INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT

The Conference was held in Cairo from 5 to 13 September 1994 for government leaders, specialised agencies and organisations of the UN system, intergovernmental organisations, and non-governmental organisations from all around the world to prepare a Program of Action on population and development for the next 20 years.

The Programme of Action highlights the reinforcing linkages between population and development.  More specifically it focuses on meeting the needs of individual women and men and urges the empowerment of women both as a highly important end in itself and as a key to improving the quality of life for everyone.

The ICPD adopted three important goals:

1.       The reduction of infant, child and maternal mortality;

2.       The provision of universal access to education, particularly for girls; and

3.       The provision of universal access to a full range of reproductive health care and family planning services.

Work towards these goals fits seamlessly into the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and reinforces progress towards them.

Work towards population goals helps reduce poverty in several ways.  Most importantly:

1.       Slower population growth has encouraged overall economic growth in developing countries.

2.       Successful developing countries have also invested in universal health care, including reproductive health, and education.  These social investments promote human rights, improve human well-being, help close the gaps between the poor and the better off, and reduce the disadvantages under which poor people labour.