ENB @ ICPD+5 PrepCom/UNGASS-21, New York June-July 1999


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UN Commission on Population and Development
Resumed Session of the ICPD+5 PrepCom
24 - 29 June 1999
Twenty-first Special Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGASS-21)
30 June - 2 July 1999
UN Headquarters, New York

Highlights for 30 June: briefings, photos and RealAudio

Delegates at the 21st Special Session of the UN General Assembly heard statements from 48 high-level governmental officials on the review and appraisal of implementation of the ICPD's Programme of Action in morning, afternoon and evening Plenary sessions. In addition, representatives of seven UN agencies and five NGOs addressed the Committee of the Whole. Delegates continued informal consultations on bracketed paragraphs relating to plans to meet young people's needs, sex education and adolescent sexual and reproductive health late into the night and came close to reaching a consensus.

Special Session: Dider Opertti, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Uruguay and President of the GA's 53rd regular session, was elected President of the Special Session. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan addressed the General Assembly. PrepCom Chair Chowdhury presented the Report of the Commission on Population and Development acting as the Preparatory Committee for the Special Session. The debate on the overall review and appraisal of the Programme of Action of the ICPD commenced with a speech by Alberto Fujimori, President of Peru. Delegates then heard statements from three Vice-Presidents and Deputy Prime Ministers, 22 Ministers and 22 other high-level government officials.

Click here for statements made by governments to the 21st Special Session of the UN General Assembly

Addressing the General Assembly, Secretary-general Kofi Anna called upon delegates to reaffirm the pledges made in Cairo. He said the Special Session provides a unique opportunity to confront one of the greatest challenges of the next century.

Alberto Fujimori, President of Peru, addresses the General Assembly, discussed the problems developing countries face, highlighting the situation of Peru in particular

Committee of the Whole: Nafis Sadik, UNFPA Executive Director, and Joseph Chamie, Director of the UN DESA Population Division, addressed the Committee of the Whole. Delegates also heard speeches from UN agencies and NGOs.

UNFPA Executive Director Nafis Sadik addressed the Committee of the Whole. She said the ICPD consensus demonstrates the effectiveness of international partnership and cooperation. She noted that since Cairo countries have, inter alia: integrated population into broader development policies; taken action to promote gender equity and equality; integrated family planning into broad and inclusive reproductive health services while giving safe motherhood appropriate attention; and addressed unsafe abortion as a serious public health problem.

Joseph Chamie, Director of the UN DESA Population Division. Using a piggy bank filled with 200 pennies to illustrate his point, he said that 3 billion people, half of the world's population, have less than 200 pennies per day. He stressed that financial resources are essential for all development efforts and stated that population must be considered when addressing any major global issue. He emphasized the need to base commitments and actions on sound data and solid scientific research.

The Twenty-first Special Session of the General Assembly convened in the morning and began its debate on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development . . . .

President of Peru Alberto Fujimori and Secretary-general Kofi Annan attend a luncheon hosted by the Secretary-general in honor of the participants attending the Special Session of the General Assembly (right)

President of Peru Alberto Fujimori and Secretary-general Kofi Annan after a meeting (right)

Mr. Gustavo Bell, Vice-President of Colombia addresses the Special Session of the General Assembly (left)

Secretary-general Kofi Annan addresses the General Assembly

Informal Consultations continued late into the night . . . . Negotiations continued in the afternoon and evening. Chair Chowdhury produced a "package" text containing compromise language for 13(a), 23(a)bis and paragraphs 52(a), (e) and (f) on adolescent SRH. Key elements of the package consisted of: meeting the needs of youth "with the active support, guidance and participation, as appropriate, of parents, families, communities, NGOs and the private sector" in 13(a); including "at all levels, as appropriate, of formal and non-formal schooling, education about population and health issues, including sexual and reproductive health issues" and ensuring "the active participation of parents" in 23(a)bis; and ensuring adolescents' access to information, counseling and health services "with due respect for the rights, duties and responsibilities of parents" in 52(e). A number of delegates said they needed to receive the text in official UN languages, have more time to review the package of compromise text, and consult with their superiors. Although many indicated difficulty with portions of the text, most delegates expressed their willingness to join the emerging consensus. Chair Chowdhury noted that delegates required more time to consider the package and that not all delegations were happy with all of the text, but stressed that if all delegations were unhappy, this indicated that a good consensus had been achieved. He appealed to delegates to demonstrate the same spirit of compromise with the remaining two paragraphs on abortion and rights, and drew consultations to a close at 11:30 pm.

Informal consultations adjourned for a dinner break before continuing into an evening session.

Panel on Population and Development sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund. . . .

The panel was moderated by Louise Frechette, Deputy Seretary-General (not pictured)

UNFPA Executive Director Nafis Sadik and Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs

Her Royal Highness, Princess Basma Bint Talal, the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, Jordan spoke on Partnership with Civil Society, particularly with NGOs

Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, spoke on population and the evironment

Hon. Hajat Janet Mukwaya, Minister of Youth, Gender and Community Development, Uganda (left) speaks on Youth and Population.

Dr. Sadik with Hon. Mukwaya and Dr. Ida Bagus Professor Barbara Bailey, Regional Director, Center for Gender and Development Studies, University of the West Indies, Jamaica, who spoke on Gender Equality and Equity and the Empowerment of Women

Not pictured is Professor Dr. Ida Bagus Oka, State Minister of Population, Indonesia who addressed Population and Development Strategies

Linkages coverage of the ICPD	ENB coverage of the Hague Forum, February 1999
UNFPA ICPD+5 website	ENB coverage of the ICPD+5 PrepCom, March 1999
UNFPA homepage	NGO Forum for the Hague Forum