United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Council of Europe
United Nations Population Fund
EUROPEAN POPULATION CONFERENCE
RECOMMENDATIONS
March 1993, Geneva, Switzerland
UNITED NATIONS
New York and Geneva, 1994

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations or the Council of Europe concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN POPULATION CONFERENCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE
I. BACKGROUND
II. PREAMBLE
III. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION
A. FERTILITY, STATUS OF WOMEN AND THE FAMILY
> B. HEALTH AND MORTALITY
C. POPULATION GROWTH AND AGE STRUCTURE: SELECTED CONSEQUENCES
D. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
E. NTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF POPULATION
F. GENERATION AND UTILIZATION OF POLICY-RELEVANT KNOWLEDGE

PREFACE

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the Council of Europe and the United Nations Population Fund jointly convened the European Population Conference during 23-26 March 1993 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. This Conference was held within the context of world-wide preparations for the United Nations 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, scheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt, in September 1994.

The Conference addressed the following priority topics: (i) international migration, (ii) fertility and the family, (iii) health and mortality, (iv) population growth and age structure: selected consequences, and (v) international cooperation in the field of population.

The objectives of the Conference were to address these topics and in the process: (i) to review, examine and analyse key population-related issues in countries of the European and North America region; (ii) to evaluate the implementation of population-related policies in the countries of the region; and (iii) to prepare a set of recommendations addressing key population related issues and policies.

The integral text of the recommendations of the European Population Conference is provided in this publication with the hope that it will serve as a useful reference source to government ministries and agencies, international and regional organizations and institutions, as well as national organizations and individual scholars interested in population issues and policies.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN POPULATION CONFERENCE

Adopted by the Conference at its final session on 26 March 1993

I. BACKGROUND

1. In the history of the development of the world's population the decade straddling the end of this century will be decisive. Long-term population trends will depend, among other things, on measures and policies introduced during that decade. There' is, therefore, an urgent need for politicians and policy makers at the global, regional and national levels to come to grips with the serious demographic challenges faced and to influence fundamentally the future course of events.

2. The nature of these challenges varies widely. At the global level, the expected tremendous increase in population numbers -- the world's population will grow from 5.3 billion to over 8 billion between 1990 and 2020 -- has driven home the fact that population and the environment are highly inter-dependent and that continued population growth, combined with unsustainable modes of production and consumption leading to environmental degradation through air, soil and water pollution, threatens the very basis on which life depends. It has also led to the realisation that the future of countries is inextricably linked and that this interdependence necessitates international cooperation and solidarity among the different regions of the world.

3.For the developing countries, where over 90 per cent of the future world population growth will take place, the challenge is to generate adequate levels of sustainable economic and social development, notwithstanding high levels of population growth, and to devote sufficient resources to population and development programmes to enable these countries to move towards their own demographic transition. Considerable progress has been made along this path, but in many developing countries no substantial decline of fertility has yet taken place. Entire regions are still experiencing higher levels of fertility than they consider desirable and have such a young age-structure that they find it difficulty if not impossible, to feed, educate and train the coming generations and to provide them with gainful employment.

4. In most of the developed countries the situation is entirely different. They have experienced a sustained period of low, at times unprecedented low, levels of fertility. In many instances, these countries are still evaluating the implications of long--term population decline. At the same time the population is ageing rapidly. Also, Europe is now a region of destination of international migration.

5. A very particular challenge for the region results from the developments taking place in the countries undergoing political and economic transition. The revival of old national and ethnic rivalries not only facilitates the emergence of armed conflicts and serious political crises, but also exacerbates demographic problems. Moreover, countries in transition face the formidable task of having to catch up with the almost uninterrupted social and economic progress experienced elsewhere in Europe in order to offer their populations better standards of living, a less polluted environment and a life free from armed conflict. For Europe as a whole, the existence of this group of countries in transition also poses a formidable challenge which taxes to the limit the solidarity and inventiveness of all Governments of the region. It also makes Europe's demographic situation very complex

6. With due consideration to the most pressing issues both at the global and regional levels, priority areas were selected for discussion during this Conference of the European and North American region, herein referred to as "the region". These were:

- Fertility, status of women and the family;
- Health and mortality;
- Population growth and structure;
- International migration;
- International cooperation; and
- Generation of policy-relevant knowledge.

These areas have strong interrelations, a fact which will be taken into account in the recommendations of this Conference.

7. The last few decades have been marked by very important changes in the societal context of fertility, status of women and the family. Fertility has declined unexpectedly and dramatically, and continues to be well below the level necessary for the replacement of generations. Even though in a few countries slight increases have been observed recently, the general expectation must be that, at least for the immediate future, substantial increases are unlikely as couples do not seem to desire larger families. Fertility regulation is now widely practised in the region. In many countries, however, individuals and couples have no access to or make insufficient use of appropriate methods of fertility regulation. High rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion attest to this problem, notably in eastern Europe.

