ICPD+5 News Bulletin

ICPD+5 NEWS BULLETIN No.14
L A S T   I S S U E

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.14  of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) ICPD+5 News Bulletin on activities relating to the process of the five-year review and appraisal of the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). This is the last issue of the monthly News Bulletin, which was first published in May 1998, and which has sought to keep informed all partners interested in the activities and events associated with the 8-12 February International Forum on ICPD implementation (The Hague Forum), 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 at a resumed session from 24-29 June, 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. We would like to wish our readers a very good summer and thank them for their interest. The News Bulletin is posted on the UNFPA ICPD+5 web site at: http://www.unfpa.org/icpd/ where you can find more information, reports and news on the ICPD+5 review.

Resumed Preparatory Committee for the Special Session of the General Assembly

The resumed session of the Preparatory Committee for the twenty-first special session of the General Assembly was held from 24-25 and 28-29 June, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury of Bangladesh. The Preparatory Committee continued its consideration of the Revised Working Paper submitted by the Chairman: 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.3 of 11 May. At its conclusion on 29 June, the Preparatory Committee decided to forward to the special session for its further consideration "Rev.3" as revised, and which reflected the text and paragraphs agreed to as at 29 June. The revised document, included in the Report of the Commission on Population and Development acting as the preparatory committee for the twenty-first special session of the General Assembly (A/S-21/2/Add.2) of 29 June, reflected the remaining outstanding paragraphs in the text, including those in sections I. Background; II B. Changing age structure and ageing of the population; II E. Population, development and education; IV C. Reducing maternal mortality and morbidity; and IV E. Adolescents.

The Preparatory Committee on 25 June decided to accredit to the special session 24 NGOs (Decision 1999/PC/3) which had fulfilled the criteria set out in sub-paragraph (b) of its decision 1999/PC/1. Some 270 NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC and/or accredited to the 1994 ICPD, including those that had applied for status, were registered to attend the special session as observers.

Twenty-first special session of the General Assembly

The twenty-first special session of the General Assembly was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 30 June-2 July. The special session, which was officiated by the President of the General Assembly, Didier Opertti of Uruguay, heard statements in the plenary general debate from more than 140 Member States, some 10 observers and three NGOs (the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF); the International Right to Life Federation (IRLF); and Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN)). During the general debate, the Assembly was addressed by one head-of-State and a number of Vice-Presidents, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, Members of Parliament, chairmen of delegations and permanent representatives. Representatives of the United Nations system and NGOs addressed the Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole, which was chaired by Ambassador Chowdhury and supported by the same 10-person Bureau as the Preparatory Committee. On 1 July the Ad Hoc Committee considered the paper entitled Proposals for key actions for the further implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, contained in A/S-21/2/Add.2. The Ad Hoc Committee also had three papers containing paragraphs agreed to as a result of the negotiations held in informal meetings. Prior to their adoption by the Ad Hoc Committee, statements in explanation of vote were made by Argentina and Nicaragua. The Ad Hoc Committee then decided to recommend the text to the special session for its adoption.

On 2 July, the General Assembly adopted by consensus "Key actions for the further implementation of the Programme of Action of the ICPD," as contained in document A/S-21/5/Add.1. The report is available at the following web site: http://www.undp.org/popin/unpopcom/32ndsess/gass.htm#as215a1. The following countries and observer delegation offered reservations or general comments on the final document: Panama, Argentina, Sudan, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Libya, Kuwait, Malta, China, Egypt, Qatar, Yemen, Iran, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, the United States, Australia and the Holy See.

Official United Nations documentation for the 30 June-2 July special session and other information about the resumed Preparatory Committee and the special session is available at the web site cited above and at: http://www.undp.org/popin/unpopcom/32ndsess/gass.htm.

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