28 May 1985

22nd plenary meeting

Work programme in the field of population

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 3344 (XXIX) and 3345 (XXIX) of 17 December 1974, concerning the recommendations of the United Nations World Population Conference and the further implementation of the World Population Plan of Action,

Recalling also Council resolution 1981/28 of 6 May 1981 on the strengthening of actions concerned with the fulfilment of the World Population Plan of Action,

Stressing the supportive role of the work programme of the United Nations system in the field of population in the attainment of the goals and objectives of the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade and the pursuit of goals of economic co-operation,

Having reviewed the preamble, the section on peace, security and population, and the sections containing the recommendations for action and for the further implementation of the World Population Plan of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population, at which it was reaffirmed that the principles and objectives of the World Population Plan of Action remained fully valid and which placed emphasis on a number of issues in the field of population that will continue to be included in the work programme, as appropriate,

Bearing in mind the Mexico City Declaration on Population and Development,

Reaffirming the role of the Population Commission in advising the Council on population questions,

Taking note of the report of the Population Commission on its twenty-third session and the views expressed therein on the progress of work and the work programme in the field of population,

1. Takes note with satisfaction of the progress made in the implementation of the programme of work for the biennium 1984-1985 and the medium-term plan for the period 1984-1989;

2. Requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To continue vigorously the work of monitoring world population trends and policies and the work necessary for the review and appraisal of the World Population Plan of Action;

(b) To strengthen and draw together the work on interrelationships between the role and status of women and population, following the guidelines of the recommendations of the International Conference on Population;

(c) To continue the work programme in mortality analysis, with special emphasis on age patterns, sex differentials and the relationship of mortality to other demographic and non-demographic processes;

(d) To continue the work programme in the areas of urbanization and internal and international migration, with special emphasis on the role of urban structures and their relationship to the development process; on the variety of population mobility; and on the demographic consequences of international migration for both sending and receiving countries;

(e) To continue the work programme in fertility and family planning, with special emphasis on the assessment of the impact of the family planning programme, key factors affecting fertility such as contraceptive use and marriage patterns, and adolescent fertility;

(f) To continue to prepare estimates of the size of population and demographic indicators, such as fertility, mortality and migration trends, and to prepare projections for all countries and areas of the world, by age and sex and by urban, rural and city population, including changes in population structures, families and households;

(g) To continue work in the area of population policies, with special emphasis on the Sixth Population Policy Inquiry among Governments, the population policy data bank, and research on the formulation, implementation and evaluation of all aspects of population policies;

(h) To continue research in the area of socio-economic development and population with emphasis on the demographic consequences of major development projects; the socio-economic consequences of the aging of populations;

successful experiences in the integration of demographic factors into development planning; and improving the analysis of interactions between population, resources, environment and development;

(i) To continue the development of the international Population Information Network (POPIN);

(j) To continue technical co-operation activities in the field of population, fully utilizing the available interdisciplinary capacity of the United Nations, in three main fields:

(i) Training in demography and population matters, emphasizing in particular an interdisciplinary approach;

(ii) Evaluation and analysis of basic population and demographic data, using computer programmes for demographic analysis;

(iii) Population policy and development planning, in particular through the strengthening of appropriate national institutional mechanisms;

(k) To continue to undertake analysis and evaluation of experience gained in implementing technical co-operation activities in the field of population and to continue publishing the results thereof;

3. Re-emphasizes the importance of maintaining the effectiveness and efficiency of the global population programme and of continuing to strengthen co-ordination and collaboration among the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs, the Department of Technical Co-operation for Development, the regional commissions, the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and organizations of the United Nations system in the planning and execution of their population programmes, as well as the need for organizations of the United Nations system to strengthen collaboration and co-ordination with other appropriate intergovernmental and national organizations.