Written  1:44 PM  Sep  8, 1994 by icpd:ngonet in igc:icpd.general
	---------- "WFS: Sadik defends Draft Programme" ----------
	Copyright, Women's Feature Service, All Rights Reserved

	Sadik Defends Draft Programme of Action
	By Ajoa Yeboah Afari



Cairo, Sept. 5 (WFS) --You could tell who was the star of the show
as soon as Dr. Nafis Sadik, Secretary-General of the ICPD, walked
into the hall for her first press briefing. As if by magic, a horde
of photographers materialised as she took her seat, and video and
still cameras jostled frantically for positions. 

But not for long. Grim-faced security men rushed up to distance the
popping flashguns from the dais -- a telling reflection of security
concerns emanating from the controversy surrounding the population
conference that Dr. Sadik is piloting.

Dr. Sadik said although the controversy surrounding one or two
aspects of the conference's draft Programme of Action threatened to
obscure its main purpose, in fact it supports both religious
precepts as well as worldly practice.  

Countering criticism that the draft threatens the family
institution, Dr. Sadik stressed that the Programme of Action
supports and seeks to strengthen the family, the vulnerable members
of society, and the weakest of the international community. "Above
all, it is a document based on moral grounds. The Programme of
Action is not laying down the moral law, but it includes the moral
dimension."    

She emphasised that the final Programme of Action would be designed
by all the nations represented at the conference, and in the
tradition of the United Nations system each nation could air its
problems, as well as its suggestions. 

Touching on the issues of reproductive health and personal choice,
which are also at the centre of the criticisms against the draft
document, Dr. Sadik said a key objective was to meet the needs of
families and individuals, especially women. 

"On the grounds of social justice alone, I believe there is the
strongest possible cause for emphasising equality for women. But
the case is even stronger than that. As many countries have now
demonstrated, higher literacy, better health and slower population
growth are the best basis for economic development. And the fact is
that none of these aims can be achieved without involving women as
actors, and agents, as well as beneficiaries." 

Dr. Sadik said the measures called for in the Programme of Action
are simple and undramatic, and call for no great strides in
technology or vast transfers of resources from North to South.
However, implementation would call for commitment to change and
dynamism.

"Based on the highest of moral and ethical principles, it is a
reminder to every country that they are responsible for the quality
of life of every individual." That, she said, was the real
challenge of the programme. 

"We must not allow poor health care in pregnancy to take the lives
of 500,000 women, and to destroy the health of ten times that
number, to say nothing of the 3 million infants' lives lost in the
first week of life as a result of poor pregnancy management. That 
is morally unacceptable."  

On the issue of abortion, which has been the focus of criticisms of
the draft, Dr. Sadik said the facts should be faced squarely. There
are some 50-60 million abortions each year, and between 70,000 and
200,000 women die annually from unsafe abortions. 

Dr. Sadik expressed confidence that by the end of the conference
the Programme of Action will be approved.   

Asked to comment on the effect of the seeming alliance between the
Vatican and some Muslim leaders against the objectives of the ICPD,
Dr. Sadik quipped: "Well, the controversy has been successful in 
creating a lot of international interest in the conference."
Another concern raised related to a possible conflict between
previous population strategies of concentrating on development and
the current objective of empowerment of women. To this Dr. Sadik
responded that in her view there was no contradiction, because
empowerment of women is development. 

"There is a common misconception that development is only economic
development..."