Number: 1994-09
WHEREAS, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), to take place in Cairo, Egypt in September, 1994, will be the first major United Nations conference since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the “Earth Summit”) to address international action affecting sustainable development, including population, environmental preservation and overconsumption of natural resources; and
WHEREAS, the ICPD will develop and issue principles and an action agenda for all governments, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and individuals to address population trends for the next decade; and
WHEREAS, the ICPD will recommend policies to deal with the interrelationships between population growth, sustainable development, urbanization and migration, empowerment of women, and family planning and reproductive health; and
WHEREAS, the world’s response during the next decade will determine whether global population doubles to 11 billion or triples to 18 billion over the next century, and the outcome of the global reaction will be determined by the financial resources mobilized by governments; and
WHEREAS, support of population efforts by former U.S. Administrations and Congress over the years has fluctuated; the current Administration is attempting to regain a leadership position in international population policy; and
WHEREAS, increased financial resources must be committed by the U.S. in order to stabilize global population in a responsible and timely manner, and for family planning alone, $1.2 billion is needed by the year 2000 as the U.S. fair share of global contributions; and
WHEREAS, women worldwide are often economically and politically at a disadvantage and limited in their leadership opportunities, factors which are frequently correlated with higher fertility rates; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation has been a leader among environmental organizations in developing increased support among the U.S. public and lawmakers for dealing with the critical problems of population;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 4-6, 1994, in Austin, Texas, urges the U.S. delegation to the ICPD to 1) increase and improve voluntary family planning and related health services as well as efforts to elevate the overall status of women and children, 2) integrate population considerations and programs in environmental and development planning, 3) ensure that natural resources conservation and consumption issues are paramount on the list of United States priorities for the ICPD, and 4) strengthen the roles of women in leadership and economic development worldwide; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls upon the U.S. Administration and the Congress to commit our nation’s fair share of financial resources needed to provide: 1) voluntary family planning; 2) maternal and child health care; 3) education and economic opportunities for girls and women, all of which are necessary to stabilize global population through human rights-based and women-oriented programs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that National Wildlife Federation urges President Clinton and/or Vice President Gore to attend the ICPD and demonstrate renewed U.S. leadership in the population arena.