UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMMEMORATES ICPD+15

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001002

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV SMIG SOCI PREL PGOV PRM USAID
SUBJECT: UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMMEMORATES ICPD+15


1. SUMMARY: The United Nations held a plenary session of the
General Assembly to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of
the Cairo International Conference on Population and
Development (ICPD). The October 12th session saw nearly
forty countries speak on a variety of issues related to the
explosive demographic trends of the world over recent decades
and the connection of these trends to long term development
efforts. The central themes of the debate included health
concerns (especially HIV/AIDS eradication and neonatal and
maternal care),education (particularly that of women),
gender equality, family planning, and climate change. The
overall focus remained fixed on achieving major development
objectives - particularly the Millennium Development Goals -
with population and demographic change seen as having a
direct impact on the lives of the world's most needy. END
SUMMARY.


2. HEALTH ISSUES: Many countries noted the importance of
reinforcing and creating new efforts to maintain the sexual
and reproductive health of women. The need to combat the high
number of deaths related to improper neonatal and maternal
care was a key concern, with statistics and country-specific
situations emphasized to drive home the urgency and magnitude
of the issue. Other health concerns that appeared regularly
in speeches included the fight against the spread of
HIV/AIDS, warding off the spread of other infectious
diseases, preventing the practice of female genital
mutilation, and providing greater access to preventative
health care. On a broader policy level, some countries
advocated in favor of providing universal access to basic
health services with some asserting that such access is a
fundamental right.


3. EDUCATION: Many countries stressed the need to provide
greater education - particularly to women - in order to
alleviate poverty. Argentina argued that education must be
viewed by the international community as a basic right.
Sudan, speaking on behalf of the G77 and China expressed
concern over disparities in education between boys and girls,
remarking that "the target of eliminating gender disparities
in primary and secondary education by 2005 in developing
countries was missed." Guatemala drew attention to its
efforts to reduce illiteracy and suggested that this is an
essential element in reducing poverty writ large. India,
stating that children should be at the center of development,
discussed its own efforts to improve national education for
India,s youths, particularly girls.


4. FAMILY PLANNING DEBATE: Norway suggested that abortion
options ought to be made available, but with necessary
measures taken to assure the safety of the mother. The
Permanent Observer of the Holy See stressed its opposition to
abortion, commenting that "too often in addressing the role
of the ICPD on maternal health, attempts are made to promote
a notion of sexual and reproductive health which is
detrimental to unborn human life." Norway pointed out the
need to properly educate youth in advance, particularly
girls, in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first
place, commenting that "A stronger focus on young girls would
also reduce teenage pregnancies. Burkina Faso suggested that
men are key to this issue, arguing that "there is also a need
to strengthen the involvement of men, to increase their
awareness of the importance of reproductive health services
for the health of their wife, children, and themselves."


5. GENDER EQUALITY: Gender equality was a key theme of the
debate, with the majority of countries noting the links
between gender equality and long term development trends.
While there was a broad consensus that many important steps
had been taken, there was a wide feeling that women continue
to face many obstacles beginning with childhood education
that impede their advancement and therefore that of society
on a whole. Brazil emphasized its own national efforts based
on the "empowerment of women through education and the
promotion of women's participation in all areas of
decision-making." Sweden, on behalf of the European Union,
welcomed the United Nation,s new gender entity, but warned
that progress on achieving gender equality overall has been
too slow. The importance of gender equality was especially
underscored in discussions of health and education. Jordan
noted that it had taken steps to increase the minimum age for
marriage and thereby extended greater freedom to women.
Indonesia, similarly, discussed its efforts to promote gender
equality through education, employment, health, and
counter-trafficking measures.


6. CLIMATE CHANGE: The relationship between climate change
and development trends was highlighted by a number of
countries. Finland explained that "the impacts of climate
change are already apparent, from droughts and floods to
destabilized livelihoods, and they are being felt most by
those who are already impoverished." Micronesia, speaking on
behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum, warned that climate
change is quickly becoming an urgent challenge to sustainable
development. Many speakers noting the inter-connections
between population, development, and climate change and
emphasized that those in poverty are most likely to bear the
greatest negative impacts of the current climate trends.


7. LINKING DEVELOPMENT AND POPULATION: Japan emphasized the
connection between development and population, noting that
the ICPD "focuses on meeting the needs of individuals rather
than on achieving demographic targets." As a general rule,
many other countries took a similar approach to the Japanese,
focusing primarily on ways of improving the lives of the
world's most vulnerable with demographic concerns addressed
as a means to this end. Many countries referenced the
Millennium Development Goals seeing these targets as the
ultimate objective rather focusing on strict demographic
objectives.


8. OTHER ISSUES: FOOD SECURITY, NARCOTICS, CUBA EMBARGO AND
MORE: A number of other issues cycled through the debate
including food security and the ongoing malnourishment
problems faced by many. Delegates pointed out the need to
slow the urbanization process and create development
opportunities in rural areas. The plight of migrants -
presumably including refugees and the displaced - was noted
by some as a particularly vulnerable group that should be
remembered
in discussions of population and development. The need to
fight narco-trafficking was also articulated as central to
development efforts.Cuba took an opportunity to criticize the
U.S. economic embargo, arguing it had hindered its
development and harmed its population.
Rice