VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #1002/01 3102105
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 062105Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7552

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