Background Document on the Population Programme of the UN

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The present document gives a brief description of the background, governing bodies, mandates, main activities, major publications and resources of the Population Division of the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis of the United Nations Secretariat and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It also includes a short section on coordination and a chronology of selected major events in the field of population in the United Nations during the period 1946-1994.

2. Since its inception, the United Nations has been involved in the field of population. The United Nations Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council in 1946, as a subsidiary body, to arrange for studies and advise the Council on the size, structure and changes in the world population and on the policies designed to influence population variables, as well as on the interactions between demographic, social and economic factors. More than 20 units, bodies and organizations of the United Nations system are currently involved in population activities that range from data collection, research and analysis, training, dissemination of information, provision of technical cooperation and financial assistance, monitoring and evaluation of population projects and programmes, and provision of secretariat services to intergovernmental bodies. All these varied activities are carried out in response to requests made by intergovernmental bodies of the United Nations, particularly the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council.

Currently, the Council receives reports in the field of population mainly from the Population Commission and the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA; nevertheless, other bodies such as the regional commissions, some functional commissions (statistics, women and social development), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and others report also to the Council on population-related matters.

3. Population is one of the fields where the United Nations has been successful. In spite of the highly sensitive and controversial character of population issues, the United Nations has served as a neutral forum to debate openly such issues and to negotiate common strategies. Through its programme of research and analysis, it has accomplished pioneering work in the development of new methodologies for demographic analysis and, particularly, in creating awareness of the key role that population variables play in social and economic development. Its activities in technical cooperation and financial assistance have been appreciated by developing countries because of the neutral character of multilateral assistance and the quality of the services provided. Until now, population has been one of the areas where effective coordination has been demonstrated within the United Nations system. Nevertheless, further improvements in coordination in the population field, as well as efforts to more closely link it to social and economic efforts are definitely required.

Therefore, it is important to study the implications of the International
Conference on Population and Development for future coordination, collaboration and harmonization of population activities, taking into account the current process of restructuring of the social and economic sectors of the United Nations Secretariat, as well as the discussions held on the same subject in relation to the intergovernmental machinery.

II. UNITED NATIONS ENTITIES DEVOTED TO POPULATION ACTIVITIES

4. At present two major entities in the United Nations system are entirely devoted to population activities: the Population Division of the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis of the United Nations Secretariat and UNFPA. The two organizations maintain strong relationships and collaborate in a large number of areas and activities. Of particular importance has been the preparation of the population conferences of 1984 and 1994. Among the other United Nations units that undertake population activities are the Statistical Division of the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis, the Social Development Division and the Division for the Advancement of Women of the Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development. The regional commissions undertake research, studies and other population-related activities at the regional level.

A. The Population Division of the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis

5. In 1947, at its first session, the Population Commission urgently recommended that the Economic and Social Council instruct the Secretary-General to take steps as soon as possible to ensure that a sufficient qualified staff were provided to implement the proposals of the Commission. The Population Division was established in 1947 within the then Department of Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat; at present it is one of the three divisions of the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis.

Governing body

6. The Population Commission was established in 1946 by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 3 (III) and its terms of reference were set out in 1948 in its resolution 150 (VII) "to arrange for studies and advise the Council on:

(a) The size and structure of populations and the changes therein;

(b) The interplay of demographic factors and economic and social factors;

(d) Any other demographic questions on which either the principal or subsidiary organs of the United Nations or the specialized agencies may seek advice."

