Daily report for 5 September 1994

OPENING PLENARY

ICPD Secretary-General Nafis Sadik opened the Conference Mondaymorning at 9:30 am. The Conference then adopted: the rules ofprocedure; the agenda; the organization of work, includingestablishment of the Main Committee; participation ofintergovernmental organizations in the work of ICPD; appointment ofmembers of the Credentials Committee and adoption of Report ofCredentials Committee; and consideration of the chapters of thedraft Programme of Action.

UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali welcomed delegates toCairo and noted that the ICPD is a turning point for therelationship between population and development in addressing manyimportant issues, including poverty, the role of women, environmentand development. He highlighted three principles for the ICPD:demands made in a world whose population is growing rapidly;tolerance regarding the ethical and religious issues relating topopulation measures that must be displayed on a mutual basis; andconscience that would allow us the right to carry out our lives,but with full respect for other rights, particularly for women.

His Excellency, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of Egypt, was thenelected President of the Conference. Mubarak hoped that the ICPDwill be a bridge between North, South, East and West and outlinedthe goals to be realized in the ICPD, including free dialogue ruledby a spirit of solidarity and shared responsibility, and a balancedsatisfaction of spiritual and material needs. He noted that therelationship between population and development must be translatedinto an integrated vision that would pay more attention toeducation, health services and the role of women, in conformitywith religious and ethical values.

ICPD Secretary-General Nafis Sadik welcomed delegates andhighlighted the involvement of many countries, IGOs, NGOs and themedia. She called on delegates to work on the action-oriented draftProgramme of Action to address the empowerment of women, education,health and family planning services.

Prime Minster Gro Harlem Brundtland (Norway) asked participants toturn away from the media dramatization of the Conference and tofocus on the issues of education and health, particularly forwomen. She sought a pledge to change policies that would promotewomen's needs and ensure social development and stated that thebenefits of successful population policies result in savings inpublic expenditures. She highlighted the importance of the ICPD inaddressing the spread of STDs and also stated that she did notunderstand how the term "reproductive health" could be read assupporting abortion.

Vice President Albert Gore (US), noted that the rapid andunsustainable growth of population is a grave problem, especiallyin the lives of women and girls. The education and empowerment ofwomen, literacy and the availability of contraceptives must occurin a holistic manner. He pointed out that the US did not seek toestablish an international right to abortion, since policy makingshould be within the purview of each Government.

Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan) stated that as a woman, amother, a wife and the leader of the largest democratically-electedMuslim government and the ninth most populous country, she saw theICPD as a historic opportunity. She expressed her dream of a worldwhere every pregnancy is planned and every child loved and acommitment to the development of human life and not itsdestruction. She noted that the Programme of Action should not beviewed as a universal charter seeking to impose adultery andabortion. It should take into account different cultural, religiousand ethical values, but at the same time leaders should not let anarrow-minded minority dictate the agenda. She rejected abortion asa method of family planning and emphasized the role of thetraditional family. It is not ideology, but lack of infrastructurethat is crucial in tackling population matters.

Prime Minister Mbilini (Swaziland) noted the importance of the ICPDfor African countries, given high rates of population growth,infant and maternal mortality, the spread of HIV/AIDS, and economicdifficulties. He stated that at the recent OAU Summit in Tunisia,African countries reaffirmed the need to address populationpolicies with a particular emphasis on the role of women.

Before adjourning the meeting, it was announced that thenominations for Vice Chairs from the Asian Group are: Bangladesh,China, Japan, Marshall Islands and Pakistan. Vice Chairs from theEastern European Group are: Hungary, Romania, and The FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

AFTERNOON PLENARY

Dr. Sadik said that she had been surprised by the recentcontroversies raised by the Programme of Action and the negotiatingprocess. She explained that each country will decide for itselfwhich recommendations in the text are relevant to its needs, andhow to interpret them. She also said the principle of sovereigntyunderlies the whole text and the language of the document is framedso as to be acceptable to the widest possible spectrum ofapproaches to population. She hoped that all countries representedwill reach full agreement. She added that the significance of thisConference would depend on the effectiveness with which commitmentsare translated into action.

General statements were then delivered by the representatives ofAlgeria, on behalf of the G-77, Germany, on behalf of the EU,Mexico, China, Kenya, Argentina, the IMF, Tuvalu, Chile and Spain.These countries highlighted the changes in the population situationsince the last Population Conference and referred to: thecentrality of the human being; the globalization of the situation;and their social and cultural particularities. A number ofdelegations reiterated their opposition to abortion.

MAIN COMMITTEE

The Main Committee convened for the first time at 4:00 pm Mondayafternoon. The Chair, Dr. Fred Sai (Ghana), opened the session andurged delegates to agree on a document that will produce music thatis harmonious enough for the media, rather than the cacophony theyhave been spreading. He asked delegates to please forget everythingthey have read in the press and to read the full document. He alsourged delegates to restrict themselves to debate on text whereagreement has not been reached.

Sai announced that agreement has been reached on the composition ofthe bureau: Amb. Lionel Hurst (Antigua and Barbuda); NicolaasBiegman (The Netherlands); Dr. Bal G. Baidya (Nepal) and JerzyHolzer (Poland), who will also serve as the rapporteur.

