[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 77 (Friday, June 4, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1053-E1054]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OF 
                                 ACTION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSEPH CROWLEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 4, 2004

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, ten years ago, the United States joined 
with 178 other nations in endorsing the International Conference on 
Population and Development (ICPD) Program of Action. The ICPD Program 
of Action sets a series of quantitative social and health targets 
central to achieving development efforts and women's rights. Included 
under these broad goals are universal access to reproductive health 
care; education for all and closing the gender gap in education; 
eradication of sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS; and bringing 
women into mainstream development.
  Many nations are implementing or attempting to implement the Program 
of Action. Success has not been easy or uniform, particularly in the 
world's least developed nations. A key concern is that expenditures for 
implementing family planning and reproductive health programs have 
fallen well short of the $6 billion pledged by industrialized nations.
  Last month, policymakers, opinion leaders, and practitioners from 
around the world gathered in Washington, DC, as part of the ``Global 
Population Forum,'' hosted by Population Institute and Population 2005, 
to discuss the successes and obstacles to the implementation of the 
Program of Action. Out of these meetings, the Conference developed and 
adopted a statement, called the ``Washington Declaration.'' This 
document reaffirms the importance of the ICPD Program of Action and 
challenges developing and developed nations alike to strive to meet the 
financial goals set out 10 years ago.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Washington Declaration be printed in 
the Record.

                              Declaration

       The Forum:
       Reaffirms the principles, objectives and actions in the 
     Program of Action (POA) of the International Conference on 
     Population and Development as well as the Key Actions for 
     Further Implementation of the Program adopted in 1999.
       Recognizes that while much progress has been achieved in 
     many countries in implementing the recommendations of the 
     POA, progress has not been uniform and much needs to be done, 
     particularly in the world's least developed countries.
       Reiterates that achieving the ICPD goals is essential for 
     the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
       Stresses that a number of priority issues, programmatic 
     constraints and emerging concerns in the areas of 
     reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, migration, ageing, closing the 
     resource gap, and strengthening partnerships need to be 
     addressed urgently in the future, in particular, the 
     following:


                       Population and Development

       Population growth continues to be high in many developing 
     and especially least developed countries; in combination with 
     poverty and trends in urbanization, it is placing enormous 
     stress on fresh water resources, threatening the 
     sustainability of agriculture and worsening the quality of 
     air through emission of green-house gases. As a matter of 
     priority, concerned countries should further strengthen their 
     population, gender, education, particularly for girls, 
     reproductive health and sustainable development programs.


                          Reproductive Health

       Despite praiseworthy efforts to achieve interim ICPD goals, 
     the Forum 2004 cautions that significant gaps remain, notably 
     in the provision of services supporting adolescent 
     reproductive health, prevention and treatment services 
     related to HIV/AIDS, combating the growing scourge of 
     trafficking in women and children and gender-based violence, 
     and addressing the increase in abortion rates, where 
     contraception is unavailable or unaffordable.
       When the POA was formulated in 1994, family planning 
     represented an important component of many national 
     population programs. Given the current large unmet needs for 
     contraception of women, men and adolescents, as well as the 
     limited availability of contraceptive commodities and 
     supplies in many countries, family planning programs require 
     continued attention.
       Programs are urgently required to meet the growing needs of 
     adolescents, including services that attend to their sexual 
     health. Sadly, insufficient attention is being drawn to this 
     important and sensitive issue. Also, adolescents should be 
     directly involved in all decisions regarding their 
     reproductive health and rights.
       The Forum, moreover, laments the fact that program resource 
     levels have fallen far below those set in 1994. The failure 
     of many donors to fully meet their commitments has impacted 
     negatively on programs in reproductive health in many 
     countries of the world, particularly in the least developed 
     countries and countries with economies in transition.
       The Forum recommends an approach that would effectively:
       Involve policymakers in program strategy development and in 
     the creation of programs.
       Seek to improve access to quality service delivery and 
     care, and work to build infrastructure and capacities at the 
     local level and in outlying rural areas,  encouraging the 
     growth of NGOs and other interested partners, and 
     promoting the involvement and support of the private 
     sector and of the media.
       Mobilize youth to adopt and develop their own agendas, as 
     is increasingly being done in efforts designed to empower 
     women.
       Shift from excessive concern with data and statistics to 
     human issues having a ``human face.''
       Support efforts by education authorities to incorporate sex 
     education materials into ongoing teaching programs, while 
     stressing that materials and approaches be developed and/or 
     adapted by teachers, parents, and, most importantly, by 
     youth.
       As nations must increasingly resort to solving their 
     population problems themselves, major concerns are those of 
     committing adequate resources, setting priorities, and 
     ensuring proper monitoring and evaluation of programs during 
     their implementation.
       Close the gaps, where apparent, between policymaking and 
     program practice--for example, availability of services and 
     contraceptives.
       For donor countries, renew funding commitments consistent 
     with the clearly articulated ICPD needs.


