to fully manage the phenomenon of migration in an era of increasing globalization.

Mr. Al-Sibai (Syria)

I would like to commend the efforts of Ms. Thoraya Obaid, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), for her efforts to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which was held in Cairo in 1994. Its agenda included a set of principles, goals and procedures to deal with population and development issues and with the great challenges they pose in a way that achieves balance and coordination in the mutual relationship between population and economic growth within the framework of sustainable development. These goals are also aimed at meeting the population, development, social and environmental needs for current and future generations and at raising the level and quality of life in different fields.

Since the ICPD was held in Cairo, the Syrian Arab Republic has undertaken many measures and policies that focus on achieving the principles and objectives that were set out by the ICPD. The most important of these are the following.

First, in order to include population issues in development strategies, a national population conference was held in Damascus in November 2001, under the slogan of "Harmony between population growth and socio-economic growth." Secondly, we have included, in the ninth five-year plan, for socio-economic development for the years 2001 to 2005, a special section on population objectives, with the purpose of incorporating demographic changes in development plans and harmony between socio-economic and population growth. Thirdly, we have promoted strengthening the role of civil society in the process of development. Fourthly, the National Population Committee was formed on 30 January 2003, under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister and with the participation of the relevant ministers, leaders of non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations. Moreover, subcommittees were formed on the subject of population and health throughout the provinces of Syria.

As for improving the quality of life for Syria's population and combating poverty, more investments were made in the area of human resources and the generation of income, especially for those of limited income. An unemployment association was established, aimed at resolving the unemployment problem by granting soft loans for small and medium-sized projects, especially to youth. New rolling funds were also set up in rural areas.

With regard to the empowerment of women and achieving gender equality and equity, the following efforts were made. First, support was given to micro-enterprises run by women in the form of rolling funds. Secondly, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was ratified in 2002. Thirdly, women were given the right to inherit their pension funds. Fourthly, a general association for the family was established in order to strengthen the role of the family in society. Fifthly, Syria continued to expand the participation of women in the legislative, executive and judicial branches of Government and various decision-making circles.

In terms of reproductive health, the infrastructure for reproductive health service providers was improved and access to reproductive health services was facilitated. Women's rights to receive services and information on reproductive health were affirmed, the staff that offer those services were developed and trained and youth were enabled to have access to reproductive health care.

We also implemented programmes and established national funds that focus on the following issues: health, reproductive health, strategies for family planning, and the development of population strategies, incentives and awareness-raising strategies. We also coordinated closely with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) within the framework of the national programmes of coordination between Syria and UNFPA, the most recent of which was the sixth national programme for 2002 to 2006.

All these efforts led to a decrease in the population growth rate from 3.4 in 1994 to almost 2.45 at present. Moreover, there was an increase in school enrolment and a decrease in maternal mortality rates to 65.4 for every 100,000 live births. There was an also increase in life expectancy, which is now 70 years for males and 71 for females and an improvement in and spread of reproductive health services.

We must exert more effort in the field of the population issues that are in line with the directives of our President, as stated in his speech during the eighth legislative round in March 2003. In that statement, he said that we must not forget to focus on the most urgent issue, which is the high growth rate of the population in Syria, which consumes any increase in economic growth rates, causes an increase in unemployment and hinders the provision of basic services to citizens.

All countries of the world face the problem of mobilizing their resources. The Government of Syria is working to provide and secure the financial resources required for national activities carried out in accordance with the Cairo Programme of Action and the Millennium Development Goals, which are financed from the Government's regular budget and by non-governmental and civil society organizations and UNFPA.

Since 2002, the Syrian Government has increased its contribution to the regular resources of the Fund from 10 to 15 per cent of the total spending on projects. That came from Government regular resources. Moreover, our contribution will increase again in 2005, and to support projects in Syria, we will allocate special funding for the purchase of family planning needs, to be put at the disposal of UNFPA to carry out their programmes. However, the resources currently available are inadequate. Resources for implementing projects and programmes in the area of population, development and reproductive health are insufficient, but the Government is seeking to increase such resources in order to cover the expenses of implementing the aforesaid projects.

We have also made efforts to carry out a national population strategy in order to ensure economic benefits and achieve linkage between population growth and economic growth in order to improve the quality of life and to fulfil human development and sustainable development needs in line with the Millennium Development Goals.

Mr. Toro Jiménez (Venezuela)

We are meeting today to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development. The Conference unanimously adopted the Programme of Action, which, in 1994, defined for the next 20 years the collective course of international and national policies to assist our Governments in implementing measures for reproductive health, the rights of women and a healthy, balanced and productive population. On this occasion, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reaffirms its commitment, shared by 179 countries, to carry out policies and programmes inspired by the principles underlying the Programme of Action.

Our Constitution of 1999 fully incorporates the legal and political principles concerning the population, economic growth and sustainable development. The Constitution provides the framework for the plan for the nation's economic and social development for the period from 2001 to 2007 in the areas of social and territorial equilibrium. Those guidelines are in accordance with the commitments made at the Cairo Conference.

In accordance with the international community's aspirations and national efforts to eradicate poverty and inequality, as established in the Millennium Declaration and the Cairo Conference, my Government is carrying out at the national level, with extrabudgetary resources, a campaign against poverty through a set of programmes in the areas of education, health, labour, food and income improvement. Those programmes work to eliminate illiteracy, create opportunities for studies for those excluded from secondary and university education, and provide primary health care for those suffering diseases engendered by poverty. The campaign is being carried out with support from the sister Republic of Cuba. The programmes also include training for productive work in order to reduce unemployment, plans to encourage farming in order to encourage domestic development and strengthen national sovereignty and immediate attention to the most urgent food needs of the poor. All those plans are part of the so-called missions to encourage harmonious coordination of the various sectors of our national development.

One of the first results has been that we have improved life expectancy. In addition, according to the most recent indicators, 8 per cent of the Venezuelan population, which has been poor for more than 200 years, is now beginning to emerge from poverty. There are other important advances. For example, in the area of legislation, I should mention the adoption of the organic law on the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents and the law on violence against women and the family, as well as the creation and functioning of the National Institute for Women, which has been given considerable resources. In addition, we have instituted gender equality in the Bolivarian Schools.

The commemoration of the International Conference on Population and Development taking place at this important moment of international life gives States greater opportunities for economic and technological resources in order to encourage sustainable development and mobilize and optimize human and financial resources to solve special and general problems in this area.

Today's meeting is propitious for renewing the political will that inspired us on that occasion and for encouraging new alliances and commitments to improve the quality of life of human beings, thus enabling them to fully enjoy their rights, with vision and a conviction in a new humanism.

Mr. Rastam (Malaysia)

My delegation associates itself with the statement made earlier by the representative of Qatar on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) offers us another opportunity to assess our achievements and look for further solutions to whatever constraints we face in the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and, ultimately, the Millennium Development Goals. The five-year review of the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD+5) showed that the ICPD goals were relevant and that much progress had been made in advancing them. At the same time, it was recognized that more concerted action was also needed in a few areas, and additional benchmarks were set for four priority issues: education and literacy, reproductive health care, maternal mortality reduction and HIV/AIDS.

As we commemorate the tenth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, ICPD+10, today, I would like to state that Malaysia reaffirms its full commitment to the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. We have initiated changes when