Population Conference Grapples With Poverty, HIV-AIDS, Family Planning

Region Cannot Confront Challenges Effectively Without Addressing Population and Reproductive Health

BANGKOK (United Nations Information Services) -- The Ministerial level of the Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference moved into high gear today, as Ministers and high-level officials from over 40 Asian and Pacific Governments began work to reach a consensus, recommending various forms of action in the areas of population and poverty eradication.

The Ministerial Segment of the Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference, held at the United Nations Conference Centre, was opened this morning by H.E. Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand. In his inaugural address, Prime Minister highlighted the work accomplished by the Senior Officials who met from 11 to 14 December. "The Senior Officials as well as NGO representatives from our respective countries have deliberated extensively during the previous week on a wide range of issues relating to population, development and poverty, including such important issues as ageing, international migration, adolescent reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS", said the Prime Minister.

"The recommendations emanating from these discussions provide us with important guidance for interventions and policies to promote informed choice, create opportunities, reduce poverty, and improve the welfare and quality of life of our peoples," he said. Home to more than 62 % of the world's population and two-thirds of its poorest inhabitants - and two of the most populous countries - the challenges facing Governments in the Asian and Pacific region are formidable.

A message from Mr. Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General read out by Mr. Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) stated "the Millennium Development Goals, particularly the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, cannot be achieved if questions of population and reproductive health are not squarely addressed". And that meant strengthening efforts to promote women's rights, and greater investment in education and health, including reproductive health and family planning. "I hope your Conference will provide new impetus for the full and thorough implementation of these blueprints, and thereby advance the population and development agenda for the 21st century".

"There continues to be considerable unmet need for reproductive health information and family planning services, both among married couples and - increasingly in some societies - among adolescents and unmarried youth," said Mr. Kim Hak-Su, "I think each us realizes we cannot confront (the challenges) effectively unless we address the issues of population and reproductive health," Mr. Kim said in a speech to the Ministers. "Despite the enormity of these challenges, I have hope that solutions will be implemented", he said.

Emphasizing the importance of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (adopted in Cairo in 1994), Ms. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA said: "The ICPD Programme of Action and the Key Actions of ICPD's five-year review are beautifully balanced documents, giving space to everything from voluntary abstinence to meeting unmet needs for family planning, and include carefully crafted language on abortion and adolescents, which articulates the common agreement among the participants in all their diverse cultures, religions, values and practices".

"The language of the ICPD Programme of Action is extremely clear. There is no hidden agenda, nor any secret codes. The ICPD Programme of Action states, and I quote: 'In no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning. All Governments and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are urged to strengthen their commitment to women's health, to deal with the impact of unsafe abortion as a major public health concern and to reduce the recourse to abortion through expanded and improved family planning services....' Unquote (para.8.25). This paragraph means exactly what it says, no more, no less", Ms. Obaid stressed. She continued: "Let me also state once more, since it has been called into question: the meaning of the phrases "reproductive health" and "reproductive rights" are not in doubt. The components of reproductive health are safe motherhood; voluntary family planning; protection from and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and protection from gender-based violence", she said. "The phrase 'reproductive health services' is not code for the promotion or support for 'abortion services'. Nothing in the proceedings at Cairo, or the five-year review, justifies describing them as such."

Professor Steven W. Sinding, Director-General of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) said in his statement: "Many countries in the Asia-Pacific Region have made great strides in implementing the historic Cairo Programme of Action. In particular, we are disappointed to see that Governments have failed to meet the financial commitments that they made in Cairo.

The Ministerial Conference is expected to adopt a Plan of Action emphasizing the need to address population issues - including reproductive health, gender equality, HIV/AIDS and migration - as a key contribution to reducing poverty in the region and meeting the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of halving by 2015 the number of people living on less than US$1 day.

Co-organized by UNESCAP and the UNFPA, the Conference is the only ministerial-level UNESCAP meeting of the year 2002. It is the fifth in a series of decennial conferences, convened to promote regional cooperation in the field of population and to consider a wide range of population issues and their impact on social and economic development and poverty.

The Conference is scheduled to conclude tomorrow, Tuesday, 17 December 2002.

For further information, please contact:
Mr. David Lazarus, Chief, United Nations Information Services, UNESCAP, United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: (+66) 02 288 1864-9; Fax: (66+2) 28810523; Email: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

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