UN's population and development body wraps up annual session

Concluding its annual session today, a key United Nations body on population and development issues called for more research into reproductive rights and health concerns, particularly relating to HIV/AIDS.

In closing remarks, officials stressed the important role of the Commission on Population and Development in providing advice and guidance on population matters, but lamented the lack of dialogue during the session. The Director of the Population Division, Joseph Chamie, said that there was a need to return to a vital exchange between population experts on technical, not political, matters.

For his part, Commission Chairman Antonio Golini of Italy said he had the impression that sometimes the important task of advising the UN Economic and Social Council on population issues and trends, including consequences, was forgotten. It was important that the Commission maintained and enhanced public attention and support for the implementation of the Programme of Action, as it dealt with almost all population issues.

During its 35th session, which began on Monday, the Commission considered follow-up actions to the recommendations of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and heard delegates on national experience in population matters regarding the session's theme on reproductive rights and reproductive health, with special reference to HIV/AIDS.

In a resolution adopted this afternoon, the Commission requested the Population Division of the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs to continue collaborative research together with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on reproductive rights and reproductive health, in close collaboration with all other relevant funds, programmes and agencies of the UN system.

The Commission also asked that the Population Division strengthen its work on the demographic aspects and impact of HIV/AIDS, and to incorporate its findings from that and other relevant research on reproductive rights and reproductive health in its contribution to the next review of the implementation of the ICPD's Programme of Action. The Division's findings would also be used to evaluate the annual reviews of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and other relevant review processes.