Ghana
Nana K. Rawlings, the First Lady of Ghana, stated that developed countries have pressured African countries “vigorously” emphasize population control programs, basing their arguments on statistics. “We do not quarrel with that logic, but we believe that a great deal can be learned from bitter past experiences. Reports from our field workers show that our people have become highly suspicious of the birth control crusades. Some of these suspicions emanate from the fact that we do not worry about their needs first and improve their conditions. Also they are frequently suspicious about the drugs, methods and technology being promoted. Sometimes, they feel they are guinea pigs for new drugs.” Other concerns are caused by donor agencies conditioning aid on the adoption of population policies.
Africa, in fact, is not overpopulated; parts of the continent however are under “tremendous and unsustainable pressure” due to a complex combination of factors. “This calls for a dispassionate and objective re-evaluation of the premium placed on existing national borders” which is an issue which evokes “deep nationalistic and patriotic emotions,” she said. Mrs. Rawlings continued, “Ghana’s vision of African unity has always emphasized the limitations of unnatural borders — whilst stressing the virtues of an organic whole…we view with concern the striking cases of discrimination practiced by some developed countries against African immigrants and those of African descent” (International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), POP/CAI/12, 1).
Hungary
Gyorgy Vukovich, President of the Central Statistical Office of Hungary pointed to specific problems faced by his country. “In Hungary, decreasing mortality and achieving simple reproductive levels are the two most important goals in the demographic strategy of the Government. To accomplish those aims, Hungary is implementing a population policy that respects individual freedom and the responsible free decisions of families. Attempts are being made to create an economic situation and social atmosphere which strengthens the family and improves the economic situation of families with children” (Ibid., 4).
Slovenia
The Minister for Labour, Family and Social Affairs of Slovenia described difficulties relating to severely reduced population numbers as well as population aging. Minister Rina Klinar explained that the demographic situation in Slovenia is similar to the situation in a number of European countries and developed parts of the world. In 1993, the total fertility rate was no more than 1.31. The decreasing fertility is the most significant determinant of the aging population. Since the early 1990s, there has been a halt in immigration to Slovenia. With a population of less than 2 million, these changes can result in an even more serious demographic problem than in other countries (Ibid., 5).
Mali
Mohammed al Erlaf, Minister for Employment, Public Affairs and Labour of Mali, stated: “…A national population plan was adopted in 1991, and it is being implemented through a program of education, mother-and-child health care, family health care, and the promotion of the role of women. The national plan of action requires only funding to be effective. Mali respects and protects the family by giving families and individuals the right to choose freely the number and spacing of children.”
He continued, “May God forgive us for manipulating his creations and treating them as figures. And may we come to realize the importance of the situation before us…Solidarity between men and women, and between rich and poor, that is the guarantee of the harmonious development of humanity” (Ibid., 7).
Holy See
“Population policy must always be seen as part of a more comprehensive development policy, Both are, in fact, about the same reality, namely, the centrality of the human person and the responsibility of all to guarantee that every individual person can live in a manner which respects his or her dignity. The chapter of the draft programme of action dealing explicitly with the relationship between population and development is disproportionately small with respect to the [ICPD] document as a whole.
“Population policies involve global questions and the most intimate area of the lives of people: the responsible use of their sexuality and their mutual responsibility concerning human reproduction. Responsible decisions concerning the number of children and the spacing of births belongs to parents, who must be free from all coercion from public authorities. The Holy See does not support a notion of procreation at all costs. Instead, it stresses the responsibility which must characterize the decisions of parents to have a child. This responsibility concerns not only their own personal fulfillment, but their responsibilities to God, to the new life they will bring into the world, to their existing children and their family, as well as to society, in a correct hierarchy of moral values .…
“Human life is so important that its transmission has been entrusted not simply to a series of mechanical biological processes. New life, from its very beginnings, has the right to be generously welcomed into the loving and stable communion of the family, the natural and fundamental group unit of society.
“The Holy See rejects any attempt to weaken the family or to propose a radical redefinition of its structure, such as assigning the status of family to other lifestyle forms.
“The Holy See is particularly concerned about the manner in which the question of abortion has been treated in the preparation of the Conference. While there are many texts in the document which would clearly infer a desire of nations to reduce the number of abortions and to remove the conditions which lead women to have recourse to abortions, there have been efforts by some to foster the concept of ‘a right to abortion’ and to establish abortion as an essential component of population policy. Texts under negotiation asked that countries re-examine their legislation on abortion, and countries are urged, in similar texts, to provide in the coming years services of ‘pregnancy termination’ for people ‘of all ages’.