8. An ever-increasing number of women are trying to achieve personal fulfilment both in their family and professional lives. A great challenge facing society is to create conditions enabling men and women to combine parental and work roles in a responsible manner.

9. New types of family arrangements have emerged, such as non-married cohabiting couples and single parent families; as a result the number of children born from these unions is increasing. Even in areas where this situation does not prevail as yet, such phenomena may soon appear. Clearly the great challenges facing society are to accommodate these pluralistic family forms in all aspects of society.

10. The improvements in health promotion, disease prevention and treatments and their effects on morbidity and mortality levels and trends in most western countries of the region have been very significant and further gains may be expected. Following rapid success in the fight against infectious diseases, advances have also been made in reducing mortality from cardio-vascular diseases and, to some extent, from cancer. The implications of this favourable development are, among others, the increase of chronic and degenerative diseases. Both the general welfare development and the considerable expansion of health services have contributed to health improvements, as has the increased awareness in the population that modified personal behaviour with regard to eating, drinking and smoking has a positive effect on their health.

11. At the same time, new problems have arisen while old problems have become more acute. The AIDS pandemic and drug abuse, particularly among the young, are causes for concern as is the link between environmental degradation and its influence on health and mortality. In many countries of the region there is also the important issue of increasing the availability of quality health care and the financing of health services. This is a particular concern for the countries in transition. Disparities in various demographic indicators, such as maternal and infant mortality and life expectancy, between western and eastern Europe suggest the need for improved health care, including reproductive health services.

12. The continued low levels of fertility and declining mortality at higher ages have direct consequences for population growth and the age structure of the countries in the region. In spite of the diversity which still exists, both at the macro and micro levels, there are closely convergent demographic trends, such as those towards very low or negative levels of population growth and ageing. These trends have important socio-economic and political implications. The aged population constitutes a valuable and important component of a society's human resources. In many countries "ageing policies" are being developed to enable societies to adjust to changes in the composition and size of the labour force. The development of specific "ageing policies" is all the more important since the already high expenditure for health and retirement benefits is likely to increase with ageing. It should be realized that the issue of ageing is complex and is a challenge to those societies in which longevity has been increasing for some time. This achievement leads to new developments in the nature of the social contract which binds generations together.

13. With regard to international migration it was noted that, whatever their inclination, most European countries had, as in the case of the United States and Canada, a considerable net influx of migrants. Because of worldwide economic and social disparities and political conflicts, the region will have to deal with long-term migration pressures from other parts of the world. Obviously the most crucial questions to be faced are how to control and manage the migratory flows to and within Europe in a humane and effective way and how to achieve a desirable level of integration. Apart from family migration which is, or is becoming, the largest flow of legal migration, two other categories of migrants have emerged preeminently on both sides of the Atlantic: asylum-seekers and irregular migrants. Asylum procedures are being increasingly used not only by genuine refugees but also by migrants whose motivation is economic. It is also important to keep in mind that while western Europe, through the European Community and its cooperation with the countries of the European Free Trade Association, is basically committed to the free movement of people within its area, this "openness" is difficult to achieve or maintain. There is a clear need for increased cooperation within Europe in the field of international migration. It is in the interest of both the sending and the receiving countries to see that ways are found to ameliorate the short-term crises and the long-term deprivation which lead to uncontrolled migration flows. Furthermore, countries in transition may be both generating and hosting substantial flows of migrants in the coming years.

14. International cooperation already exists among the countries of Europe and North America and the developing countries, as well as within the region. A major challenge is to continue to support the developing countries in their developmental and population programmes while at the same time intensifying similar activities with the countries in transition. The imbalance between population dynamics and, economic and social development, and its perceived impact at the world level on the environment has contributed to increasing awareness of the complex interdependency between different regions of the world.

II. PREAMBLE

15. Considering resolution 1991/93 of the Economic and Social Council inviting the regional commissions of the United Nations to organize, in preparation of the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994, regional conferences to review the experiences gained in population policies and programmes in their regions, bearing in mind the relationship between such policies and programmes and development issues, and to propose further action;

16. Considering decision G (40) of the Economic Commission for Europe, which requested the Executive Secretary to collaborate with the United Nations Population Fund in convening periodically a regional meeting of experts on population for consultations amongst Governments and for the dissemination and exchange of information on population problems and policies in the ECE region;

17. Considering the decision of the Ministers' Deputies of the Council of Europe at their 470th meeting to convene this Conference jointly with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the United Nations Population Fund;

18. Aware of the political changes which have occurred recently in Europe and of their positive impact on the development of cooperation between all countries of the region;

19. Mindful that despite the ,diversities of their socio-economic, political, cultural, demographic and environmental conditions, the countries of the region share important common concerns in regard to population;

20. Aware of the specific needs of the countries in transition in the field of population, particularly in the context of the economic reforms under way there;

