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4 January 1995
Doc. 7208
1403-22/12/94-6-E
REPORT
on the International Conference on Population and
Development (Cairo, 5-13 September 1994): follow-up by
the Council of Europe and its member states
(Rapporteur: Mrs ROBERT,
Switzerland, Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group)
Summary
The International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo from 5 to 13 September 1994, adopted an action programme whose implementation should, by contributing to the solution of our planet's major problems, lead, in the long run, to a stabilisation of the world's population.
The present report calls on the European countries to make a substantial contribution to the financing of the programmes agreed to in Cairo and to transform their production processes and consumption practices in order to comply with the imperatives of sustainable development.
Moreover, the report invites the member states to take the necessary steps to adapt to their demographic situation in the fields of migration, aging of the population, empowering of women, family and health. Particular attention has been given to the solution of the specific problems in the countries of central and eastern Europe.
I. Draft recommendation
1. The Parliamentary Assembly welcomes the success of the International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo from 5 to 13 September 1994, and takes note of the report on the conference and its follow-up prepared by its Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography.
2. The Assembly recalls its Recommendation 1243 (1994) and its Order No. 498 (1994) on demographic change and sustainable development, whose conclusions broadly match those of the Cairo Conference.
3. In response to numerous interrelated global problems, one sign of which is the steep rise in certain populations, the Cairo Conference set itself various qualitative targets whose attainment should, in the long run, lead to a stabilisation of the world's population. A programme of action was adopted for this purpose, containing policies to be implemented over the next twenty years. The Assembly welcomes the fact that, rather than setting precise demographic objectives, these policies stress the need for profound economic and social changes, particularly aimed at meeting health and educational needs.
4. The Assembly particularly welcomes the recognition that women's position in society plays a crucial role in development and in stabilising the world population, as well as the importance which the conference attached to improving women's condition. It supports the principle that individuals and couples should have freedom of choice with regard to reproduction and right of access to information and the means to enable them to exercise this freedom. In this connection, it also stresses men's responsibility to promote equality between the sexes and in the matter of responsible procreation.
5. The Assembly recalls that sustainable development on a global scale is a shared, albeit differentiated, responsibility of the entire international community and that the countries of Europe must participate in this world-wide effort. It therefore appeals to its member states, firstly, to make a substantial contribution to the financing of the programmes in the action plan, and secondly, to apply the criteria of sustainable development to their production processes and consumption practices.
6. As well as helping to solve global problems, European countries must also take the necessary steps to adapt to their demographic situation. This concerns in particular the increase in the number of persons over sixty-five, changes in family structure, and the increase and diversification of migratory movements.
7. The Assembly is concerned about the situation in the countries of central and eastern Europe which, in certain fields, face specific demographic problems such as high mortality and abortion rates. Moreover, their economic difficulties entail reduced levels of government-funded social welfare provision.
8. The Assembly stresses that parliamentarians have a major part to play in the implementation of the Cairo programme of action. They should work towards the application of the principles of sustainable development, contribute to the necessary mobilisation of resources, help to establish corresponding national policies and exercise democratic oversight of the implementation of these policies.
9. It welcomes the Committee of Ministers' positive response to its proposal to organise a Mediterranean Conference on Population, Migration and Development in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) in 1996 and proposes to contribute to its preparation.
10. The Parliamentary Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers:
i. take account of this recommendation when preparing the Council of Europe's contribution to the 4th World Conference on Women (Beijing, 4-15 September 1995);
ii. ensure the early completion of work under way on a protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights providing for a fundamental right to equality between women and men;
iii. take the necessary steps to ensure the Council of Europe's active and permanent participation in the United Nations' activities;
iv. continue to support and strengthen the activities of the Council of Europe's North-South Centre in Lisbon designed to increase public awareness of issues relating to global interdependence, notably in connection with problems of population and sustainable development;
v. support the initiatives of the European Population Committee (CDPO) aiming to analyse in greater depth the demographic situation of the European countries;
vi. continue to involve the Parliamentary Assembly in any follow-up to the Cairo Conference;
vii. invite the European Union to devote a greater proportion of the aid granted under its PHARE and TACIS programmes to solving the population problems of the countries of central and eastern Europe.