“The concept of a ‘right to abortion’ would be entirely innovative in the international community and would be contrary to the constitutional and legislative positions of many States, as well as being alien to the sensitivities of vast numbers of persons, believers and unbelievers alike.
“The Holy See supports the concept of reproductive health which is understood as a holistic vision of health concerns in the area of reproduction, that is, a vision which embraces men and women in the entirety of their personality, mind and body, and which is oriented towards a mature and responsible exercise of their sexuality. It further hopes that the conference will clearly endorse the rights and duties of parents, who have the primary responsibility for rearing children. It draws attention to the negative aspects of premature sexual activity for young people and should endeavour to foster mature behaviour in adolescents” (Archbishop Renato R. Martino, Permanent Observer of the Holy See, speaking at the Cairo ICPD).
Benin
Robert Gagnon, the Minister of Planning and Economic Restructuring, expressed concern related to family planning and reproductive health and rights. The key words of population policies should be “counseling, information and education,” according to Gagnon. There should be no attempts “to impose the population views of one set of countries on another.” Rather, “Recommendations from the Conference must be socially acceptable and based on respect for the rights of individuals” (ICPD, POP/CAI/13, 7).
Nicaragua
“A formal statement was issued by William Baez Sacasa, Nicaraguan Minister for Social Affairs: “Nicaragua has a national population policy based on the cooperation of all sectors of society. Respect for freedom, individual rights and ethical and religious beliefs are core principles of its population policy. Population is a more complex problem and goes further than abortion and fertility. For that reason, Nicaragua believes the search to improve living conditions must be integrated into population policies, including the development of the individual. Priority investment must be in health and education. Poverty must be eradicated day-by-day.
“Nicaragua is concerned about the equality of all its citizens and the equal participation of women in the development process. Men and women must be partners in their reproductive lives. The importance and naturalness of the family must be reinforced. To have a child is the decision of each individual, and the role of the State is to provide them with information and education to make an informed choice.
“Nicaragua rejects abortion in all its forms, not only as a method of family planning, but also as a policy to address unsafe motherhood or unsafe abortions. Within the framework of care for mothers and children, the Government will work to prevent abortion by offering special care for women at high risk, in coordination with health and education efforts” (Ibid., 8).
Kuwait
The population statement of Adul Aziz Dakhil AI-Dakhil, Minister for Planning of Kuwait, raised additional concerns: “A salient development feature of Kuwait’s policy is the absence of overpopulation problems that exist in most developing countries. The ambitious development programmes have in fact required the recruitment of foreign labour. The development process has included the improvement of all factors of human development and investment improvement of the labour market in government and private sectors and enhancing the private sector’s contribution to development. Kuwait had gone forward with its programmes until the Iraqi aggression on 2 August 1990. The aggression was a serious obstacle in the development process and still weighs heavily on the people of Kuwait” (Ibid., 9).
Islam
On the occasion of the Islamic Holy day during the Cairo ICPD conference, the Islamic leaders addressed their people. Shiek el Sharyie described the Conference as “international rights against Islam.”
“A woman with many children,” he explained, “develops her power and her resources. Children will bring money through work; they will be the source of development. They will be the ones who develop the desert.” In that way Egypt would win because “the land will solve our problems and food comes from the land.”
“The Conference should help protect people against disease. Sex cannot be taught, what they should teach is protection from disease, i.e., protect the people against [sexual] disease by teaching them to get married.”
On the issue of abortion, “Islam refuses abortion because it is the killing of a life. God gave the child a soul so that God could keep this soul, so the soul can return to God. When a doctor says that the pregnancy has become dangerous to the life of the woman, we allow the abortion. The abortion the ICPD talks about is against the Prophet Mohammad. When you choose to kill your boys, you don’t develop your own income. Every father provides food for his children, therefore when we have children, we have to develop the desert and in this way — we save Egypt (Translation and interview with Egyptian journalist, Hussein al Habrouck, at the ICPD, Cairo, Egypt).