21. Mindful also that the developed and the developing countries in the perspective of sustainable development share common ground and interest on population matters, and are desirous to cooperate in this area;

22. Noting the principles of the World Population Plan of Action adopted in Bucharest in 1974 and the 1984 Mexico City Declaration on Population and Development;

23. Noting also the relevance of the 1989 Amsterdam Declaration "A Better Life for Future Generations";

24. Reaffirming, that population policies including migration policies, should be consistent with and observe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950) and its additional protocols, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979), the Convention (1951) and the Protocol (1967) relating to the status of refugees and similar international instruments;

25. Conscious of the principle of equity in health and the policy targets as stated in the Health for All Strategy by the year 2000 of the World Health Organisation and of the European Charter on Environment and Health, Frankfurt, 1989;

26. Stressing the importance of the activities initiated in the context of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe which contribute to the observance of human rights, to conflict prevention, and the improvement of living conditions of the population of the countries concerned;

27. Reaffirming the outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, and the commitment demonstrated by this Conference that all concerns of sustainable development, including those related directly to population, should be addressed in a fully integrated manner;

28. Recognising with appreciation the valuable role international governmental organisations, including the Council of Europe and United Nations organisations, and non-governmental organisations have played and can play in promoting greater awareness of the nature of population problems and the need for effective action;

29. Reviewing recent population trends and policies, and future prospects of demographic development in the region, as described in the documents submitted to the Conference and summed up in Section 1. above;

The European Population Conference

30. Adopts the recommendations contained below and requests the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to transmit these recommendations to the Preparatory Committee of the International Conference on Population and Development.

III. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION

Recommendation 1

Recognizing that sustainable development on the global scale is a common responsibility to be shared by the Governments of the region and those of the developing countries, the former should actively participate in all necessary joint efforts to be undertaken in this respect. Governments of the region should in particular be aware that poverty, population growth and environmental degradation are closely interrelated. While population growth and poverty result in certain kinds of environmental stress, the major causes of the continued deterioration of the global environment are the unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, particularly in industrialized countries. Common targets should be the promotion of patterns of consumption and production that reduce environmental stress, and the encouragement of social and economic development that meets basic needs and allows for better living conditions and appropriate fertility rates.

Recommendation 2

Population-related activities touching upon the most personal sphere of life should, as a prerequisite, be implemented in accordance with human and fundamental rights. They should in particular contribute to the improvement of the role and status of women, the reduction of large discrepancies in living standards and the peaceful settlement of religions, ethnic, political and economic conflicts.

A. FERTILITY, STATUS OF WOMEN AND THE FAMILY

a)  Socio-economic support to the family and gender equality

Recommendation 3

A more child-friendly and family-friendly environment should be promoted in all spheres of society such as housing, child-care programmes, working conditions, time schedules and recreational facilities.

Recommendation 4

Governments, in cooperation with the private sector and the social partners, should help the ever-increasing number of parents who desire to achieve fulfilment through both professional life and parental roles. They could contribute to making these two goals compatible by developing and strengthening social services such as child minders, crèches, kindergartens, and parental leave. In addition, they should encourage other measures to facilitate work outside the family by either parent, such as part-time activity and flexible schedules. Particular attention should be given to the needs of women, who still bear a disproportionate burden of the responsibility in the family, by introducing measures which encourage men to share these responsibilities.

Recommendation 5

Governments and private organizations as appropriate, should consider measures which compensate, at least partially, for the costs of child-bearing and child-rearing, particularly for those with limited resources. These measures may include direct financial and other support, tax incentives, and low-cost or free child and maternal welfare services.

Recommendation 6

In order to develop better gender equality, Governments should promote conditions that further political, economic and social equality between men and women, including equal opportunities for education, training and employment, and equality in family responsibilities.

Recommendation 7

Governments and private organizations, as appropriate, are encouraged to develop more targeted programmes focusing on vulnerable groups of the population and families which bear special burdens. An objective is to address persistent and ever-growing poverty and low income among those sections of the population by such measures as income maintenance, job creation, housing support, free or subsidized training, and preferential child care.

b)  Reproductive rights, reproductive health and family planning

Recommendation 8

In their social and family policies, Governments should adopt measures to enable individuals and couples to exercise their right to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children. These measures should increase the access of individuals and couples to education, information and the means of regulating their fertility, including the treatment of infertility, regardless of overall demographic goals. Counselling and quality family planning services should be provided and supported to reduce the number of induced abortions. In view of the current situation in countries in transition, Governments of these countries should strengthen their services in reproductive health, including family planning, and encourage non-governmental organizations in this field.

Recommendation 9

Although most countries are experiencing favourable trends towards the use of medically-approved family planning methods, there are still groups which need particular attention. Governments should seek to increase access to appropriate information, family planning services and educational programmes for these groups.