7. Such terms of reference remained almost unchanged until the 1974 World Population Conference when the Council requested the Commission to examine on a biennial basis the implementation of the World Population Plan of Action and to contribute to its quinquennial review and appraisal. After the 1984 Conference, the Council reaffirmed the role of the Commission "as the principal intergovernmental body to arrange for studies and advise the Council" on population matters. At present, the Commission, composed of 27 members elected by the Economic and Social Council, guides only the work programme of the Population Division (in the past it used to guide the population work of the regional commissions as well). In addition, since 1986, it has received also periodic reports from UNFPA, as well as reports on the population activities of the United Nations system (including the World Bank) and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

Main activities

8. The Division is the technical secretariat of the Population Commission and is in charge of monitoring world population trends and policies through the study of mortality, fertility, internal and international migration and urbanization, and other demographic phenomena, as well as of coordinating the quinquennial review and appraisal of the progress made in achieving the goals and objectives of the Plan of Action. It prepares the official United Nations population estimates and projections for countries, their urban and rural areas, and their major cities for all countries and areas of the world; examines the relationships between population change, resources, the environment and socio-economic development; participates in technical cooperation activities; and houses the coordinating unit of the global Population Information Network (POPIN).

Selected major publications

9. World Population Trends and Policies (a biennial monitoring report); World Population Prospects (a biennial report that presents the official population estimates and projections of the United Nations); Review and Appraisal of the World Population Plan of Action (a quinquennial report); and the Population Bulletin of the United Nations (biannual). Other publications include technical manuals, research reports, and policy analyses. In addition, the Population Division develops and disseminates software for population and statistical analysis and maintains databases.

Resources

10. The Population Division is funded from the regular budget of the United Nations and from extra budgetary resources. For the biennium 1992-1993, its estimated expenditures amounted to US$ 21.896 million; for the biennium 1994-1995, the estimated budget is US$ 24.03 million, of which $7.9 million is from the regular budget, $3.4 million from extra budgetary resources for substantive activities (90 per cent from UNFPA), $10 million from extra budgetary resources for operational projects (100 per cent from UNFPA), and $2.7 million from services in support of extra budgetary programmes; these figures do not include the estimated costs of servicing the Population Commission and the International Conference on Population and Development. For the biennium 1994-1995, the Division has a total of 72 authorized posts consisting of 40 professional posts (26 paid from the regular budget and 14 from extra budgetary resources) and 32 general service posts (18 paid from the regular budget and 14 from extra budgetary resources) (A/48/6 (Sect.9)).

B. United Nations Population Fund

11. In 1965, the Population Commission recommended to the Economic and Social Council an expanded population programme that included assistance in the field of population. In July 1967, the Secretary-General decided to establish a trust fund in response to Council resolution 1084 (XXXIX) and General Assembly resolution 2211 (XXI). Two years later, the Fund was put under the administration of UNDP. In 1972, the General Assembly, following a recommendation from the Secretary-General, decided to change the character of the Fund from a trust fund of the Secretary-General into a fund established under the authority of the General Assembly. Since then, it has received cumulative voluntary pledges of over US$ 3 billion to be used in developing countries at their request. UNFPA currently finances more than 90 per cent of the population programme of the United Nations system (the World Bank excluded).

Governing body

12. The Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA, composed of 36 members, came into existence in 1994 and replaced the previous UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council. The General Assembly had decided in 1972 that the Governing Council of UNDP would be the governing body of UNFPA and the Governing Council served in this capacity from 1973 to 1993. The Executive Board includes in its annual agenda various items devoted to the Fund, such as the report of its Executive Director, technical and evaluation reports, guidelines for the provision of assistance, proposals for country programmes, and financial and audit reports; it will consider country programmes at other sessions throughout the year.

Mandate

13. The aims and purposes of the Fund were set out by the Economic and Social Council in 1973 in its resolution 1763 (LIV) and were reaffirmed in 1986:

"(a) To build up, on an international basis, with the competent bodies of the United Nations system, the knowledge and the capacity to respond to national, regional, interregional and global needs in the population and family planning fields; to promote coordination in planning and programming, and to cooperate with all concerned;

"(b) To promote awareness, both in developed and in developing countries, of the social, economic and environmental implications of national and international population problems; of the human rights aspects of family planning; and of possible strategies to deal with them, in accordance with the plans and priorities of each country;

"(c) To extend systematic and sustained assistance to developing countries at their request in dealing with their population problems; such assistance to be afforded in forms and by means requested by the recipient countries and best suited to meet individual country's needs;

"(d) To play a leading role in the United Nations system in promoting population programmes and to co-ordinate projects supported by the Fund."

