8 July 1987

35th 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 World Population Conference, and 39/228 of 18 December 1984 on the International Conference on Population,

Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolutions 1981/28 of 6 May 1981 on the strengthening of actions concerned with the fulfilment of the World Population Plan of Action, 1985/3 on population structure, 1985/4 on the implications of the recommendations of the International Conference on Population, 1985/5 on the work programme in the field of population and 1985/6 on the status and role of women and population, all of 28 May 1985, and 1986/7 of 21 May 1986 on population questions,

Stressing the supportive role of the work programmes 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 other sections of the recommendations 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 that creating conditions for international peace and security was of great importance for the achievement of the goals of population policies and economic and social development and at which emphasis was placed on a number of issues in the field of population that should continue to be included in the work programme, as appropriate,

Reaffirming the important role of the Population Commission as the advisory body of the Economic and Social Council on population matters,

Also taking note of the report of the Population Commission on its twenty-fourth session and the views expressed therein on the progress made in implementing the work programme for the biennium 1986-1987 and the medium-term plan for the period 1984-1989,

1. Notes with satisfaction the progress made in implementing the work programme for the biennium 1986-1987 and the medium-term plan for the period 1984-1989;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to formulate the medium-term plan for the period 1990-1995 taking into account, as appropriate, the views expressed at the twenty-fourth session of the Population Commission and, inter alia, the guidelines for the work programmes of the United Nations Secretariat contained in paragraphs 3 and 4 below;

3. Also requests the Secretary-General:

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

(b) to continue the work programmes on the following:

(i) Socio-economic development and population;

(ii) Interrelationships between the status and role of women and population;

(iii) Population policies, including the Sixth Population Policy Inquiry among Governments;

(iv) Analytical studies with respect to demographic target-setting;

(v) Estimates and projections of population;

(vi) Mortality analysis;

(vii) Fertility and family planning;

(viii Urbanization and internal and international migration;

(ix) Consequences of changes in population and household structure;

(x) Development of the Population Information Network (POPIN), including information services on available software;

(c) To continue to work closely with Member States, other organizations of the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, as appropriate, in the implementation of programmes;

4. Further requests the Secretary-General:

(a) To continue and to strengthen interdisciplinary technical co-operation activities in the field of population in the following areas:

(i) Training in demography and population-and-development matters, including short-term specialized training, particularly in the use of microcumputer programs;

(ii) Evaluation and analysis of basic population data, particularly with respect to the 1990 round of population censuses, use of computer programs, and dissemination of data and their utilization in national development planning;

(iii) Formulation of population policy and its integration in development planning, especially through the strengthening of national institutional mechanisms for research, in-service training and documentation;

(b) To continue to analyse, evaluate and publish studies on experience with technical co-operation activities in population;

5. Re-emphasizes the importance of maintaining the scope, 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 other 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 as appropriate, with other intergovernmental, non-governmental and national organizations concerned.