Recommendation 10

Public authorities at national and local levels, non-governmental organizations and other institutions concerned should support non-coercive family planning services, which respect the values of recipients, together with maternal and child health programmes and related reproductive health services. Family planning associations and other concerned non-governmental organizations should be involved in the design and implementation of these programmes and services. In promoting the development of family planning services, particular attention should be given to the quality of the services.

Recommendation 11

As new methods of medically-assisted reproduction and their use are developing rapidly, Governments should provide for mechanisms to examine the ethical dimensions of the application of these methods and their social, economic, legal and health consequences. International exchanges on these questions should be organized by the Council of Europe and other international organizations.

B. HEALTH AND MORTALITY

a)  Health promotion and personal behaviour

Recommendation 12

According to WHO Health for All Targets towards the year 2000, Governments should encourage popular participation in designing and executing health policies. This includes specific health and intersectorial policies affecting the health status of the population, including those collaborative international efforts to prevent and control HIV/AIDS. In particular, community participation in primary care, long-term care for the elderly and/or disabled, and local initiatives concerning the promotion of health for all should be reinforced. Different forms of self-care based on recent knowledge and information should be developed.

Recommendation 13

Governments should consider health promotion a principal strategy for improving health and prolonging a healthy life. Health promotion consists of the following: (a) the transmission of knowledge regarding disease prevention and health-maintaining behaviour to the general public as well as to specific risk groups, such as teenagers; (b) the internalizing and application of knowledge by the respective target groups, resulting in changes in personal behaviour, such as ceasing to smoke, lower or no consumption of alcohol and drugs, eating a more balanced diet, more responsible driving behaviour, performing physical exorcises and practising safe sex. Governments should also consider education programmes as well as taxes and other financial mechanisms to discourage the excessive use of substances such as tobacco and alcohol, and the abuse of psycho-active drugs. The needed infrastructure should be provided by Governments, the private sector and by communities.

b)  Health and the environment

Recommendation 14

Governments in collaboration with the private sector should recognize the link between the commitment to policies that lead to ecologically sustainable development, the prevention and control of risks, and equitable access to a healthy environment, as stated in the European Charter on Environment and Health, in the UNCED recommendations and in WHO documents. This includes, among other things, ensuring water and air quality, food quality and safety, waste management, chemical safety, health of people at work, safe housing and supportive environments for each generation. An initial indispensable step consists of monitoring air, water and soil pollution and its impact on the health of human beings, particularly of vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly and workers at risk.

Recommendation 15

Governments should identify and monitor the causes of socio-economic and regional mortality and morbidity differentials, and subsequently make efforts to reduce them.

C)  Health of women and children

Recommendation 16

Governments should ensure that families, and in particular women and children, have access to a full range of appropriate, quality health services and programmes. This includes family planning and reproductive health services entailing preconceptual, prenatal and postnatal care. Such services should be accessible to all women and also contribute to reducing infant and maternal mortality and morbidity and promote healthy birth outcomes and healthy development of children, now and in the future, in keeping with the goals of the declaration and plan of action adopted at the World Summit for Children, 1990.

Recommendation 17

Particular attention should be given to the protection of pregnant women and to breast- feeding mothers at the workplace.

d)   Healthy ageing

Recommendation 18

Governments should provide and promote appropriate services, care and support to elderly people in need, implement strategies to increase the number of disability free years and improve their quality of life.

e)  Healthy systems

Recommendation 19

Governments are urged to reform health systems so as to increase their cost effectiveness and efficiency and to improve their responsiveness to the needs of the respective populations. The need for reform of the health system is particularly obvious in countries in transition, where recent changes have not only exposed the extent of the health crisis but also have further exacerbated the crisis due to the austerity measures necessary to implement the transition to a market economy.

Recommendation 20

Governments as well as private and public organizations concerned should make every effort to maintain an adequate level of medical and social protection for disadvantaged groups in light of the fact that financial difficulties faced by social security systems and the lack of health insurance coverage of various groups, in addition to persistently high levels of unemployment, entail inadequate medical protection for parts of the population.

f)  Health personnel

Recommendation 21

In the formulation and implementation of their health policies, Governments should pay attention to the problem of insufficient availability of qualified personnel in certain categories of health personnel (e. g. nurses). They are therefore invited to consider adjusting training curricula and facilities. They should encourage adapting working conditions and improving social status and salaries accordingly. Governments should also ensure that women have an important role in decision making for health.

C. POPULATION GROWTH AND AGE STRUCTURE: SELECTED CONSEQUENCES

a) Population growth and age structure

Recommendation 22

In their economic and social policies, Governments should take into account the consequences of the fluctuating numbers of population in different age groups resulting from past demographic changes. Knowledge of demographic trends should be given due consideration by policy-makers. These policies should focus on the effects of population fluctuations on the education system, the labour market, and on the social and health services for the elderly. Governments and policy makers should ensure that short-term policies work in conjunction with long-term policies to address the consequences of population ageing.

