ENB:06:39
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I. PREAMBLE
The Preamble had not been negotiated by the Preparatory Committee. During the last week of PrepCom III, the Secretariat circulated a revised version of a 21-paragraph preamble. This text was the subject of informal consultations during the intersessional period. After an initial round of discussions on the first day of the Main Committee, the Chair moved the discussion to the "Friends of the Chair," who met several times during the week to examine this chapter. The Preamble now contains 15 paragraphs. Paragraphs referring to: changes in attitudes toward family planning; levels of infant morbidity and mortality, maternal mortality, and education; roles and status of women; and population ageing have been deleted. The Preamble references a number of topics, including: the socio-economic and political challenges facing the international community; population growth and the demographic future; the relationship between the ICPD and other Conferences; the relationship between population and sustained economic growth within the context of sustainable development; internal and international migration; quantitative and qualitative goals for population and development; objectives of the Programme of Action; and a new global partnership.
In Paragraph 1.12, the objectives of the Programme of Action are discussed: sustained economic growth in the context of sustainable development; education, especially for girls; gender equity and equality; infant, child and maternal mortality reduction; and provision of universal access to reproductive health services, including family planning and sexual health.
The changes in the Preamble include the addition of a footnote on the source (World Population Prospects: 1994 Revision. UN Publication, forthcoming) for the world population estimate of 5.6 billion. The recognition that the ICPD builds on the consensus achieved in other international activities was highlighted by including references to: the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the UN Decade for Women, held in Nairobi in 1985; the World Conference on Nutrition, in Rome in 1992; and the Global Conference for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, held in Barbados in 1994.
On the issue of mobilization of resources for the objectives and actions of the Programme of Action, reference is made to the "adequate mobilization of resources at the national and international level" and "new and additional resources to the developing countries from all available funding mechanisms, including multilateral, bilateral and private sources." Financial resources will also be required for strengthening the capacity of national, regional, sub-regional and international institutions.
Finally, while the Programme of Action does not create any new international human rights, the Preamble affirms the application of universally recognized human rights standards to all aspects of population programmes. The Preamble also notes that the "Programme of Action will require the establishment of common ground, with full respect for the various religious and ethical values and cultural backgrounds."