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Implementation
of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population
and Development Statement
by Mr. Jayant Malhoutra, Member of Parliament
on October 26, 1999 in
the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the United Nations. Mr.
President, We
would like to associate ourselves with the statement made by the
distinguished representative of Guyana, Chairperson of the Group of 77. We
would also like to compliment the Secretariat for the concise report
contained in document No. A/54/442, before us. India had participated
actively in the 21st Special Session of the General Assembly, on the five
year review of the implementation of the International Conference on
Population and Development held at Cairo in September 1994. We were
engaged in all the technical meetings and regional consultations, as well
as at The Hague forum, which preceded the Special Session. India also
availed of this opportunity to review, in depth, its own achievements of
the ICPD goals. Our programmes have been reorganised into a comprehensive
reproductive and child health package, which not only emphasises the
holistic approach to reproductive health needs, but also puts quality of
service and user satisfaction at the top of our agenda. We have instituted
an objective monitoring system, through professional agencies, to
ascertain the extent to which these services are actually reaching our
citizens. We have made special efforts at improving accessibility and
providing increased choices, especially for women, adolescents,
socio-economically backward groups, tribals and slum dwellers. Our
reproductive and child health programme aims to be participatory by
involving all stakeholders, through supporting decentralization and
area-specific planning. We
have initiated concerted efforts in one of the most important areas of the
ICPD, namely, advocating the protection of the girl child. Parliament has
enacted legislation to ban sex determination of the foetus. Noteworthy
enhancement has been achieved in women’s education and participation in
the work force, thereby increasing their role as economic partners. Over
the years, India has witnessed a shift in the approach from women’s
welfare to women’s’s development to women’s empowerment. During the
current Five Year Plan, we are making further efforts towards the
empowerment of women, through the creation of an enabling environment,
designed with the full participation of women’s representatives, and
supported by requisite policies and programmes, as well as legislative
support. It is a matter of satisfaction that women’s participation in
higher levels of employment and in professional education has been
increasing. Our
pattern of population growth and structure clearly outlines a need to
focus on the needs of adolescents as well as the ageing population. In
order to effectively meet the changing needs of our youth, a policy that
concentrates on youth empowerment and gender justice has been developed.
The objectives of this policy include increased access by young people to
information and services, including reproductive health and drug abuse,
while at the same time promoting opportunities for continuing education,
skill development and employment. Due recognition is being accorded to the
needs of the increasing proportion of aged in our country and a Policy for
the Aged has also been developed recently, covering major thrust areas
like economic support and shelter, health, as well as the productive role
of the aged in development activities. Mr.
President, We
strongly believe that while reviewing the efforts made in the
implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action and while undertaking the
key future actions outlined by the 21st Session of the General Assembly,
we must maintain the holistic approach agreed upon in Cairo. It would be
undesirable to fragment implementation in a segregated manner in different
international bodies. Furthermore, the provision of additional resources
is essential to meeting our goals and ensuring the strengthening of
delivery and other attendant systems. While in India we have largely met
our resource commitments by enhancing current outlays, several countries
have found it much more difficult to make such resources available. We,
therefore, urge all partners once again, specially donor countries and UN
agencies, to assist developing countries in need with their efforts to
achieve the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. Mr.
President, We
believe that the Special Session resulted in a useful identification of
ways to move forward in all the areas identified in the ICPD Programme of
Action in an integrated and comprehensive manner. We are, therefore,
perplexed that the report does not accord sufficient attention to the
agreed commitment contained in paragraph 16 of A/S-21/5/Add.1 to promote
an enabling environment in order to achieve sustained economic growth, in
the context of sustainable development and to eradicate poverty, with a
special emphasis on gender, including the promotion of an open, equitable,
secure, non-discriminatory and predictable trading system; stimulating
direct investment; reducing the debt burden; and ensuring that structural
adjustment programme are responsive to social, economic and environmental
concerns. Mr.
President, The
macroeconomic policies of a country do not function in a vacuum, but are
informed and influenced by the prevailing international scenario and the
degree to which it is supportive. It is, therefore, essential to ensure
that the international scenario remains favourable to the efforts of the
developing countries to achieve the goals of ICPD. Similarly, we continue
to believe, as we had highlighted in our statement at the Prepcom of the
21st Special Session and at the Special Session itself, and as had indeed
been accepted in paragraph 18(f) of document A/S-21/5/Add.1, that there is
an urgent need for the developing countries, with the assistance of the
international community, to develop and implement programmes that seek to
ensure a level of consumption for their citizens, especially the poor and
the disadvantaged, that meets their basic needs. Mr.
President, India
is committed to increasing social sector spending in its budget and plan
outlays. However, we continue to see the 20-20 initiative as a voluntary
compact between interested donor and recipient countries and not as a
prescriptive formulation. What is required is the clear need for meeting
commitments undertaken in Cairo towards the "costed package" in
a timely manner. We, therefore, agree with the Secretary General’s
views, as outlined in paragraph 27 of the report (A/54/442), that resource
mobilisation for population activities must be placed high on the agenda
if the international community is to fully implement the goals and
objectives that it has itself established. |