 |
FOREWORD
Ten
years ago, the International Conference on Population
and Development (ICPD) was held in Cairo. Government
representatives from 179 nations worldwide convened
with development partners and civil society to agree
on a vision for population and development that was
focused on a path where individual rights, needs and
aspirations met national goals and the needs of future
generations. The Conference marked a historic shift
in the population discourse, from population numbers
to improving human lives.
A
20-year Programme of Action, with clearly defined
goals and objectives and indicators to measure progress,
was adopted by the Conference. Among these goals were
universal primary education, with special emphasis
on closing the gender gap, significant reductions
in maternal, child and infant mortality and universal
access to reproductive health services.
The
year 2004 marks the tenth anniversary of the Cairo
Conference and it is an appropriate time to take stock
of where we stand. In 2003, the United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA) conducted a global survey to appraise
national experiences, advances and constraints in
implementing the ICPD Programme of Action. The global
survey showed that while there were many achievements
to be celebrated, we must work even harder in the
coming years if we are to deliver on the ICPD commitments.
This
report, prepared collaboratively by ESCAP and UNFPA,
offers a regional perspective on the progress made
towards achieving the ICPD goals and identifies emerging
challenges and opportunities in Asia and the Pacific
within the context of poverty reduction.
The
Asian and Pacific region is home to 60 per cent of
the world's population and the vast majority of the
world's poor. Governments in the region are overwhelmingly
committed to the ICPD vision for human development,
economic progress and environmental preservation.
In 2002, ESCAP hosted the Fifth Asian and Pacific
Population Conference, where a Plan of Action on Population
and Poverty was adopted. Previously, countries and
territories in the region had adopted the Bali Declaration
on Population and Sustainable Development as a blueprint
that would guide their actions in the field of population
and development into the new millennium.
As
this regional analysis demonstrates, Asia and the
Pacific has come a long way. Most countries have taken
steps to integrate population concerns into socio-economic
development strategies and adopted legislative measures
to protect women's rights and policies to empower
women. Some countries have achieved universal primary
education and succeeded in eliminating the gender
gap in education, while nearly all have increased
access to reproductive heath services and schools.
Yet
the region is facing many new concerns, such as population
ageing, urbanization and migration, both internal
and international, the growing danger of an HIV/AIDS
pandemic and widespread environmental degradation.
Furthermore, the formidable challenges of achieving
gender equality, ensuring reproductive rights and
eradicating poverty remain daunting. Ultimately, this
report emphasizes that the alleviation of poverty
cannot be achieved if population and reproductive
health issues are not effectively addressed.
To achieve our common goals, ESCAP and UNFPA are committed
to building the capacity of countries in the region
to manage their own solutions to emerging and persistent
development challenges. Our purpose is to foster good
governance and the changes in attitudes and value
systems that will ensure equal rights and opportunities
for a decent life to all human beings.
Through
this publication, we call upon our partners in the
development community to reaffirm the ICPD vision
and accelerate efforts to translate commitments into
action and action into results. Ultimately, the test
will be on the ground, i.e., whether we can transform
the lives of the poor, especially women, in discernible
ways.
|