Recommendation 23

Governments should appreciate that, while certain imbalances in the labour market may be compensated for by immigration, immigration may not be a full solution for the adjustment of the age structure. Heavy reliance on immigration to solve demographic imbalances could in the long run lead to substantial fluctuations in the age structures of national populations.

b) Socio-economic consequences of ageing

Recommendation 24

Governments should give high priority to the development of human resources as a way of dealing with the adverse effects of population ageing. Suitable measures should include the training of both young and adult persons, and incentives for a better use of the older members of the labour force and of those retirees able and willing to remain economically active. The valuable contribution that the elderly make to society, especially as volunteers and care-givers, should be given due recognition.

Recommendation 25

Governments should seek to enhance the self-reliance of the elderly and to facilitate their continued participation in society. Governments should ensure that the necessary conditions are created to enable elderly people to lead self-determined lives and to make full use of the skills and abilities they have acquired in their lives for the benefit of society.

Recommendation 26

Governments should consider, as appropriate, social security system reforms to ensure greater intergenerational and intragenerational equity and solidarity. Such reforms should also deal with the potential imbalances between revenues and expenditures in the pension programme. Those no longer capable of working should be assured reasonable benefits, irrespective of age.

C) Resources for the care of the elderly

Recommendation 27

Policies should stimulate different forms of care for older populations, which will increase substantially in numbers, especially in the highest age brackets. Special efforts should be made to enable older persons to remain in their homes and communities, as far as possible, by providing greater home and community health care and social services, improving coordination of community services, expanding rehabilitation programmes, and giving financial and other incentives to assist families and individuals in taking care of the elderly. Governments should also elaborate policies to address the growing need for organized care in public and private sectors.

Recommendation 28

Governments should ensure adequate quantitative and qualitative recruitment of human resources to cope with the growing needs of the formal old-age care sector already faced with severe pressures on human resources. Governments, local authorities and organizations should implement measures to improve the status and working conditions of those professional groups. In addition, the contribution of families and volunteers should be recognized and encouraged by all organizations concerned but should not be considered as a substitute for formal care.

D. INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

Recommendation 29

Wider discussion of the economic, social, cultural and political implications of migration should be undertaken in order to elaborate or improve appropriate policies. Governments of sending and receiving countries should improve the dissemination of information and promote consultations with a view to reaching a broad national and international consensus on these questions.

Recommendation 30

Cooperation in the field of migration should also be considered in the context of economic, social and legal cooperation.

a)  Migration and development

Recommendation 31

Governments of countries of origin and destination should seek to redress the causes of emigration in order to alleviate the massive and uncontrolled international migration flows. The redressing of these causes would require increased effort to achieve sustainable economic and social development, avoid international and internal conflicts, respect the rule of law, promote good governance, strengthen democracy, promote human rights, support education, nutrition, health and population-relevant programmes, and ensure effective environmental protection. This may require financial assistance, the reassessment of commercial and tariff relations and full access to world markets, and stepped-up efforts on the part of developing countries to create the framework for a market oriented economy and a liberal trading system. The economic situation in these countries is likely to improve only gradually and, therefore, migration flows from these countries will decline only in the long-term; in the interim, the acute problems currently observed will cause migration flows into the region. In addition, Governments of countries of destination should acknowledge the influence of economic "pull" factors on international migration.

Recommendation 32

Governments of countries of destination have the right to control access to their territory and adopt policies which shape immigration flows. Such measures should conform with universally recognized international standards. As movements of persons are part of the process of development of free societies and market economies, host countries should also adopt policies which allow legal migrants the option of remaining, either on a temporary or permanent basis.

Recommendation 33

Forms of temporary migration, such as short-term and project-related migration, might offer the Governments of the region an opportunity to improve the skills of nationals of developing countries and countries in transition; they should therefore be considered, if appropriate, in the national and regional context through both bilateral and multilateral intergovernmental agreements. Appropriate steps should be taken to safeguard the wages and working conditions of both migrants and nationals in the affected sectors.

b) Refugees and displaced persons

Recommendation 34

In view of their responsibilities under the United Nations Charter, and consistent with their obligations under the existing international instruments in the field of human rights, Governments should do everything in their power to avoid new massive flows of refugees and displaced persons. Accordingly, they should respect the rights of individuals belonging to minorities and refrain from creating or contributing, by their domestic policies, to causes and factors which generally lead to massive flows of refugees and involuntary migration. This implies, among other things, a condemnation of all kinds of "ethnic cleansing" whether it is the responsibility of Governments or local groups within a country.

Recommendation 35

Women and children comprise the overwhelming majority of the worldwide refugee population. Protection and assistance programmes can be effective only if they are planned and implemented with full recognition of the needs of women and children. The active involvement of refugee women in all stages of programme development and service delivery is essential.