                                HIV/AIDS

       The Forum noted with alarm that some 40 million people are 
     currently infected with HIV/AIDS, that three million AIDS-
     infected persons are dying each year, and that an estimated 
     five million new cases are being added annually to the total 
     of those afflicted. In some regions, it is estimated that 
     along with sex workers, intravenous drug users are a major 
     source of infection to the larger society; but poverty, 
     population mobility, gender inequality, rampant sexual 
     transmitted infections (STIs) and high propensities for 
     engaging in unprotected sex are the drivers of the current 
     explosive epidemics in the most affected countries. One of 
     the most affected groups is young people between the ages of 
     15 and 24.
       The Forum recommends:
       That the viability of any and all steps taken to combat the 
     disease depends on funding--for prevention programs (to 
     include everything from condoms and contraceptives to 
     comprehensive sexual and transmittance education) to reduce 
     the number of new infections, and for treatment for those 40 
     million persons already living with HIV/AIDS. For instance, 
     funding at a level of $10.5 billion, against current levels 
     closer to $4.3 billion, would save an estimated 29 million 
     lives by the year 2010.
       That funding must be directed to proven prevention, 
     treatment, and coping methods, with consideration given to 
     demographically targeted education programs that address the 
     specific risks unique to different groups and geographies.
       That special attention must be paid to the problems facing 
     women, who suffer disproportionately from the disabilities 
     and stigma of the disease, not to mention greater 
     physiological vulnerability.
       That the importance of initiatives dealing with the social 
     side effects of HIV/AIDS, especially at the community level, 
     cannot be forgotten. Orphans, decreased productivity, and 
     food insecurity are but a few of the social side effects of 
     HIV/AIDS--the disease must be addressed in all of its forms.
       That greater efforts are made to provide the much-needed 
     medical treatment--specifically, supplies of 
     antiretrovirals--at universally affordable cost, while 
     vigorous support is directed to research for an effective 
     vaccine.
       That funding towards treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS 
     should not have to come at the cost of sacrificing other ICPD 
     and Millennium Development Goals; they must all be considered 
     in the broader context of improving the quality of human life 
     worldwide.


                        International Migration

       In the decade since Cairo, the number of international 
     migrants has grown to some 175 million. Migration has become 
     a priority issue for both developed and developing countries 
     and for the international community as a whole. Also, since 
     Cairo international migration has been the subject of a large 
     number of regional and sub regional meetings covering all 
     geographical regions. An ongoing independent Global 
     Commission on International Migration is expected to provide 
     the United Nations and interested stakeholders in 2005 with a 
     set of recommendations on this major international concern.
       The importance of this issue is further highlighted by the 
     fact that the UN General Assembly will devote its 2006 high-
     level dialogue to an exploration of ``the multidimensional 
     aspects of international migration and development in order 
     to identify appropriate ways and means to maximize its 
     development benefits and minimize its negative impacts .  .  
     . and should have a strong focus

[[Page E1054]]

     on policy issues including the challenge of achieving 
     international agreed development goals.''
       In order to best build upon these encouraging developments 
     the Forum:
       Recommends that all involved parties make maximum efforts 
     to ensure that due attention is paid to each of the following 
     important migration issues: to increase knowledge about 
     factors involved in migration and its implications, 
     especially as they relate to poverty, family break-up, 
     remittances, the brain drain, linkages to security concerns, 
     to the aging phenomena in many countries, and to the 
     health care needs, including the reproductive health and 
     HIV/AIDS care needs of migrants and refugees;
       Promotes cooperation among countries of origin, transit and 
     destination for international migratory movements in order to 
     enhance their positive effects and promote respect for the 
     human rights of migrants and their families through 
     compliance with the international instruments now in force; 
     and
       Urges the adoption of measures to prevent all forms of 
     trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, including 
     for purposes of sexual exploitation, especially women, girls 
     and boys.


