Briefing for 29 June

The PrepCom discussed outstanding paragraphs in morning, afternoon and evening sessions, breaking as necessary for consultations within and between groups. Vice-Chairs from Canada, Jamaica, Ghana, Uganda, Romania and Hungary coordinated the informal negotiations on outstanding paragraphs and reported on progress throughout the day. Delegates reached consensus on 13 paragraphs, while seven paragraphs still remain bracketed going into the Special Session.

Paragraphs agreed upon include:

• planning and promoting refugee assistance activities
• developing and agreeing on common key indicators
• mobilizing resources for POA implementation
• policies that facilitate greater private sector participation
• resources for information, counseling and follow-up on family planning and contraceptive methods, including new options and underutilized methods

Still outstanding are some of the most contentious paragraphs, including those on abortion and adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Brazil tabled a proposal on the health impacts of unsafe abortion in an attempt to move the different groups closer to consensus, but consensus was not reached

The PrepCom met briefly in a formal session to adopt documents to be transmitted to the Twenty-first Special Session of the General Assembly, including the text on proposals for key actions for further implementation of the Programme of Action of the ICPD and the draft report on the resumed session (E/CN.9/1999/PC/L.4).Chair Chowdhury also noted that the Committee of the Whole would convene as soon as the General Assembly officially decides to form the Committee. (See below for RealAudio)

Official UN documents for UNGASS-21

Provisional list of speakers for UNGASS-21

Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development

Photo and RealAudio highlights for 29 June

Chair Chowdhury formally ended the work of the Commission on Population and Development acting as the PrepCom for the Special Session, but informal consultations continued . . . . .

Vice-Chair Beryl E. Chevannes, Jamaica, and Margaret Pollack, United States, try to reach consensus text regarding sufficient resources to information, counseling and follow-up on family planning and contraceptive methods, including new options and underutilized methods.

G-77 Chair June Persaud, Guyana, presented the Group's compromise on the paragraph, stated as the "widest possible" range of family planning and contraceptive methods

Fr. James M. Reinert, Ph.D., Holy See, speaks with Vladamir Zelenov, Secretariat

The Holy See supported reference to parental rights, duties and responsibilities in a paragraph on informed decision making by adolescents and said this text must be cleared before other paragraphs in the section on promoting adolescent sexual and reproductive health could be agreed upon

Dr. Mala Kapur Shankardass, General Secretary, Society for Gerontological Research, University of Delhi, India spoke on Challenges of Population Ageing in India (left)

Dr. Ustun Erguder, Rector, Bogazici University, Turkey addressed Challenges of Population Ageing in Turkey (right)