Noeleen Heyzer: "Development strategies cannot overlook the importance of population factors"

Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations waves to the crowd upon his arrival at the United Nations building in Bangkok on 3 December. Mr. Ban visited Bangkok on his way to the Climate Change Conference held in Bali. To his right is Noeleen Heyzer, new Executive Secretary of ESCAP.

As a follow-up to the July-August 2007 issue of Population Headliners (No. 319) which announced the appointment of Noeleen Heyzer as the new Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Ms. Heyzer kindly responded to a few questions raised by our editorial:

• Some sixty years after ESCAP’s inception in 1947 in Shanghai, you are the very first woman to head this Regional Commission. As the former Executive Director of UNIFEM and a champion of women’s rights, do you expect gender differences to be perceivable in your management style?
  

  “Great work has been accomplished by the past eight Executive Secretaries of this Commission and I must salute their achievements and unceasing efforts to steer an increasingly large organization in a complex and fast-changing region.
  My management style is influenced by my involvement in promoting inclusive development and by the struggles for women’s rights and their participation in all levels of decision-making.
  My resolve remains strong as ever to ensure justice and equality in an unequal world. I hope to motivate support and harness new energies to address shared development concerns, striving for common prosperity, social progress and ecological sustainability in a region challenged by huge growth with increasing inequalities and persistent poverty.
  I hope to be able to build an enabling work environment where all staff can realize their full potential, with mutual trust and respect. I hope to turn all stumbling blocks into building blocks, encourage teamwork and build on each and every staff member’s strength. With clarity of vision and purpose, I hope to be able to motivate and inspire them so they give their very best to the organization”.

• The Asian and Pacific region, besides having some of the world’s highest growth, also has the world’s two demographic giants; China and India -- How important to you are population factors in advocating for sustainable development? What are, in your views, the population issues the region will be grappling with in the coming years?

  “It is increasingly understood that population parameters are not to be looked at in isolation and that population factors needs to be an integrated part of the overall developmental planning. Far from being merely questions of numbers, population issues are relative concepts, which have to be examined in light of a country’s resources, stage of economic development, technology and socio-cultural considerations, etc. There are critical linkages between population and sustainable development, as brought out so clearly in the Programme of Action adopted at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. Development strategies cannot overlook the importance of population factors if they aim to contribute to sustainable development, improved quality of life and poverty eradication.
  “As regards population issues which are likely to confront the region in the coming years, it is important to note, when trying to anticipate the future that striking demographic transformation has unfolded among countries in the region.
  One can expect that population ageing, including the feminization of the older segments of the population and international migration will increasingly be at the forefront, raising a number of unprecedented issues. Yet the region exhibits great diversity in demographic dynamics. Hence, many countries in the region will continue to be challenged by persistent issues such as high maternal and child mortality; HIV/AIDS; and the need to reap the benefits of having a large youth population”.

• ESCAP and UNPFA have had a long-standing and fruitful collaboration for the past few decades. As UNFPA is becoming increasingly field-focused and regionalized, would you share your views on how you envisage this collaboration to further prosper?

  “From the first few days in my new capacity as Executive Secretary of this Regional Commission, overseeing a region which is home to two thirds of humanity, my priority has been to explore ways to further strengthen the Commission, to position it as the leading regional hub in Asia and the Pacific, promoting cooperation among Member States to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic and social development.
  As Chair of the Regional Coordination Mechanism, ESCAP has a unique role in coordinating the work of the various United Nations bodies and agencies based in the region and ensuring synergy among them.
  UNFPA is an important member of the United Nations family and I would pursue the strong partnership ESCAP has evolved with the Fund over the past many years. I will ensure that this partnership evolves further, taking into account the complementary strengths of the two organizations.
  There are daunting challenges ahead of us and I believe regional cooperation and genuine strategic partnerships are critical to help devise the best solutions for the benefit of people in the region”.