| ANNOTATED PROVISIONAL
AGENDA
1. Opening of the meeting
Tentatively, the opening session of the Senior Official's
Segment will be addressed by the Deputy Executive
Secretary of ESCAP and the Deputy Executive Director
of UNFPA. It will also be addressed by a senior official
from the Government of Thailand.
2. Election of officers
One Chairperson, two Vice-Chairpersons and a Rapporteur
will be elected to conduct the Senior Officials Segment.
In addition, one Chairperson, one Vice-Chairperson
and a Rapporteur will be elected for the Drafting
Committee sessions.
3. Adoption of the agenda
The provisional agenda prepared by the secretariat
will be reviewed for adoption.
4. Population and poverty in Asia and the Pacific
This session will discuss the dynamics of population
and the development situation focusing on how it has
had impacts on poverty. It will also discuss anticipated
future trends, particularly in the context of globalization.
The focus of this introductory session will include
an assessment of the status of implementation and
realization of the goals contained in the Bali Declaration
on Population and Sustainable Development, the Programme
of Action of the International Conference on Population
and Development (ICPD) and follow-up conferences including
ICPD+5.
5. Fertility levels and trends, and their implications
for policies and programmes
This session will focus on the policy recommendations
that are relevant for countries at different levels
of fertility. In high-fertility countries, the session
will investigate factors that hinder fertility decline,
including the sociocultural milieu, and will identify
policy measures that may facilitate the onset of fertility
decline. In intermediate-fertility countries, the
session will provide insights into the prospects for
a further decline in fertility, examining determinants
and consequences of the trends. In low-fertility countries,
the session will examine the consequences of low fertility
and discuss policies and programmes in response to
low fertility and population ageing. It will also
identify factors contributing to fertility decline
even in situations where poverty persists.
6. Mortality and morbidity trends and poverty reduction
This session will first review recent trends in mortality
rates and patterns in morbidity and causes of death
at the regional and subregional levels. The session
will emphasize the need for strengthening and using
available data to monitor mortality and morbidity.
It will consider the strategies needed to meet the
millennium development goals. It will also emphasize
the need to improve the accessibility of health services
by all segments of the population, in particular,
the poor, the elderly, women and youth.
Next, the session will identify the programmes implemented
by countries in successfully reducing morbidity and
mortality, which can be used as the basis for enhancing
the effectiveness of health programmes in other countries.
Finally, the session will consider the impact of mortality
and morbidity reduction on prospects for poverty reduction
and sustainable development.
7. Migration, urbanization and poverty
(a) International migration and development: opportunities
and challenges for poverty reduction
This session will address issues related to both authorized
and unauthorized migration flows, particularly the
living conditions of unauthorized migrants, trafficked
women and children, and refugees in destination countries.
It will discuss how the negative consequences of unauthorized
migration can be mitigated. It will suggest a possible
framework for regional cooperation keeping in mind
existing arrangements to improve the condition of
migrants and ensure that policy interventions are
effectively implemented and monitored.
(b) Urbanization and internal migration
The session will begin with a discussion on the pattern
of urban transition, focusing on the growth and changing
distribution of populations in the hierarchy of urban
settlements, including, but not limited to, "mega-cities".
In this context, the session will discuss the impact
of rapid rural-to-urban migration on urban infrastructures,
such as meeting the needs of "floating"
and homeless populations and internally displaced
persons. It will consider other types of migratory
patterns such as rural-to-rural, urban-to-urban, inland-to-coastal,
lowland-to-upland and circular and temporary movements,
as well as the impact of such movements on poverty.
The session will highlight possible future trends
regarding migration, urbanization and poverty in the
context of globalization. Drawing upon the various
approaches that have been adopted to manage migration
and population distribution, the session will make
specific recommendations for countries. The session
will underscore the consequences of migration and
urbanization on poverty, focusing on disadvantaged
and underserved groups, including women and children.
8. Population ageing
The session will focus on the current situation of
the elderly population and discuss policies and programmes
that need to be developed in order to provide support
to the elderly population in respect of health care,
housing, income security, caregiving facilities and
living arrangements. The session will emphasize the
need to provide social and economic security to the
vulnerable segments of the elderly population, in
particular, those who are widowed and those living
in poverty. The session will also explore options
for making the elderly more productive through such
programmes as engaging the elderly population in income-generation
activities and social services.
9. Reproductive health, including family planning
This session will examine the significant role played
by "informed free choice" in providing quality
family planning programmes. The ICPD Programme of
Action emphasizes the importance of family planning
programmes which help couples to choose the number
and timing of their children. An effective family
planning programme should provide quality services
and ensure that the poor and the disadvantaged have
access to such services. Moreover, since a significant
number of women die of pregnancy-related causes every
year, quality family planning programmes should also
address issues related to women's health, including
pregnancy and childbirth.
This session will provide new directions to ensure
the extension of good-quality services to those groups
who have not been served. It will review the progress
of countries towards meeting the ICPD goal of integrating
family planning into reproductive health. The session
will address issues related to the promotion and delivery
of good-quality family planning services, with special
attention to more vulnerable and less privileged people.