Recommendation 36

Confirming their commitment to the relevant international instruments concerning protection of refugees, Governments should do their utmost to ensure protection and assistance to refugees and displaced persons, with the aim of finding durable solutions, and to support all efforts to this end. They should harmonize as far as possible their asylum policies and regulations in accordance with international instruments and in a way that does not add to the suffering already experienced by refugees and displaced persons. They recognize that solutions to the problem of refugees and displaced persons may best be achieved through a comprehensive approach.

Recommendation 37

In cases of sudden and massive arrivals of refugees and displaced persons in need of international protection, they should be accorded at least temporary protection and treatment in accordance with the national practices and regulations and internationally recognized humanitarian standards, until a solution is found. Governments should encourage persons in need of international protection to stay, to the extent possible, in the safe areas nearest to their countries of origin. Availability of aid and the strengthening of protection mechanisms in these areas should contribute to this objective, while at the same time building confidence among the persons concerned. The principles of collective cooperation and international solidarity should be applied in assisting host countries, if requested.

Recommendation 38

Governments and international organizations should support the voluntary repatriation of refugees and displaced persons as a durable solution.

Recommendation 39

Governments should apply fair, efficient, expeditious and reliable procedures to deal with asylum applicants.

Recommendation 40

Governments are urged to further promote coordination and consultation to prevent the misuse of humanitarian instruments which in the long run might negatively affect the right of asylum.

C) Illegal migration and illegal stay

Recommendation 41

Governments should aim to prevent uncontrolled influxes of migrants by making potential migrants aware of the legal conditions for entry, employment and stay in host countries through information activities in the countries of origin, making use of the facilities of international organizations where appropriate. Governments should also take action against traffickers and employers of illegal immigrants. For efforts to control migration, in particular illegal migration and illegal stay, to be successful, countries should devote appropriate financial, political and diplomatic resources to them.

Recommendation 42

Governments of countries of origin of illegal migrants and rejected asylum-seekers should not impede the re-entry and re-integration of these persons. In addition, Governments of countries of origin and destination should try to find satisfactory long-term solutions to the problems caused by illegal migration through multilateral and bilateral negotiations, for example by readmission agreements.

Recommendation 43

As a consequence of the irregularity of their situation, illegal immigrants are particularly vulnerable to all forms of exploitation and discrimination. Governments of receiving countries should ensure that their basic human rights are respected.

d) Integration

Recommendation 44

The social and economic integration of resident legal migrants, a common responsibility of the host society and the migrants themselves, should also be a major objective of government policy. Security of residence, especially after a number of years, is an essential condition for successful integration. Where legal immigration has proved to be of a long-term nature, naturalization should normally be available, especially for second generation immigrants; civil and political rights and responsibilities should be extended to long-term legal immigrants, as appropriate.

Recommendation 45

It is a basic function of Governments to ensure the protection of all residents -- including foreigners -- against violence and the threat of violence. Governments should urgently develop strategies to combat racist or xenophobic violence and threatening behaviour, especially through information, education and the promotion of tolerance and understanding.

Recommendation 46

Public authorities at the national and local levels, the private sector and the non-governmental organizations should take into account the different national, ethnic and cultural origins of immigrants and show an open attitude towards their cultural, religions and other values, as long as these are compatible with the laws and fundamental values of the host societies. Equality of opportunity should, as far as possible, be granted to resident legal immigrants. At the same time, Governments as well as immigrants should recognize that action to enable resident legal immigrants to have access to education, training, employment and housing, and to achieve a high level of competence in the languages of host societies, in accordance with national legislation, are crucial to the success of integration strategies. In this context special efforts should be made in favour of migrant women, children and other vulnerable groups.

E. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF POPULATION

Recommendation 47

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development has highlighted the interaction between population, environment and sustainable development. An increasing number of countries is aware that rapid population growth imposes growing constraints on social and economic development, with negative effects in particular on the environment and on the natural resource base. To help solve these problems is also a challenge for the United Nations member countries of the region. Moreover, the political, social and economic transformations of historical importance, and the birth of the new democracies in the countries in transition, have created new possibilities for European cooperation. In recognizing that international cooperation, especially that to support the efforts of countries with rapid population growth, is more urgent than ever, member countries should seize the opportunity for closer cooperation within the region as well as with the developing countries, which has been created by the end of the East-West conflict and the consensus on the elements of a global partnership for development. This cooperation in the field of population should be permanently based on respect for fundamental human rights and the responsible exercise of such rights for all individuals.

a) Cooperation within the region

Recommendation 48

Governments should, as a matter of urgency, assist countries in transition in the field of population issues. Key elements of such assistance should be financial support through bilateral and multilateral channels. Technical backstopping, training, exchange of information, experience and expertise should be used to strengthen data collection and research capabilities.

Recommendation 49

Governments and regional organizations, in collaboration with international organizations, should elaborate and implement a coordinated strategy to assist countries in transition in the field of reproductive health, including family planning, in the implementation of reforms in health systems, and in the field of migration.