Main activities

14. At present the Fund supports population programmes in 137 countries and territories and has field offices, each headed by a Country Director in 58 of them. Assistance at the country level is being provided, in most cases, as part of a country programme that defines the objectives and strategy for UNFPA assistance in the framework of national population and development objectives.

Those country programmes, which used to be based on a "needs assessment" exercise, have been developed since 1988 on the basis of a Programme Review and Strategy Development (PRSD) exercise. UNFPA also funds regional and interregional activities and services that supplement and complement activities at the country level. For example, the Fund extends technical assistance and advisory services to country programmes through its recently established Country Support Teams (CSTs) system. The system, which became operational in 1992, comprises eight multidisciplinary teams located in the developing regions with 80 advisers. Participating in the CSTs system are the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis of the United Nations Secretariat, and the United Nations regional commissions, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and non-governmental organizations.

Selected major publications

15. The State of the World Population (annual); Inventory of Population

Projects in Developing Countries around the World (annual); Guide to Sources of International Population Assistance (triennial); Global Population Assistance Report (annual); and Populi (10 issues per year). Other publications include PRSD reports, evaluation reports, programme advisory notes and other technical publications.

Resources

16. UNFPA is totally funded by voluntary contributions. Income from pledges and interest totalled US$ 238 million in 1992, US$ 219 million in 1993, and US$243 million is estimated for 1994. UNFPA has 837 authorized posts (180 professional and 657 general service posts, of which 105 professional and 135 general service posts at are at headquarters, two professional and two general service posts in Geneva, and 73 professional and 520 general service posts in the field).

III. COORDINATION

17. There are various mechanisms that ensure the harmonization, cooperation and coordination of population activities within the United Nations system. The Committee for Programme and Coordination (CPC), a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council, is the principal subsidiary body on matters related to planning, programming and coordination and assists both the Council and the General Assembly in their sector-by-sector examination of the programme of work of the United Nations to guarantee the harmonization and complementarity of the different activities. CPC also proposes guidelines and recommends actions to appropriate units and organizations on their programmes of work and carries out assessments of legislative decisions on matters pertaining to coordination of activities. Population is one of the topics that has been included in the programme of work of CPC. After the 1984 Mexico City Conference, the Economic and Social Council invited the Population Commission and the UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council to exchange information and to make available to each other the results of their sessions in order to improve coordination.

18. The Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) was established in 1947 as an inter-agency structure to ensure harmonization, cooperation and coordination within the United Nations system. It is composed of the executive heads of the specialized agencies and the major programmes and organs of the system and is chaired by the Secretary-General himself. UNFPA has been a member of ACC since 1980. An ACC Sub-Committee on Population was functioning between 1968 and 1977 as an inter-agency coordinating entity but it was abolished in 1977, as a result of the restructuring of the social and economic sectors of the United Nations system. Nevertheless, ACC established in 1979 the Ad Hoc Inter- agency Working Group on Demographic Estimates and Projections. For the preparatory work of the 1984 and 1994 population conferences, ACC established ad hoc task forces for those conferences.

19. The Joint Consultative Group on Policy (JCGP) was established in 1981 by the executive heads of UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA and the World Food Programme (WFP) to promote the coordination of child survival, family planning and the needs of vulnerable groups in their programmes of work. JCGP has been very active in other areas such as women and development, structural adjustment, training of personnel, programme collaboration and coordination in Africa (including the sharing of common premises and services).

20. The Population Commission, through its periodic follow-up to the recommendations adopted by the population conferences sponsored by the United Nations, is periodically informed about the work done by the United Nations system (including the World Bank) and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. Furthermore, at every session of the Commission representatives of the United Nations regional commissions, programmes and bodies, and specialized agencies, as well as of non-governmental organizations make statements on their population activities. This de facto arrangement has facilitated the work of the Economic and Social Council in its function of coordination within the system, although de jure the Commission does not have such mandate.

