21 May 1986

16th plenary meeting

Population questions

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 39/228 of 18 December 1984 on the International Conference on Population,

Recalling also Council resolution 1985/4 of 28 May 1985,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up to Assembly resolution 39/228, suggesting steps to be taken on the relevant recommendations of the International Conference on Population, in particular recommendation 83 relating to the further strengthening of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities so as to ensure the more effective delivery of population assistance, taking into account the growing needs in the field of population;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to implement those recommendations that fall within the competence of the United Nations Secretariat, bearing in mind the need to strengthen and improve, within their respective mandates, existing institutions and arrangements and to secure more effective interaction between them in an effort to reinforce international co-operation in the field of population;

3. Decides to consider the report of the Population Commission and relevant parts of the report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme, together with relevant inputs from the regional commissions, at its second regular sessions, under an item entitled "Population questions", bearing in mind the overall responsibilities and policy functions of the Economic and Social Council in population matters;

4. Reaffirms the importance of the research activities and policy analysis of the United Nations in the field of population;

5. Invites the Population Commission to act upon the recommendations contained in paragraph 70 of the report of the Secretary-General;

6. Invites also the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme, as the governing body of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities:

(a) To use reports of the Population Commission for greater exchange of information on population questions;

(b) To give adequate consideration to Fund matters, bearing in mind the importance of population issues and the separate identity of the Fund as stated in paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution 3019 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972;

(c) To continue to organize its work programme in a manner that will facilitate the consideration of Fund matters before relevant budgetary and administrative issues are taken up in the Budget and Finance Committee of the Governing Council;

7. Reaffirms the aims and purposes of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities as set out in Council resolution 1763 (LIV) of 18 May 1973;

8. Urges the international community to strengthen further the resource base of the Fund through greater contributions, in order to meet the increasing needs of the developing countries for assistance in population activities;

9. Emphasizes the need to bring about a co-ordinated, effective and efficient strategy for the United Nations and the United Nations system in addressing population issues;

10. Stresses that effective co-ordination in the field of population can be achieved through efforts of Governments at the national level and through improved inter-agency collaboration at all levels;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to inform the General Assembly at its forty-second session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the implementation of the present resolution;

12. Also requests the Secretary-General to keep under review the follow-up to General Assembly resolution 39/228 and to include a separate section on the subject in the overview report requested in paragraph 6 of Council resolution 1985/4, taking into account the comments made by delegations at the first regular session of 1986 of the Council, the thirty-third session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme and the forty-first session of the General Assembly.