20 July 1992

Doc. 6647

MOTION FOR A RECOMMENDATION

on the environmental consequences

of uncontrolled population growth

presented by Mrs PERSSON and others

1.       The world is witnessing the biggest demographic explosion in human history. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the world population could at least double during the next century.

2.       This population growth is, however, out of balance. Some 95 % of the global population increase in the next thirty-five years will be in the developing countries. These countries are the least equipped to cope with this growth.

3.        At the same time the quality of the environment is rapidly deteriorating especially in the developing countries.

4.       Uncontrolled population growth is a key factor in global environmental degradation. The more people there are, the greater the impact on environment.

5.       Although the industrial countries share a large responsibility for environmental degradation, in the developing countries the combination of poverty and population growth has most negative consequences for human development and causes a serious threat to the survival of the planet's natural habitat and resources.

6.       While an increasing number of persons in the developing countries want smaller families, a majority has no access to family planning services.

7.       Regrettably the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit, Brazil, June 1992) did not examine in depth the link between population growth and environmental degradation.

8.       The Assembly therefore calls on:

a.       the Committee of Ministers to study the link between uncontrolled population growth and environmental degradation and to formulate European policies designed to help solve these problems;

b.       the Council of Europe members states to:

i.       strengthen co-operation in the sphere of population and environmental issues in the framework of the Council of Europe;

ii.       increase their financial and political support to family planning programmes of the governments of the developing countries as well as the competent international and non-governmental organisations;

iii.       encourage the governments of the developing countries to make family planning programmes an integral part of their environmental and social policies.

Signed:       PERSSON, IWINSKI, SKAUG, ASTGEIRSDOTTIR, GASSNER, HALONEN, HJELM-WALLEN, LAAKSO, HACKLIN, PAHTAS, DE PUIG, SZELENYI, FLUCKIGER.