IV. CHRONOLOGY OF SELECTED MAJOR EVENTS IN THE FIELD OF POPULATION IN THE UNITED NATIONS

1946 The United Nations Population Commission was established by the Economic and Social Council, in its resolution 3 (III), to arrange for studies and advise the Council on the size, structure and changes in the world population and on the policies designed to influence population factors, as well as on the interplay of demographic, social and economic factors. The Population Division was established within the Department of Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat and has since served as the technical secretariat of the Commission.

1953 The Population Division issued the first edition of The Determinants and Consequences of Population Trends, the first comprehensive analytical inventory of existing knowledge about the interrelationships between population, the environment and the process of social and economic development. A revised version was published in 1974.

1954 The first World Population Conference took place in Rome under the auspices of the United Nations; it was co-sponsored by the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), a non-governmental organization. The Population Division served as the secretariat of the Conference, which was a scientific meeting of experts participating in their personal capacity.

1962 The General Assembly recognized the strong relationships between population and development and "that the health and welfare of the family require special attention in areas with relatively high rate of population growth"; it also recognized that "it is the responsibility of each Government to decide on its own policies and devise its own programmes of action for dealing with the problems of population and economic and social progress". Finally, in resolution 1217 (XII), it requested the Secretary-
General to conduct a population inquiry among Governments.

1963 The First Asian Population Conference (New Delhi), sponsored by the former Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE), suggested that the United Nations should provide assistance also for action programmes relating to population problems.

1965 At the thirteenth session of the Population Commission the following items were discussed: (a) rapid population growth in developing countries which, according to Philippe de Seynes, the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, was an obstacle to economic progress;

(b) technical assistance to countries in implementing their population programmes; Julia Henderson, Director of the Bureau of Social Affairs of the same Department, indicated that the United Nations was ready to respond to requests from Governments for such assistance;

(c) the results of the United Nations Population Inquiry among Governments (53 responses, of which 27 were from developing countries); and

(d) the report of the Committee of Experts, which identified five priority working areas and recommended that the United Nations should provide assistance on all aspects of population problems, including family planning.

The Economic and Social Council, in resolution 1084 (XXXIX), endorsed the expanded population programme recommended by the Population Commission. The second World Population Conference took place in Belgrade under the auspices of the United Nations and co-sponsored by IUSSP. The Population Division acted again as the secretariat for the Conference which was a scientific meeting of experts participating in their personal capacity (852 participants, which was a figure nearly double the number of participants that attended the 1954 Conference at Rome).

1966 The General Assembly, in resolution 2211 (XXI), authorized the United Nations and the specialized agencies to assist countries in the field of population.

1967 The Secretary-General, in his address to the Economic and Social Council, announced the establishment of a trust fund for population activities. The trust fund was named the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and was managed by the Population Programme and Projects Office of the Population Division, which was established for that purpose; 10 officers were appointed, who, within two years, had visited 84 developing countries.

1968 The Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) established a Sub-committee on Population as a means of ensuring inter-agency coordination among the various units, bodies and organizations of the United Nations system; it played a major role in reviewing the mandates and work programmes of its members and made arrangements for joint activities. The Sub-committee was abolished in 1977 as a result of the restructuring of the economic and social sectors of the United Nations Secretariat.

1969 The Secretary-General decided to transfer the responsibilities of the trust fund from the Population Division to the United Nations Development Programme. The Population Division remained a substantive office involved in research and analysis; it also continued to appraise project requests received from UNFPA.

1970 The Economic and Social Council decided to convene the Third World Population Conference to consider "basic demographic problems, their relationships with social and economic development, and population policies and action programmes needed to promote human welfare and development". In its resolution 1484 (XLVIII), the Council designated the Population Commission as the preparatory body for the Conference. The Council, in its resolution 1485 (XLVIII), also recommended that the General Assembly proclaim 1974 as the World Population Year and requested the Secretary-General to designate the Executive Director of UNFPA as the officer responsible for the organization of the World Population Year.