Philippines
Cielito B. Habito, Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and Chairman of the Commission on Population of the Philippines: “The Philippine position in the Conference is guided by fundamental principles that underlie its Constitution. These include the view that human life is sacred. Respect for human life should be paramount and non-negotiable. The Philippines is emphatically against abortion as a method of family planning. Its Constitution mandates the protection of the lives of both the mother and her unborn child from the moment of conception. The family is the basic unit of society and should be anchored on the permanent and exclusive marriage between a man and a woman. The role of women in nation-building should be recognized and encouraged. Fundamental equality between the genders should be promoted. Human development should be seen holistically, addressing all needs and aspirations of the human being such as politics, economics, culture and religion” (ICPD, POP/CAI/13, 10,11).
U.N. Commission on Human Rights
Erica-Irene A. Daes, Chairman and Rapporteur of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Commission on Human Rights articulated the basic concerns of indigenous peoples: “Indigenous peoples continue to be threatened with physical or cultural destruction in some countries, even though indigenous peoples are able and willing to assist sustainable development in the countries in which they live .… Only in some parts of the world are indigenous peoples, after long periods of population loss, experiencing increases in population growth. In most regions, they are still experiencing a steady population decline as a result of persecution, oppression, loss of life and resources, loss of land, displacement and resettlement. The unsustainable patterns of consumption and production of the society at large are factors in either driving indigenous people from their lands or in the actual destruction of those lands” (Ibid., 14).
Spain
Spain, the second largest country land area in Europe, has the lowest fertility rate ever recorded for any country. At the current fertility rate, Spanish women will average 1.23 births over the course of their lives. The average age at first birth increased from 28.2 in 1980, to 28.5 in 1985, and 28.6 in 1989.
Decreased fertility has led to increased “population aging.” Spain‘s population pyramid is shrinking at the base as the numbers of children get smaller. The number of children under five years of age is fewer than any adult five-year age category under the age of 65. Nineteen percent of Spain‘s population is under the age of 15, while 14 percent are over the age of 65.
After years of economic growth, Spain is now experiencing an economic recession. Unemployment is presently 22 percent, the highest in the European Union (Population Today, vol. 22, no. 3, March 1994, Population Reference Bureau).
Algeria
Yahia Guidoum, the Minister of Health and Population of Algeria, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 (actually 130 countries) stated, “It would be useless to focus international efforts on strictly demographic objectives, and even more futile to attempt to export values and norms.” He concluded: “That is all the more true in light of studies on population, which conclude, among others, that most population growth will occur in the developing world and that without economic development, economic and social tensions in those regions will be aggravated .… Population policies must be implemented with consideration for the particular cultural and religious conditions prevailing in a given country” (ICPD, POP/CAI 1994. 3–4).
Pacific Island non-governmental organizations
“We object to population policy that focuses primarily on the control of women’s fertility, violates women’s health and integrity and does not address itself to the basic issue of development” said High Chief Leiataua B. Alailima, of the Pacific Island Association of Non-Governmental Organizations.
“This ultimately places the burden for solving population problems on the South and especially on women from the South,” concluded the High Chief (ICPD, POP/CAI/22, 1).
Iran
Mohammad Ali Taskhiri delivered Iran’s message to the ICPD: “The Cairo Conference should not be exploited for the purpose of recognizing immoral behaviours or for undermining religious and ethical values. While trying to formulate population policies in line with sustainable development, special attention should be given to moral, as well as materialistic, aspects of the human being, in order to adjust the programmes with his nature and status in the universe. The present population problem, in addition to rapid growth, lies also in sustainable use of natural resources and unfair distribution of wealth worldwide” (ICPD, POP/CAI/14, 4).
Washington, D.C.
As residents of Washington, D.C. relaxed with their Sunday morning papers in late October, they were greeted with the inescapable problems of declining and aging populations. The headlines read, “Declining population saps D.C.” It seems that the “exodus of the District’s middle and working class families” as well as the “aging of its population” has cut into the city’s ability to pay for its expenses.
Washington’s Mayor, Sharon Pratt Kelly, has focused on these “demographic trends” as “the heart” of the city’s financial troubles. Fewer residents are now in their highest income-earning years and older residents on small retirement incomes pay fewer taxes.
The resulting drop in income has also affected sales and other tax receipts. The rest of the decade is expected to produce a five percent decline in real revenue (Nell Henderson and Martha M. Hamilton, “Declining population saps D.C.,” The Washington Post, D.C., 30 Oct. 1994, l, 19).
