The Arab Population Forum: From Cairo 1994 to Beirut 2004

UNITED NATIONS, Beirut — The Arab Population Forum concluded its work in Beirut on Sunday with a declaration reaffirming the region’s commitment to the Programme of Action of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The Forum, held from 19-21 November, reviewed the achievements of the States of the region and the challenges facing them in the field of population and development.

The Forum was organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the League of Arab States and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and hosted by the Lebanese Government. Participants included more than 100 parliamentarians and officials from the Arab world, representatives from the United Nations system, regional organizations, international, regional and national non-governmental bodies and organizations as well as experts in the field of population and development.

The event followed a series of regional and global activities commemorating the tenth anniversary of ICPD, where 179 governments affirmed the centrality of population and reproductive health concerns to the development agenda.

The Beirut Declaration 2004 expressed appreciation for the efforts of UNFPA, the League of Arab States and ESCWA in supporting the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. It called upon Arab governments to put in place population policies and human development strategies in the framework of the ICPD Programme of Action, and to develop autonomous sources to finance these efforts.

The Declaration also invited civil society and governments to cooperate more closely, in a transparent and democratic manner, to create an environment favorable to partnership in the field of population and development. It underlined the importance of giving young people full priority and care, supporting programmes aimed at meeting their needs, improving their quality of life and opening prospects for their effective participation.

The Beirut Declaration also stressed the importance of having the Forum’s recommendations translated by all parties concerned with population and development into pledges and commitments through new programmes and projects. It stressed the importance of diversifying sources of funding to include national, regional and international sources. It also highlighted the need for donor countries and institutions to honor the financial commitments they made at the ICPD (particularly in terms of paying an amount of US $3 billion by the end of 2005).

The Beirut Declaration 2004 concluded by affirming the intention of the participants to continue working towards the full realization of the ICPD objectives and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in the conviction that fulfilling the ICPD Programme of Action serves as a basis for achieving the MDGs and other development goals, which would lead to economic prosperity and social welfare for the Arab peoples.

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Further information about population issues, reproductive health and the ICPD can be found at www.unfpa.org

Contact Information:

Omar Gharzeddine
Tel.: +1 (212) 297-5028
Email: gharzeddine@unfpa.org