The Chair attempted to begin the substantive work of the Committee.He announced that during the intersessional period informalconsultations on outstanding matters were held in New York and heasked the coordinators to report their results. Canada reported onan informal meeting on 13 July to discuss the two chapters notnegotiated at PrepCom III: Preamble and Principles. Delegatesagreed that the Preamble should be shortened and serve as anintroduction to the Programme of Action. With regard to thePrinciples, participants agreed that there should be fewerprinciples, which should be reordered and merged. Language fromother documents and treaties should be quoted accurately and incontext. The right to development does not receive enough emphasisand the relationship to population and development should alsoreflect environmental protection.

Indonesia reported on the consultations on goals, which took placeon 14 July. He elaborated on the quantitative goals: education;reduction in child and maternal mortality; and access toreproductive health and family planning. The goals should beattainable, realistic and consider the situation in each country.

The Netherlands reported on the consultations on resources, whichmet on 15 July and focused on the cost estimates in Chapter 13. Itwas agreed that there were no better figures available. There wasa brief discussion of the 20:20 Compact, but participants agreedthat it should be refined further and brought forward at the SocialSummit in Copenhagen.

CHAPTER I -- PREAMBLE: During the discussion, severalprocedural debacles slowed the Committee's progress. The Chairproposed that a small "informal-informal" group meet and develop a"non-paper" on the Preamble and Principles. Several delegatesexpressed concern. Algeria, on behalf of the G-77, said that theposition of the G-77 has always been that the proliferation ofworking groups raises problems for small delegations. Thesediscussions should take place in a clear, transparent framework.Sai said that this informal-informal could meet when the MainCommittee is not meeting. Since a number of delegates wanted to doa first reading of the document in the Main Committee, the Chairasked for comments on the Preamble.

Both the G-77 and the EU circulated written proposals on thePreamble and the Principles. The meeting was suspended for 15minutes to allow delegations to review the texts. When the meetingreconvened, problems immediately developed as various G-77 membersproposed amendments to the G-77 draft text. The Chair and Algeriaappealed to delegates to consult with the G-77 Chair beforepresenting amendments. Each time the Chair tried to move thediscussion forward, procedural debate crept in. Finally, the Chairannounced that he would consult with various delegations andproduce a new document.

CHAPTER II -- PRINCIPLES: Algeria, on behalf of the G-77,introduced a new draft of Chapter II with a few amendments. The EUacknowledged this new draft, but said that he needed time toconsult with his group. A number of G-77 members then proposedamendments to the draft and Algeria had to note that the text hadbeen already endorsed by the Group.

Mali expressed some reservation with regard to Principle 5, whichcalls for an end to unsustainable patterns of production andconsumption, since some developing countries might have problemsmeeting this goal.

Iran suggested that in Principle 7 of the G-77 text, the referenceto individuals should be deleted. El Salvador suggested that theword "individuals" be replaced with "persons." Honduras suggestedan amendment to Principle 7 that would reiterate the universalright to life, liberty and security of the person.

On Principle 8, China suggested adding "without any form ofcoercion" and deleting the reference to some specific forms ofcoercion. Algeria answered that Principle 8 should not bediscussed, but considered in brackets until the issues it dealswith are addressed in the discussion of Chapters 7 and 8. ThePhilippines and Pakistan agreed that the phrase "sexual and" bedeleted in the reference to the right to health care services. ThePhilippines, supported by Indonesia, said that abortion should inno way be considered a method of family planning.

The Holy See said that this set of principles should also refer tothe duty that the international community has in matters of humanrights violations. El Salvador suggested that the rights providedin Principle 1 should be balanced with matching duties and thatPrinciple 10 should make clear that the family is the basic unit ofsociety. Iran asked that the reference to various forms of thefamily be deleted in Principle 10.

The US suggested a series of amendments on the principal objectiveof the Programme of Action, gender equity and equality, migrants,indigenous communities and references to sustainable development.The Chair asked the US to submit these amendments in writing.

Benin stressed that the Committee needs to improve its workingmethods and begin a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion. Belize andMalawi made some amendments to the G-77 proposal and South Africaexpressed the desire to see due recognition of the sovereign rightsof each nation referred to in the chapeau.

IN THE CORRIDORS

Algeria, the Chair of the Group of 77, and other New York- baseddelegates to this group of over 130 developing countries expressedimmense frustration Monday afternoon in the Main Committee and thecorridors outside Chefren Hall. Algeria often did not appear to bereally speaking on behalf of the G-77, since so many other memberdelegations were putting forth their own, often contradictory,proposals. These interventions and questions about procedure wastedso much time on Monday that some commented that it might be usefulfor the New York-based delegates to explain the negotiating processand the role of the G-77 to the experts from their capitals.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

PLENARY: The Plenary will begin at 9:00 am and continue thegeneral debate on experiences concerning population and developmentstrategies and programmes into the evening. Statements are expectedfrom Venezuela, France, WHO, Australia, Denmark, Romania, Tunisia,Azerbaijan, Uganda, Ethiopia, the World Bank, India, Indonesia, SriLanka, Canada, New Zealand, UNHCR, Antigua and Barbuda, Japan,Finland, Zimbabwe, UNEP and International Planned Parenthood.

MAIN COMMITTEE: The Main Committee will convene this morningin Chefren Hall to commence discussion of Chapters 8 (Health,Morbidity and Mortality) and 7 (Reproductive Rights [Sexual andReproductive Health] and Family Planning). The Committee isexpected to meet from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm and from 3:00 pm - 9:00pm. Delegates who did not have the opportunity to speak on thePrinciples or the Preamble on Monday should submit their comments in writing. Look for an announcement of a meeting of the "Friendsof the Chair" to work on Chapters 1 and 2 (Preamble andPrinciples).