11. The Assembly also recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite the member states to:
i. intensify their efforts to achieve, if they have not already done so, the spending target of 0,7% of their GNP on public development aid, increase substantially the proportion devoted to the social sector and population programmes and make a significant contribution to the financing of the individual programmes in the programme of action, bearing in mind the five criteria for future development assistance which it set out in Resolution 981 (1982) (the level of poverty in recipient countries, respect for human rights and democracy, efforts to introduce social and economic reforms, reducing military spending and environmental protection);
ii. encourage an open and non-discriminatory international trading system, reduce developing countries' debts, stimulate direct investment, and improve their access to technology (ensuring that such investment and technology are compatible with sustainable development);
iii. ensure that a sufficient proportion of the aid allocated to the implementation of the Cairo programme of action goes towards solving the demographic problems of central and eastern Europe;
iv. encourage transformation of their production processes and consumption practices so as to make them compatible with the criteria of sustainable development, particularly by reducing energy and material flows and the volume and toxicity of waste, in accordance with the recommendations adopted at the International Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, June 1992);
v. introduce transparent immigration policies, co-ordinated at the European level and based on the number of migrants they are willing to accept, the recognition of the right to family reunion, the introduction of forms of temporary migration, equal economic and social rights for migrants, guaranteed security of residence for long-term migrants, measures to combat racism and intolerance and the protection of refugees;
vi. support the organisation of an international conference on migration within the framework of the United Nations;
vii. eliminate all discrimination against women, particularly in the fields of education and employment, encourage their equal participation in public and political life, introduce measures to enable them to reconcile their maternal role with their occupational activities and eliminate all forms of violence against them, including sexual harassment;
viii. ratify, if they have not already done so, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women;
ix. strengthen their support for the family and respect its varied forms by increasing assistance to one-parent families;
x. respect the right of all couples and individuals to decide freely the number of children they will have and the timing of their births and to have the necessary information for this purpose;
xi. make family planning services available to all those who need them and wish to use them;
xii. guarantee universal access to primary health services, particularly those for mothers and young children, and ensure that people receive training in disease prevention, paying particular attention to increasing awareness of the fight against Aids;
xiii. give high priority to reforming their retirement and health insurance systems so as to maintain the incomes and health care of the growing numbers of persons dependent on them;
xiv. strengthen the safety nets and the support systems for elderly people.
II. Explanatory memorandum
by Mrs ROBERT
Contents
Page
1. Introduction 6
2. The International Conference on Population and
Development and the associated conferences of
parliamentarians 7
2.1. International Conference on Population and Development
(Cairo, 5-13 September 1994) 7
2.2. Parliamentarians' conferences 8
3. Programme of action of the Cairo Conference 8
4. Follow-up by the Council of Europe and in the policies
of its member states 9
4.1. Measures to respond to global problems 9
4.1.1. North-South partnership 9
4.1.2. Transformation of production processes and
consumption practices in order to comply with
the imperatives of sustainable development 10
4.2. The basis for a European response 11
4.2.1. Migration policies 12
4.2.2. The ageing of the population 13
4.2.3. The condition and emancipation of women 14
4.2.4. Family policies 15
4.2.5. Health policies 16
a. Reproductive health 16
b. Health and mortality 16
4.2.6. Human rights 17
5. Conclusions 17
1. Introduction
1. The International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo from 5 to 13 September 1994, was the third intergovernmental conference on population problems. Following the previous two conferences, in Bucharest in 1974 and Mexico in 1984, it was given the task of examining in greater depth the links between population and sustainable development.
2. Notwithstanding the great efforts made by developing countries, which have reduced their population growth by one-third since the 1960s, the world's population is increasing in absolute terms. Furthermore, because of the youth of this population, the number of couples of childbearing age has risen considerably. According to United Nations' forecasts, by the year 2050 the world population will have increased to between 7,8 thousand million, the low variant, and 12,5 thousand million, the high variant.
3. Rapid population growth is occurring primarily in the planet's poorest countries, further jeopardising their chances of development and helping to condemn new generations to live in privation and poverty, if there is no change in the international economic situation and if countries do not adopt national policies geared to human development. Failing adequate development, it also means more unqualified and unemployed people, significant environmental damage, more migrants, congested metropolises and a growing risk of fresh conflicts.