Recommendation 50

Governments and organizations concerned should assist countries in transition to develop policies and implement integrated activities relating to health-population-environment issues.

b) Cooperation with developing countries

Recommendation 51

Cooperation with developing countries should be built upon a strengthened partnership based on the recognition of sovereign equality, mutual interest and shared responsibility with mutual commitments. While developing countries have a primary responsibility for their own economic and social development, including the formulation and implementation of appropriate national policies relating to population and development, developed countries have a special responsibility to help create a favourable international economic environment and to increase the quantity and quality of their assistance, particularly in the field of population.

Recommendation 52

The rate of population growth is acknowledged to have a major influence on global prospects for economic and social development. A broad consensus has emerged on the complex interrelationships between poverty, population growth, human rights, environment, and economic, social and human development. Even though fertility rates in many countries have decreased substantially, the high rate of population growth is still a fundamental problem in a large number of developing countries, adversely affecting individual health and welfare, national economic progress and employment, and the natural resource base; the rapid population growth is also putting strong pressure on health services, education systems, social services and housing. Governments, regional institutions and non-governmental organizations of the region should give a high priority to cooperation with developing countries, supporting their efforts to achieve population growth rates and distributions which strike an optimal balance between their population, the natural resource base and the environment. Special attention should be given to the African region, where population-related problems are particularly serious. In doing so, Governments, regional institutions and non-governmental organizations should give high priority to population issues in their development assistance strategies, to help to improve the quality of human resources and the status of women, to answer unmet demands for reproductive health services, including family planning services, and to promote health in its various aspects. They should address these issues continuously in their policy dialogues with partner-countries, both at the bilateral and the multilateral levels.

Recommendation 53

There is already a large, and growing, unmet demand in developing countries for family planning services. UNFPA estimates that 300 million women world-wide would like to use family planning services but do not enjoy the fundamental human right of access to them, nor do they have the ability to plan freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children. Efforts should thus be intensified to ensure the availability of family planning services to all who wish to make use of them. Such efforts can be expected to help in achieving population growth rates which contribute to a sustainable use of natural resources.

(i) The commitment

Recommendation 54

Developing and developed countries alike should increase their political commitment to population-related programmes and policies, in accordance with their national priorities and goals and with due respect for fundamental human rights.

Recommendation 55

Governments, intergovernmental institutions and non-governmental organizations should commit themselves to working together to promote inter-sectorial collaboration and to coordinats their assistance to population activities with a view to maximizing the effective use of scarce resources, to avoid duplications and to make optimum use of the available expertise within the field. Coordination with the United Nations Population Fund, with other multilateral and bilateral donors, and with non-governmental organizations is essential to ensure that the needs and requirements of developing countries are fully addressed.

(ii) Basic principles of cooperation

Recommendation 56

Population-related programmes and policies should be an integral part of national development strategies. Policies must be linked to programmes on primary health care (including efforts to combat infant mortality), literacy and education, enduring adequate food supplies, housing, employment, and the sustainable use of natural resources. Particular importance is attached to gender perspectives, to the full involvement of both women and men in reproductive health programmes, and in the development process. The improvement of the status of women at all socio-economic and political levels, and the extent to which they are free to make responsible decisions affecting their lives and those of their families, including decisions on reproduction, should be promoted as crucial factors for women and child health-related issues and, consequently, for future population growth rates. Great weight should be attached to participatory development of population-related programmes and policies to ensure grassroots acceptance and involvement.

Recommendation 57

Population-related programmes and policies must be based on the fundamental right of individuals and couples to make their own informed choices with regard to their sexual and reproductive health and behaviour and the health of their living and future children. Therefore no assistance or encouragement should be given to programmes which are in any way coercive, discriminatory or prejudicial to fundamental human rights. Design and implementation of population programmes should give due consideration to the ethical and cultural aspects as long as they respect fundamental human rights. Population-related programmes and policies should be based on the right of individuals to choose voluntarily the number and spacing of their children, supported by adequate information on reproductive health services, on the full range of family planning services, including the availability of contraceptive means and methods, and information on their advantages, effectiveness and safety.

Recommendation 58

Population programmes cannot be successfully implemented if women are not fully involved in all aspects of development and decision making. This is closely dependent on legal rights, on the ability to exercise those rights and on achievements in the field of education, particularly with regard to women and young girls. Governments should take appropriate measures to develop or strengthen the legislative framework to ensure women's full participation in development and society. High priority should be given to universal literacy and education at all levels. Furthermore, population and family planning topics should be integrated into education programmes for the information and education of young people.

(iii) Objectives of cooperation

Recommendation 59

As objectives of cooperation Governments should:

Assist countries in assessing the environmental and developmental implications of their population growth and movement.

Enable countries and local communities to respond to and influence population growth and movement, with due respect to fundamental reproductive and human rights.