It will also discuss the broader issue of the integration
of family planning programmes into the wider context
of reproductive health, including mechanisms to ensure
the safe introduction of emerging contraceptive technologies.
10. Adolescent reproductive health
This session will first examine various socio-economic
factors that are influencing the sexual and reproductive
behaviour of adolescents and youth in the Asian and
Pacific region, including such factors as inadequate
access to correct information, the availability of
and access to youth-friendly health services, peer
pressure and the erosion of the role of the family,
economic constraints and gender power imbalances.
Second, the session will highlight the prevalence
of sexuality and childbearing among adolescents and
youth in the region, its consequences for the health
of mothers and children and sexually transmitted infections,
including HIV/AIDS.
The session will identify approaches to involve adolescents
and youth in programme planning and implementation
and mechanisms to share best practices. It will provide
policy recommendations for addressing the sexual and
reproductive health needs of adolescents and youth.
11. HIV/AIDS and poverty
This session will first consider the regional situation
with respect to the demographic, economic and social
impacts of HIV/AIDS on prospects for poverty reduction
and sustainable development. Based on selected case
studies, it will then examine good practices in coordinating
targeted poverty reduction efforts with programmes
to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the disease.
Finally, the session will debate ways to support the
efforts made so far to combat HIV/AIDS in a comprehensive
manner by integrating HIV/AIDS into national poverty
strategies.
12. Gender equality and development
The session will review the improvements made in
women's status since the Bali Conference and ICPD,
as reflected in their legal rights, education, health,
employment, position in the household and family decision-making
power. It will address the factors constraining progress
in achieving the goals set by international conferences,
particularly ICPD and ICPD+5, and define the measures
needed to reach the goals established to improve the
status of the women. It will also discuss issues related
to the participation of males in reproductive health
in particular and in household activities in general.
Finally, it will identify areas that need monitoring
on a regular basis and propose indicators for assessing
progress.
13. Behavioural change communication and advocacy
and information and communications technology as tools
for population and development and poverty reduction
(a) Behavioural change communication and advocacy
The session will address the role of behavioural
change communication and advocacy in the population
and development process and in poverty reduction in
the Asian and Pacific region, identify the areas of
behavioural change communication and advocacy activities
and discuss policies and strategies to bring about
desired behavioural changes, keeping in mind the sociocultural
context of target groups.
(b) Information and communications technology
The session will address the role of ICT in the population
and development process in the Asian and Pacific region,
especially in the context of globalization, and identify
the areas of ICT applications, with special emphasis
on poverty reduction. In addition, the session will
provide recommendations for developing policies and
strategies to reduce the so-called digital divide
for population development and poverty reduction.
14. Data, research and training
The session will address the issue of training needs
and effective mechanisms to ensure cost-effective
approaches to building capacity at all levels. The
changing orientation in planning is making it necessary
for local-level administrators and planners to be
capable of using data and information to make informed
policy decisions. The session will identify the strategies
for developing intra- and intergovernmental cooperation
by sharing the technical expertise available in the
region.
15. Partnerships and resources
The session will address the issues related to programme
costs, sharing of costs and resource mobilization.
At the country level, it will address measures that
Governments can use to bring civil society into full
partnership in order to implement population and reproductive
health policies and programmes. With increasing population
size and expansion of services, the commodity costs
of programmes are also expanding exponentially. Therefore,
many Governments are finding it difficult to allocate
adequate resources to ensure the availability of commodities.
The international community can help Governments by
sharing the commodity and training costs to ensure
the quality of services. However, there is a need
to ensure better coordination between Governments
and donors to avoid any duplication or inappropriate
use of funds.
Moreover, given the shrinking external resources
for population programmes, it is imperative to strengthen
efforts to mobilize resources both nationally and
internationally from various sources, such as bilateral
donors, multilateral organizations and international
foundations, and from domestic sources, including
the private sector. Based on the experience gained
since 1992 and in particular after ICPD in 1994, this
session will assess mechanisms for strengthening partnerships,
such as South-South cooperation, regional networking
and mobilizing resources for population programmes.
In this regard, the session will deliberate on the
strategies that need to be pursued and will discuss
the role that international agencies, particularly
those in the United Nations system such as UNFPA and
ESCAP, can play.
16. Other matters
Any other matters that the participants may wish
to bring to the attention of the Conference will be
considered under this agenda item.
17. Adoption of the Conference report
The report and recommendations of the Senior Officials
Segment will be adopted on 14 December 2002.
18. Adoption of the Fifth Asian and Pacific Population
Conference Plan of Action on Population and Poverty
The senior officials will finalize the draft Fifth
Asian and Pacific Population Conference Plan of Action
on Population and Poverty for consideration by the
ministers during the Ministerial Segment of the Conference.
19. Closing of the meeting
The meeting will be officially closed by the Chairperson
with closing statements from ESCAP and UNFPA.
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