30/06/2004
> United Nations Press Release
> SG/SM/9397
> OBV/432
> POP/905
>
> SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES GREATER COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING WOMEN?S
RIGHTS,
> INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION AS HE MARKS WORLD POPULATION DAY
>
> Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's message on the
World
> Population Day, 11 July:
>
> This year's observance of World Population Day coincides with the
tenth
> anniversary of the International Conference on Population and
Development,
> and thus offers an opportunity to reflect on the progress that has
been
made
> since that landmark event.
>
> Ten years ago in Cairo, 179 governments agreed that population issues
must
> be addressed if development policies are to succeed. They agreed that
> population issues are not just a matter of numbers; they are first and
> foremost about people -- about human beings and their inherent right
to
> development and to lead a decent life no matter where they happen to
be
> born. And they agreed that women's empowerment and gender equality,
and
the
> elimination of violence against women and girls, are cornerstones of
> population and development policies.
>
> During the past decade, the Cairo Programme of Action has guided
governments
> in their efforts to address population dynamics and movements, to
increase
> access to education and reproductive health services, and to empower
women
> to participate more fully in society, as is their fundamental human
right.
> The broad results are clear: many people now enjoy increased
longevity,
> reduced mortality, and broader life choices and opportunities. Yet too
many
> people have yet to experience such gains. Greater commitment and
action
are
> urgently needed, especially when it comes to promoting women's rights
and
> increasing investments in education and health, including reproductive
> health and family planning.
>
> This World Population Day marks the midpoint of the 20-year Cairo
Programme
> of Action. Let us today reaffirm our commitment to the promises made
in
> Cairo. And let us recognize the centrality of the International
Conference
> on Population and Development agenda to our wider efforts to achieve
the
> Millennium Development Goals.
>
>
>     Dono Abdurazakova, Gender Advisor
>     UNDP, Europe and the CIS
>     Bratislava Regional Centre
>     Grosslingova 35, 81109 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
>     Tel:  +421 2 59337 314
>     Fax: + 421 2 59337 450
>     Cellular: + 421 908 729848
>     dono.abdurazakova@undp.org <mailto:dono.abdurazakova@undp.org>
>     www.undp.sk <http://www.undp.sk>  gender.undp.sk
<http://gender.undp.sk>
>
>