International Conference on Population and Development

In September 1994, governments meeting in Cairo for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) adopted a Programme of Action for the next 20 years, including a set of specific objectives for all countries relating to health, women's status and social development. The Fund helps countries achieve these objectives, which include:

• Universal access to reproductive health care, including family planning and sexual health, by 2015
• Universal access to primary education by 2015
• Reducing infant mortality to below 35 deaths per 1, 000 live births and under-5 mortality rates to below 45 per 1, 000 by 2015
• Reducing maternal mortality rates to one half of the 1990 levels by the year 2000 and by half again by 2015
• Increasing life expectancy at birth to 75 years or more by 2015.

International Conference on Population and Development + 5

In June-July1999, the United Nations General Assembly convened a special session to review progress since the International Conference on Population and Development. Governments agreed on a set of key actions to further implement the ICPD Programme of Action. New benchmarks were set to measure progress. 

These included:

• Halving the 1990 illiteracy rate for women and girls by 2005.
• Enrolling 90 per cent of boys and girls in primary school by 2010.
• Ensuring that 60 per sent of primary health care and family planning facilities offer a wide range of services, including family planning, obstetric care and prevention and treatment of reproductive tract infections including sexually transmitted diseases by 2005
• Providing skilled birth attendants at 80 per cent of all births globally, and at least 40 per cent of all births where the maternal mortality rate is very high
• Reducing unmet need for contraceptives by half by 2005, 75 per cent by 2010, and 100 per cent by 2015
• Guaranteeing that 90 per cent of 15-24-year-olds have access to information and services by 2005 to help them avoid HIV infection, including condoms, voluntary testing, counselling and follow-up

• What is UNFPA's goal?
• Does UNFPA promote abortion?
• Doesn't reproductive health start at marriage?
• How does emergency contraception work?
• Does giving sex education to adolescents encourage sexual activity?
• What does UNFPA stand for?

What is UNFPA's goal?
UNFPA stands for promoting the right of all individuals to develop to their fullest potential. To exercise this right, all people, especially women, need access to information and services on reproductive health, including family planning and sexual health, to enable them to make informed and voluntary choices and decisions. Achieving this goal is central to the work of UNFPA.

Does UNFPA promote abortion?
No. The Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, Egypt, in 1994 states that abortion should not be promoted as a method of family planning. UNFPA fully subscribes to this and does not provide support for abortion services. We work to prevent abortion through family planning, and to help countries provide services for women suffering from the complications of unsafe abortion.

Doesn't reproductive health start at marriage?
Concern for reproductive health starts in childhood and lasts throughout the life-cycle. For example, young girls need to be assured equal access to food, health care, life skills, education, employment, and other opportunities to enable them to have greater control over their lives, their development, and their health, including their future reproductive and sexual health.

How does emergency contraception work?
According to the World Health Organization, emergency contraceptives do not interrupt pregnancy but rather prevent it, and thus their use is not a form of abortion. Women have the right to information and services on emergency contraception just as with all other safe and effective methods of family planning.

Does giving sex education to adolescents encourage sexual activity?
No. Many studies show that sex education promotes responsible attitudes and behaviour. These studies also show that providing adolescents with information and services on reproductive and sexual health enables them to postpone the onset of sexual activity, and when they do engage in sex, they are more able to protect themselves from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS

What does UNFPA stand for?
UNFPA was established in 1969 as the United Nations Fund for Population
Activities. In 1987, the Economic and Social Council decided to rename it the
United Nations Population Fund, but to retain the original abbreviation-acronym

Syria: Demographic Information

The Syrian Arab Republic is situated in Asia on the Mediterranean Sea, with a total area of 185,180 sq, km. Syria gained independence on April 17, 1946 ceding from French Colonialism Rule.  Prior to French Occupation, Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire under Turkish Rule.  Today Modern Syria is an essential Arab Republic in the region, a member in the United Nations, a member in the Arab League, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Syria is administratively divided into 14 governorates. Each governorate includes several regions; each region is divided into many districts, each of which include several villages. The capital and largest city of the country is Damascus, with a population of 1,517,000  (2002). The population in the major cities is Aleppo (4,393,000)  (2002), Homs (1,700,00)  (2002), Latakia (1,045,000)  (2002), and Hama (1,652,000)  (2002), according to civil registration records.

POPULATION UNIT PROJECT

The establishment of the Population Unit at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA) was in compliance and consensus with the recommendations of the National Population Conference held in Damascus November 2001 and the constructive cooperation between MOLSA and UNFPA, particularly in formulating the National Population Conference Recommendations into a practical working programme. The PU project is supported by UNFPA to develop a mechanism for an institutional building and a work plan that reflects activities due by such cooperation.

The PU at MOLSA has succeeded in conducting and supervising five workshops on “Development of Managerial Skills, Gender Concept, Women Empowerment, Family Health and Population Issues for NGOs providing Population Services”. The workshops addressed NGOs in five areas in the country: North, North East, Middle, Coast and South.

THE PAN ARAB PROJECT FOR FAMILY HEALTH

The Pan Arab Project for Family Health (PAPFAM) is implemented by the Arab League and designed for the Arab Countries.  The PAPFAM Project is funded by multiple agencies such as:  AGFUND, UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, IPPF, ESCWA, OPEC Fund and IOMS.

NATIONAL POPULATION CONFERENCE (NPC)

The National Population Conference was held in Damascus, Syria under the aegis of President Bashar Al-Assad with the joint partnership of the United Nations Population Fund and the State Planning Commission. The main goal of the NPC was to contribute to the development of the national population policy.

The motto of the conference, which was held during the period 10-12 December 2001, “Achieving A Balance Between Socio-Economic Development And Population Growth To Secure A Prosperous Future” expresses the issues and guidelines of what the conference aimed to achieve.

The NPC was seen as a pivotal point in Syria’s population programmes. To this end, there was an emphasis on finding appropriate mechanisms to enable Syria to face the growing challenges of globalization by accelerating the implementation of the economic reform process.

The objectives of the NPC were:

1)      To examine the nature and significance of population and the socio- economic well being of the Syrian people

2)       To furnish an adequate groundwork for a national population policy update.

The nine NPC studies mainly preview the impact of population on the different key sectors:

-          Population and Development Strategies.

-          Population, Natural Resources and Environment.

-          Population, Human Resources Development and Technology.

-          Fertility, General and Reproductive health policies and strategies.

-          Population Dynamics and Distribution.

-          Empowerment of Women.

-          Population Growth Scenarios and Challenges.

-    Socio-Cultural Determinants of FP and GEEW.

-          Impacts of Globalization on Population Policies and Programmes.

In addition, the NPC provided an opportunity to share experience with other Arab and Islamic countries. Experiences concerning population policies from Yemen, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, Iran, and Egypt were presented.