1972 The General Assembly, in resolution 3019 (XXVII), placed UNFPA under its authority and decided that the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme should be the governing body of the Fund.

1973 In resolution 1763 (LIV), the Economic and Social Council defined the mandate of UNFPA; this mandate was reaffirmed by the Council in its resolution 1986/7.

1974 The third World Population Conference held at Bucharest adopted by consensus the World Population Plan of Action (WPPA).

After discussing the report of the Conference and the results of the World Population Year, the General Assembly, in resolution 3344 (XXIX), called upon the Population Commission and other relevant bodies to study the Plan of Action; requested the Economic and Social Council to pay particular attention to the monitoring and review and appraisal of the Plan; invited the Council to continue to provide over-all policy guidance within the United Nations system on population matters; and requested the Population Commission to report on the implications of the results of the Conference, including the implications on the Commission itself.

1975 The Population Commission, at its eighteenth session, identified three main areas in which it could play a leading role: (a) programming of work and reviewing the progress of work; (b) monitoring of trends and policies; and (c) review and appraisal of WPPA. The Economic and Social Council, in resolution 1946 (LVIII) and decision 89 (LVIII), requested the Commission to examine on a biennial basis the results of the continuous process of monitoring of population trends and policies and to coordinate the quinquennial review and appraisal of progress made towards the achievement of the goals and objectives of the Plan of Action.

1978 As part of the restructuring of the economic and social sectors of the United Nations Secretariat, the responsibility for technical cooperation were transferred from the Population Division to the Population Branch of the new Department of Technical Cooperation for Development.

1979 ACC established the Ad hoc Inter-agency Working Group on Demographic Estimates and Projections. Since then, this is the only formal coordinating mechanism in the field of population that reports to ACC.

1980 UNFPA became a member of ACC at the invitation of the General Assembly in resolution 34/104.

1981 The General Assembly, in resolution 36/201, decided to establish the annual United Nations Population Award. The Executive Director of UNFPA was designated Secretary of the Committee for the Award.

1984 The International Conference on Population was held at Mexico City to discuss a series of population issues of the highest priority and to contribute to the review and appraisal of the Plan of Action. The Population Commission, meeting in open-ended session, was designated as the intergovernmental preparatory body for the Conference. The Executive Director of UNFPA was appointed Secretary-General of the Conference and the Director of the Population Division as the Deputy-Secretary-General.

The Conference was organized jointly by the Department of International Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat and UNFPA. The Director-General for Development and International Economic Cooperation established an interdepartmental Steering Committee for the Conference in order to provide overall policy guidance. The Conference reaffirmed the principles and objectives of the World Population Plan of Action and adopted 88 recommendations for the further implementation of the Plan; among them, recommendation 83 urged that UNFPA be strengthened further to ensure the most effective delivery of population assistance.

In resolution 39/228, the General Assembly, endorsed the report of the Conference and requested the Population Commission to review the results and implications of the Conference.

The Steering Committee for the Conference met several times after the 1984 Conference and made a number of recommendations, subsequently incorporated in Council resolution 1986/7.

1985 The Economic and Social Council, in resolution 1985/4, endorsed the results of the Conference and requested the Commission to examine also the monitoring of multilateral population programmes and to prepare reports on the population activities of the United Nations system as well as on the work of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in implementing the Plan of Action.

1986 The Economic and Social Council, in resolution 1986/7, invited the Population Commission to examine periodic reports on the population activities of UNFPA, other units, bodies and organizations of the United Nations system, as well as of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations; it also invited the Population Commission and the Governing Council of UNDP/UNFPA to exchange information and to submit to each other the results of their sessions.

1987 The General Assembly, in decision 42/430, taking into account decision 1987/175 of the Economic and Social Council, decided to rename UNFPA as the United Nations Population Fund, but retaining the UNFPA acronym.

