ICPD+5 News Bulletin

ICPD+5 NEWS BULLETIN No.12

Five Year-review of the International Conference on Population and Development

United Nations Population Fund, 220 East 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA
For more information, contact dayal@unfpa.org. Fax 212 557-6416.

WELCOME TO Issue No.12 of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) ICPD+5 News Bulletin on activities relating to the process of the five-year review of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The News Bulletin is a feature produced on the first Monday of every month for all partners interested in the activities and events associated with the International Forum on ICPD implementation (The Hague Forum), which was held on 8-12 February 1999, the 32nd session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD), acting as the preparatory committee for the Special Session, which was held from 24 March-1 April, and the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action in New York on 30 June-2 July 1999. To receive the News Bulletin, please send us your fax, e-mail or office address and we will add you to the list of subscribers. The News Bulletin is also posted on the UNFPA ICPD+5 web site at: http://www.unfpa.org/icpd/icpdmain.htm, where you can find more information, reports and news on the ICPD+5 review.

Informal consultations of the 32nd Session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), acting as the preparatory committee (PrepCom) for the Special Session of the General Assembly

Informal consultations of the CPD, acting as the preparatory committee for the Special Session, met at United Nations Headquarters from 5-7 May. The meeting, which ended in the early hours of 8 May, continued work on the 8 April Revised Working Paper submitted by the Chairman, entitled: Proposals for key actions for the further implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, document E/CN.9/1999/PC/CRP.1/Rev.2. The document represents an updated version of E/CN.9/1999/CRP.1/Rev.1, and reflects progress on the text as at the conclusion on 1 April of the preparatory committee meeting. E/CN.9/1999/PC/CRP.1/Rev.2 is available at the United Nations and UNFPA web sites at: http://www.undp.org/popin/unpopcom/32ndsess/official.htm and http://www.unfpa.org/ICPD/reports&doc/chaiman-rev2.htm, respectively.

The informal consultations, chaired by the preparatory committee Chairman Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury of Bangladesh, adopted ad referendum several paragraphs contained in the following areas of the document: section V. Partnerships and collaboration; section VI. Mobilizing resources; and section I: Background. When the informal consultations concluded, seven paragraphs remained to be discussed and/or were set aside (i.e. were unagreed to) in the Partnership and collaboration section (paragraphs 58 bis; 58 ter; 61; 62 bis; 62 ter; 63 and 65 bis); six paragraphs remained to be discussed and/or were set aside in the Mobilizing resources section (67; 68; 70; 72 bis; 73; 79); and one paragraph remained unagreed in the Background section (paragraph 1).

[The preparatory committee had at its 24 March-1 April meeting discussed paragraphs 1 bis and 9 through 52(d) of CRP.1/Rev.1, which contains 79 paragraphs. The sections discussed by the committee were: II. Population and development concerns; III. Gender equality, equity and empowerment of women; and part of III. Reproductive rights and reproductive health. Paragraphs in these sections that have been set aside or not yet discussed are: 13(a); 17 ter; 23 (a)bis; 27; 41 bis; 43(a); 45(e); 46 ter; 51 bis; 52(a); and 52 (e)-55.]

An updated version of E/CN.9/1999/PC/CRP.1/Rev.2, which reflects discussion on the text as at 7 May, will be issued before end-May as an official document as E/CN.9/1999/PC/CRP.1/Rev.3. The updated text will be the basis for negotiations at the next meeting of the preparatory committee.

At the close of the informal consultations, the Chairman proposed the following four days for further discussion in advance of the 30 June-2 July special session: 24-25 and 28-29 June. The meeting would meet as the resumed preparatory committee for the special session.

NGOs at the Special Session

The deadline for the receipt of NGO registration forms to the secretariat indicating their interest in attending the Special Session as observers was 30 April. Representatives of NGOs that may attend the Special Session are expected to be informed about their attendance by the NGO Section of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs by end-May. These NGOs include those organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council; and those organizations accredited to the ICPD and/or the preparatory committee.

During the informal consultations, the Chairman circulated a list of other interested NGOs seeking accreditation to the Special Session and fulfilling the criteria as set out in sub-paragraph (b) of Preparatory Committee decision 1999/PC/1 on the arrangements for the accreditation of NGOs to the Special Session. This list will be made available to all U.N.-member states. Information about these NGOs is available for examination by delegations in the NGO Section/DESA (Room DC1-1482).

Information about the arrangements for NGO accreditation to the Special Session is available at: http://www.unfpa.org/icpd/round&meetings/gass/ngoaccred.htm.

ICPD+5 NGO Coordinators

NGOs wishing to hold briefings and meetings during the special session should provide the ICPD+5 NGO Coordinators the relevant information, copied to Jaya Dayal at UNFPA, Fax: 212-297-4918/E-mail: dayal@unfpa.org so as to enable the secretariat to make the appropriate arrangements. Any other queries by NGOs relating to practical and logistical aspects of the special session may be forwarded to the ICPD+5 NGO Coordinators, who may be contacted at the New York-based offices of Population Communications International (PCI): 212-687-3366 (Tel) / 212-661-4188 (Fax) / icpd@population.org (E-mail); and the Conference of Non-governmental Organizations (CONGO), 212-986-8557 (Tel) / 212-986-0821 (Fax)
congo@aol.com (E-mail).

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