ENB:06:24
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WORKING GROUP I
XII. TECHNOLOGY, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
A. Basic Data Collection and Analysis: In 12.6bis(a), Zambia affirmed the importance of training programmes. In 12.6bis(b) (international migration data), Brazil emphasized inclusion of developing countries. Turkey wanted inclusion of demographics in reference to such data.
B. Reproductive Health Research: In 12.9 (new technologies), the Holy See objected to the recommendation of barrier methods and proposed "appropriate methods" instead. The Philippines, supported by Cuba and Canada, suggested inclusion of microbicides and viricides in relation to barrier methods. Mali said that emphasis should be placed on sexually transmitted diseases and added the term "/AIDS" after "HIV." He also requested that the reference to pregnancy in the last line be deleted. In 12.10 (special research), India suggested that special research should be undertaken on factors inhibiting male participation in family planning. The Philippines, supported by Canada, Nepal and the Pacific Island Countries, requested inclusion of appropriate technologies. In 12.11 (public and private partnership), Estonia, supported by Albania, Poland and the EU, suggested inclusion of countries with economies in transition. The Pacific Island countries wanted to ensure that all legal and ethical standards are met. The EU supported inclusion of least developed countries, but requested deletion of the reference to knowledge-sharing. The Philippines, Kenya, Vietnam, and India wanted inclusion of the term. Estonia offered "sharing of experience" as a compromise. Pakistan said that developed countries must be committed to assisting developing countries in carrying out their programmes. The Chair offered "knowledge, experience and technical expertise" as compromise wording.
In 12.13 (unsafe abortion), Argentina, supported by Peru and Honduras, called for research on abortion and the related the risks. Peru, supported by Cuba, asked that research be applied to all forms of abortion. In 12.13bis (periodical abstinence), Norway, supported by the EU and the US, called for enhanced research on natural fertility regulation methods. In 12.16 (interlinkages), India added poverty alleviation to the interlinkages. The Pacific Island countries included indigenous practices in development issues. In 12.18 (policy-oriented research), Pakistan, supported by Bangladesh, said that the focus should not be limited to critically endangered areas. India felt that the paragraph was balanced, while Brazil thought it was too narrow in focus. In 12.22 (causes of differentials), Honduras wanted inclusion of research on contraceptive and IUD-related deaths. Burundi added reference to infant as well as maternal morbidity in the last line. The Chair reminded delegates that paragraphs 12.8(a) (achievement of universal reproductive and sexual health), 12.9 (research to improve and develop new contraceptive methods), 12.10 (contraceptives for men), and 12.13 (abortion research) have not yet been fully accepted and remain bracketed.
III. INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION, SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The G-77 and China expressed their concerns that the Chair's draft text did not sufficiently reflect their proposed amendments, many of which actually were based on agreed text, such as Agenda 21. The G-77 called for a general discussion on the overall substance of the text with comments to be transmitted to the Secretariat for redrafting. The EU preferred a more specific paragraph-by-paragraph review. The Chair noted that over 175 interventions had been made for Chapter III and emphasized the impossibility of fully incorporating all these interventions into the draft text.
The Chair proposed that delegates focus first on the objectives section, with discussion to proceed on the actions, followed by the basis for action. The Chair added that unresolved concerns could be addressed in informal consultations after the completion of the afternoon session.
In 3.4 (objective for Section A), India and Nigeria proposed language referring to "the alleviation of poverty and for sustained economic growth to improve the quality of life in the context of sustainable development." Brazil suggested reference to the "goal of meeting the needs of present generations and improving the quality of life without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." After lengthy discussion, delegates tentatively agreed to divide the paragraph in two. The first objective refers to the "goal of meeting the needs of present generations and improving the quality of life without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." The second objective refers to "integration of population factors in development planning and resource allocation at all levels and in all regions." Since the proposed text was not fully accepted, the Chair asked delegates to work out compromise language in time for Friday morning's session.
In 3.13 (objective for Section B), the G-77 added human development together with sustained economic growth and poverty eradication as the context within which population policies are to be formulated. The G-77 called for deletion of the second sentence, which refers to the importance of eliminating social and economic discrimination against women. Several developing countries, including Colombia, India, and Iran expressed their firm support for the deletion of this reference. Australia and the US called for its retention. Delegates agreed to divide the objective section in two. The first objective takes into account the G-77 proposal to refer to adequate instead of appropriate population policies, as well as the EU's reference to human rights. The second objective is based on the US proposal to include children and women as the poorest of the poor, as well as the Swiss and Nordic proposal to take into account economic development and the sound balance between population and resource availability. Agreement could not be reached on the proposed deletion of the reference to discrimination against women. The Chair called for informal consultations to resolve the matter within the following 18 hours.