Assist in promoting, developing and implementing appropriate national population-related programmes and policies as part of overall national plans for economically and environmentally sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Recommendation 60

As objectives of cooperation Governments should also:

Enable women and men to freely exercise an informed and responsible choice concerning the number and spacing of their children.

Assist in creating an environment in which this free choice can be fully exercised, particularly by improving access to and the quality of reproductive health services, including family planning.

Recommendation 61

Furthermore, governments should also:

Assist in providing access to information and education on population issues, including sexuality, reproduction and contraceptive methods, in schools and outside, including family and community-based programmes, for both men and women.

Promote research on reproductive health issues as part of Essential National Health Research programmes supported by the international community, and develop and improve methods of contraception in order to widen the choices available for voluntary family planning.

Assist developing countries, where appropriate, to evaluate the quality and safety of contraceptive methods available.

(iv) Action

Recommendation 62

In order to achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all, developing and developed countries alike should commit themselves to reducing and eliminating unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and to promoting appropriate policies on population and development. The goal of an optimal balance between population, production and consumption patterns, and resources is the common challenge binding all countries.

Recommendation 63

To achieve this balance, an increased investment of financial and human resources is required. Governments are encouraged to increase, on a regular basis, their financial commitment to population activities. Countries should consider the possibilities for the reduction of military expenditure, and for channelling the savings towards socially productive uses, including funding of development and related population activities. Governments, intergovernmental institutions and non-governmental organizations are urged to consider a significant increase in their development assistance allocated for population activities. This increase corresponds to the appeal of the International Forum on Population in the Twenty-First Century which called on the donor community and the international organizations to mobilize additional resources by the year 2000 in favour of population programmes.

Recommendation 64

Governments participating in the European Population Conference commit themselves to the promotion of the objectives and proposals on international cooperation outlined above through their full and active involvement in preparations for the International Conference on Population and Development and at the Conference itself.

F. GENERATION AND UTILIZATION OF POLICY-RELEVANT KNOWLEDGE

Recommendation 65

In the course of formulating and evaluating their population-related policies, Governments are urged to promote and make use of scientific knowledge on the multitude of determinants and consequences of population change. They are advised to allocate increased human and financial resources to the development of a national capability to: (i) collect and process population and related statistics; (ii) conduct research into interrelations among population trends, economic development, social transformation and environmental change; and (iii) make use of research findings in policy decision-making in the population field and related areas.

Recommendation 66

Governments are invited to coordinate, wherever appropriate, their data collection, research and related activities in cooperation with international and regional intergovernmental organizations.

a) Data collection

Recommendation 67

Governments are urged to encourage a more systematic use of existing sources of population statistics, such as population and housing censuses, civil registration systems and population registers, along with sources of related information, e.g. labour force and socio-demographic sample surveys. Countries lacking relevant statistical systems should be encouraged and assisted in the setting up of such systems. In order to greatly enhance policy-relevant population research, governments and statistical agencies are urged to make depersonalized information at the individual and household levels readily accessible to population research organizations, subject to the appropriate confidentiality constraints.

Recommendation 68

National statistical organizations and demographic institutes are encouraged to periodically conduct nation wide specialized sample surveys in order to collect the information required to study the effects of the relevant factors, including policy measures, on demographic processes.

Recommendation 69

To enhance international comparability of population research findings it is recommended that the relevant national data collection efforts, wherever appropriate, be properly coordinated by countries in the region, inter alia, by the development and application of international standards concerning concepts, classification and methods.

b) Research

Recommendations 70

To promote the utilization of policy-related knowledge in the formulation and evaluation of population policies and programmes, Governments are urged to support research, particularly in areas of special relevance to policy making, such as those mentioned in Sections III.A through III.E in these recommendations.

Recommendation 71

In view of similarities in population issues faced by Governments of different countries of the region, national population institutes and related research organizations are urged to increasingly coordinate their research efforts, wherever appropriate, under the auspices of international and regional intergovernmental organizations or professional organizations.

C) Training, education and information

Recommendation 72

Governments, in particular those in transition countries, are urged to develop education and training programmes at undergraduate and graduate levels with a view to providing intermediate and advanced skills in data collection, analysis and research relevant to the formulation, implementation and evaluation of population-related policies and programmes. Governments in donor countries and international organizations are advised to assist developing countries and countries in transition, in training and improving the qualifications of population-related specialists.

Recommendation 73

Governments and international organizations should initiate and support population education and information programmes in order to promote awareness of population issues in the population in general and in specific groups such as politicians, policy makers, journalists and teachers, in particular.

d)  Coordination by international organizations

Recommendations 74

International governmental and non-governmental organizations of the countries in the region engaged in the field of international, organized population-related research, data collection and statistics are urged to develop a cooperative programme in these fields that ensures a systematic, comprehensive, international comparative monitoring and early-warning system of important population-related socio-economic developments within the whole region, while avoiding costly and inefficient duplication and overlapping.