                                 Aging

       The Forum recognized the increasing urgency of aging as 
     global issue and noted that in the next 50 years the number 
     of elderly will rise from 600 million to two billion. 
     Population aging affects not only the most developed regions, 
     but also the wide range of developing countries. In response 
     to the increasing proportion of elderly people, countries 
     have adopted a wide variety of actions and measures, among 
     others, to improving countries' social security systems, 
     achieving better living arrangements, improving the self-
     reliance of the elderly, and delivering a wider range of 
     services appropriate to the elderly populations.
       Specific actions include the following:
       National governments, international organizations and non-
     governmental organizations should help identify better the 
     specific implications of the aging process.
       Countries, non-governmental organizations and the 
     international donor community should intensify their efforts 
     to achieve the goals and objectives of the ICPD Program of 
     Action in the area of aging.
       The relevant UN organizations, in particular UNFPA, also 
     should strengthen their efforts to help countries formulate 
     and implement appropriate policies and programs on aging and 
     to seek adequate resources.


                        Closing the Resource Gap

       The Forum participants underscored that most of the 
     constraints in implementing the POA are further exacerbated 
     by the inadequacy of financial and other resources.
       The Forum:
       Recognizes that the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the spread of 
     sexually transmitted infections are worsening in developing 
     countries with limited resources to combat these continuing 
     and lethal health crises.
       Recognizes that economic constraints and shifting 
     priorities have led to a reduction of levels of support for 
     population and reproductive health programs from donor 
     countries, reflected by a $3 billion funding shortfall among 
     these countries and that this gap is a major reason that 
     greater progress has not been made.
       Recognizes that developing countries are committing their 
     own resources for population and reproductive health, 
     demonstrating their view of the vital importance of these 
     efforts.
       Encourages policymakers and appropriate agencies at all 
     government levels to review, revise, and update, as 
     necessary, the resource needs and requirements of meeting 
     these targets.
       Calls upon governments, international agencies, foundations 
     and the private sector to provide greater resources for 
     information and services to prevent diagnose and treat STIs, 
     particularly HIV/AIDS.
       Calls upon developing countries to continue to expand their 
     level of support and urge donor countries to increase their 
     resources for implementing the Program of Action.
       Also, urges the U.S. to resume funding to UNFPA.


                       Strengthening Partnerships

       Recognizes the crucial role of non-governmental 
     organizations, which often have taken the lead in both 
     proving that there is a demand for population and 
     reproductive health services and offering programs to deliver 
     these services.
       Recognizes that international organizations often engender 
     a level of confidence, trust and sustained support that other 
     providers of population and reproductive health services may 
     not.
       Calls upon governments to build and maintain partnerships 
     with nongovernmental organizations and international 
     organizations to both explore new opportunities and work 
     toward constructive and innovative co-operative and 
     complementary approaches to accelerating progress toward 
     achieving the goals of the Program of Action.


                               Commitment

       In closing, all of us assembled here realize, at this 
     halfway mark in the 20-year Program of Action, that the time 
     has come for the international community to stand tall and 
     remain resolute in its commitment to implement the Program of 
     Action. We must turn the dream of Cairo into a full reality 
     during the next decade by rededicating ourselves to 
     implementing the Program of Action with renewed vigor, 
     political solidarity and adequate resource commitments; this 
     in turn will contribute to eradication of poverty and 
     improvement of quality of life for all people. If we fail to 
     do it, the ICPD POA will be swept into dustbins of history.
       We, the Forum participants, unequivocally commit ourselves 
     today the 14th May 2004 to supporting and implementing this 
     Declaration.

                          ____________________