26 July 1989

35th plenary meeting

Incorporating population factors in the international development strategy for the fourth United Nations development decade

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 43/182 of 20 December 1988, by which it decided to establish an Ad Hoc Committee of the Whole for the Preparation of the International Development Strategy for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade,

Recalling also the recommendations of the United Nations World Population Conference, in particular those contained in the World Population Plan of Action, which, inter alia, states that its explicit aim is to help co-ordinate trends in population and trends in economic and social development and that population measures should be integrated into comprehensive social and economic plans and programmes,

Recalling the section on population of the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond, contained in the annex to General Assembly resolution 42/186 of 11 December 1987,

Recalling its resolution 1979/32 of 9 May 1979 and the annex thereto, in particular section C, paragraph 2, in which it urged that the results of periodic monitoring, review and appraisal, regional consultations on population and development and associated activities of appropriate agencies of the United Nations be fully taken into account in the formulation of any new international development strategy,

Recalling also the recommendations of the International Conference on Population, in particular recommendation 1, which states that social and economic development is a central factor in the solution of population and interrelated problems, that population factors are very important in development plans and strategies and have a major impact on the attainment of development objectives and that international development strategies should therefore be formulated on the basis of an integrated approach that takes into account the interrelationships between population, resources, environment and development,

Noting with satisfaction the recognition of the role of population factors in the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, which declares that population policies will be considered an integral part of overall development policies and that all countries will continue to integrate their population measures and programmes into their social and economic goals and strategies,

1. Urges all States, in formulating the international development strategy for the fourth United Nations development decade, to give full consideration to the interrelationships of population factors, social, economic, cultural and political development and protection of the environment;

2. Calls upon organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, in contributing to the preparation of the international development strategy for the fourth United Nations development decade, to give appropriate recognition to the interrelationships of population factors, social, economic, cultural and political development and the protection of the environment, taking into account the section on population of the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the contributions of the secretariats of the organizations of the United Nations system to the preparation of the international development strategy take due account of the World Population Plan of Action and the recommendations for its further implementation adopted by the International Conference on Population;

4. Recommends that the General Assembly, in considering the international development strategy for the fourth United Nations development decade, give due weight to the role of population and the importance of population policies and activities and duly integrate them into the goals and objectives and the policy measures of the strategy.