From: Langston Goree [kimo@iisd.org] Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 1999 8:54 PM To: 'enb@iisd.org' Subject: ICPD +5 Informal Consultations - Day 1 EARTH NEGOTIATIONS BULLETIN INFORMAL BRIEFING NOTE PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (IISD) ICPD+5 PREPCOM: INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS Wednesday, 5 May 1999 This informal briefing note was written and edited by Chris Spence spencechris@hotmail.com of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin Team. The Commission on Population and Development acting as the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the Special Session of the UN General Assembly for the review and appraisal of implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development convened for informal consultations at UN headquarters in New York. The aim of these informal consultations is to advance negotiations on proposals for key actions for further implementation of the Programme of Action (POA), as contained in the Chair’s revised working paper (E/CN.9/1999/CRP.1/Rev.2). Negotiations began when the PrepCom met from 24 March - 1 April 1999. However, as the PrepCom was unable to finish its work, it scheduled informal consultations for 5 - 7 May 1999 aimed at furthering negotiations so the proposals for key actions can be submitted to the Special Session for its consideration and adoption when it meets from 30 June - 2 July 1999. Delegates made progress in morning, afternoon and evening sessions negotiating the Chair’s revised working paper, reaching agreement on many of the outstanding paragraphs in the sections on partnerships and collaborations and on mobilizing resources INFORMAL CONSULTATIONS Chair Anwarul Karim Chowdhury (Bangladesh) opened the PrepCom’s informal consultations by thanking those present for being so accommodating in scheduling this meeting. Confirming that negotiations will be conducted ad referendum for formal adoption at a later date, he called delegates’ attention to parts of the Chair’s revised working paper yet to be negotiated, including all of the sections on partnerships and collaborations and on mobilizing resources, most of the introduction and part of the sub-section on promoting adolescent sexual and reproductive health. He stated that a number of other paragraphs had been bracketed and additional paragraphs proposed that required negotiation. On procedural matters, he noted that the question of NGO accreditation for the Special Session needs to be addressed. PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS In negotiations during morning and afternoon sessions on partnerships and collaborations, delegates agreed on text for eight of the ten relevant paragraphs, with several new paragraphs set down for further deliberation. In discussing governments’ role in facilitating the involvement of civil society, GUYANA (on behalf of the G-77/CHINA) deleted reference to governments removing legal and bureaucratic obstacles. The US added a reference to “autonomy” and GERMANY (speaking for the EU) included the need to deliver benefits to poor people’s health, including sexual and reproductive health (SRH). On the proposal that governments include representatives of NGOs in country delegations to regional and international forums, the G-77/CHINA removed reference to “women’s, youth and indigenous organizations” and replaced it with “local community groups.” On the role of governments and international organizations in creating and supporting mechanisms to build and sustain partnerships with relevant groups, the US added reference to human resource development, and, in discussing civil society’s role, added that the need to work with a wide range of relevant groups should be a task for governments as well as civil society. In discussing governments’ need to encourage partnerships with the private and informal sectors, the G- 77/CHINA introduced several amendments, including reference to “quality” health services, and on external funding and support for South-South cooperation, MEXICO replaced “roster” with “updated information” that should be disseminated as well as compiled. Delegates could not agree on wording for paragraphs outlining the roles of parliamentarians and the collective role of governments, international organizations and financial institutions to provide resources necessary for the effective participation of national civil society, and these were set aside for discussion at a later stage of the consultations. MOBILIZING RESOURCES On the need for increased political will and international assistance to accelerate POA implementation, the G-77/CHINA added “reaffirmation of the commitment” for mobilization and CANADA included the need for political will “from all governments.” Delegates could not agree on wording for the paragraph on mobilizing financial resources required for full POA implementation, and this was set aside for negotiation at a later stage of the consultations. Discussion on mobilizing resources continued late into Wednesday evening. This informal issue of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (c) (enb@iisd.org) is written and edited by Chris Spence . The Editor is Pamela Chasek, Ph.D. (pam@iisd.org) and the Managing Editor is Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI (kimo@iisd.org). The Sustaining Donors of the Bulletin are The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Canada (through CIDA), the United States (through USAID), the Swiss Agency for Environment, Forests and Landscape and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID). General Support for the Bulletin during 1999 is provided by the German Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU) and the German Federal Ministry of Development Cooperation (BMZ), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Community (DG-XI), the Ministries of Environment and Foreign Affairs of Austria, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Environment of Norway, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Environment of Finland, the Government of Sweden, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Ministry for the Environment in Iceland. The Bulletin can be contacted by e-mail at (enb@iisd.org) and fax:+1-212-644-0206. IISD can be contacted at 161 Portage Avenue East, 6th Floor, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0Y4, Canada. The opinions expressed in the Earth Negotiations Bulletin are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD and other funders. Excerpts from the Earth Negotiations Bulletin may be used in non-commercial publications only and only with appropriate academic citation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Langston James "Kimo" Goree VI Managing Director, IISD Reporting Services Earth Negotiations Bulletin - /linkages/journal/ Sustainable Developments - /linkages/buzz/ International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) -- United Nations Office 212 E. 47th St. Apt. 21F - New York, NY 10017 ENB Tel.: +1 212 644 0204 Direct line: +1 212 644 0217 Fax: +1 212 644 0206 Email: kimo@iisd.org Urgent short pages to iridium.1631475148@pagenet.net Travel: Costa Rica 7-11 May, Geneva 13-16 May, Paris 17-18 Linkages WWW server: http://enb.iisd.org/