The Special Commission of the Economic and Social Council on the In-depth Study of the United Nations Intergovernmental Structure and Functions in the Economic and Social Fields studied the views and proposals of the subsidiary bodies of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council in the economic and social sectors. A survey was made among the members of the Population Commission. Its Chairman submitted a reply indicating, inter alia, that the Commission should be regarded as a permanent subsidiary body of the Council and that its existing mandate should be expanded to include:

(a) the coordination of population activities in the United Nations system;

(b) provision to the UNDP Governing Council of policy guidance on priority population needs; and

1989 The Economic and Social Council, in resolution 1989/91, decided to convene an international meeting on population in 1994 in order: to assess the progress made and identify the obstacles encountered in carrying out the World Population Plan of Action; to create awareness; to provide guidance; and to adopt a consolidated set of recommendations; it also designated the Population Commission, meeting in open-ended session, as the preparatory committee for the 1994 meeting. The Secretary-General appointed the Executive Director of UNFPA as the Secretary-General of the 1994 meeting and the Director of the Population Division as the Deputy-Secretary-General.

The UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council, in decision 89/46, took note of the Fund's emphasis and commitment to coordination and inter-agency cooperation(notably through ACC and the Joint Consultative Group on Policy) and provided instructions on enhancing the role of the United Nations resident coordinators.

UNFPA finalized a review and assessment of its experience during its first 20 years of existence and the results were presented to the UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council and to the General Assembly, and were published as Population Policies and Programmes: Lessons Learned from Two Decades of Experience.

UNFPA, in cooperation with the Government of the Netherlands, organized the International Forum on Population in the Twenty-first Century, which was held at Amsterdam from 6 to 9 November 1989; attended by representatives from 79 countries, it recommended population goals and objectives for the coming decade, and estimated a minimum annual cost of US$ 9 billion in the year 2000 for supporting basic population activities.

The General Assembly, in resolution 44/210, took note with appreciation of the Amsterdam Declaration on A Better Life for Future Generations, which was adopted by the Forum.

1991 The UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council, in decision 91/37, endorsed the Country Support Teams (CSTs) approach for successor support-cost arrangements in assisting UNFPA representatives in providing, coordinating and managing technical advisory services and technical backstopping.

The Economic and Social Council, at the recommendation of the Preparatory Committee for the 1994 population meeting, at its first session, decided in its resolution 1991/93, that the meeting should be called the International Conference on Population and Development and recommended that the Preparatory Committee for the Conference become a subsidiary body of the General Assembly. The General Assembly, in its resolution 48/186, endorsed the decisions adopted by the Council and decided that the Preparatory Committee for the Conference should become a subsidiary body of the General Assembly.

1992 The General Assembly, in resolution 47/199, stressed that national plans and priorities constitute the only viable frame of reference for the national programming of operational activities of the United Nations system; that a country strategy note should be formulated by interested recipient Governments with the assistance of and in cooperation with the United nations system under the leadership of the resident coordinator; that the funding organizations of the United Nations system, within the context of the Joint Consultative Group on Policy (JCGP), should harmonize their programme cycles and to adapt them to national budget cycles, plans and strategies; and that the separate identities and representation of funds and programmes at the country level should be ensured in the framework of a clear and improved division of labour, in accordance with their mandates.

With the creation of the Department of Economic and Social Development, the Population Branch of the former Department of Technical Cooperation for Development was merged with the Population Division.

1993 The UNDP/UNFPA Governing Council, in decision 93/27, reaffirmed the continued use of existing criteria and threshold levels in determining priority status of countries for UNFPA assistance; reviewed the implementation of the arrangements related to the technical support systems (TSS), in particular the establishment of UNFPA country support teams; and encouraged the Executive Director to continue her efforts to decentralize decision-making to the field.

Further restructuring in the economic and social field established the Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Analysis in which the Population Division is located.

1994 The International Conference on Population and Development to be held in Cairo, in September, will discuss a draft programme of action which includes a chapter on the follow-up to the Conference calling for the adoption of appropriate procedures for evaluating and monitoring the Programme of Action.