4. In the circumstances, the Cairo Conference set itself the target to contribute to sustainable development, which would both improve existing populations' standard of living and preserve natural resources for future generations. To achieve this, it adopted a programme of action whose implementation over the next twenty years should lead to a growth in population close to the low projection referred to above.
5. The countries of Europe must continue to play their part in this global effort and strengthen their commitment. The problem of world population growth concerns the entire international community, if only because of its global environmental impact and its potential for conflict.
6. At the same time, Europe must face up to its own demographic problems, such as an ageing population, increased migration and so on. It must also respond to a number of disturbing demographic trends in the countries of central and eastern Europe, in particular high mortality and abortion rates.
7. The demographic features and problems of both Europe and the world as a whole, together with the links which exist between demography, economic growth and sustainable development, have already been covered in the report on demographic change and sustainable development which I had the honour of presenting to the Assembly last July, during the third part-session of 1994.1 What is more, the findings set out in that report were to a large extent confirmed by the conference.
8. After briefly describing the conference itself, its associated meetings and the programme of action adopted, this report will focus on the follow-up required from the Council of Europe and its member states. This follow-up is essential and will be critical for the conference's success.
2. The International Conference on Population and Development
and the associated conferences of parliamentarians
9. Following the authorisation of the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly on 1 July 1994, twelve members — one of them the Rapporteur — of the Sub-Committee on Demography of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography took part, as observers, in the Cairo Conference. The sub-committee also participated in two parliamentarians' conferences held in Cairo to coincide with the main event: the International Conference of Parliamentarians on Population and Development and the Parliamentarians' Day. The Council of Europe's intergovernmental sector was represented by a delegation led by the Director of Social and Economic Affairs, Mr Robin Guthrie.
10. Participation in the conference provided a significant opportunity to publicise the Council of Europe and its activities on a global scale. It emerged clearly that the Council of Europe can only establish its position as an important regional organisation by participating regularly, and actively, in the work of the United Nations. In this context, the Rapporteur welcomes Recommendation 1252 (1994) on relations between the Council of Europe and the United Nations (Rapporteur: Mrs Err) and supports the proposal to "find a pragmatic solution enabling the Council of Europe to be represented in New York".
2.1. International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 5-13 September 1994)
11. According to estimates, the conference was attended by about 15 000 people, including 182 national delegations, 1 400 recognised non-governmental organisations (NGOs), 200 intergovernmental organisations and 3 800 journalists. Its work consisted of a general debate and the activities of its main committee. At the same time, meetings were held on specific subjects while the NGOs discussed issues within the NGO Forum.
12. The general debate involved presentations by leading figures, national delegations and international organisations, including the Council of Europe. The negotiations on the final document, the programme of action, took place in the main committee, which was responsible for finalising it before its presentation to participating countries for approval. It should be noted that the text took more than three years to prepare and that 85% of the text was agreed before the conference opened.
13. It is regrettable that the discussion on abortion consumed excessive amounts of both time and energy which might have been devoted to other subjects. Widespread media coverage of this discussion gave the general public the impression that this was the central issue of the conference, which it was not. Europe's demographic problems were barely discussed and even development questions (particularly development aid) were not treated in depth, a source of disappointment to developing countries' delegations.
14. Finally, after a number of compromises, the participants reached agreement on nearly all the final document, except that certain states expressed reservations about certain passages, such as those on abortion. This is undoubtedly a success, although none of the programme's provisions calls into question states' sovereignty where their decisions on the content and implementation of population policies are concerned.
2.2. Parliamentarians' conferences
15. The International Conference of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (3 and 4 September 1994), organised by five parliamentary groupings, the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, the Inter-American Parliamentary Group on Population and Development, the International Medical Parliamentarians Organisation, the Global Committee of Parliamentarians on Population and Development and Parliamentarians for Global Action, was attended by over 300 members of parliament from 107 countries. The conference's aim, like that of the Parliamentarians' Day (7 September 1994), organised by the Egyptian People's Assembly and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, was to enable parliamentarians attending the main conference to discuss their role in the development and implementation of population policies. In particular, they were asked to ensure that a proportion of development aid was spent on programmes to encourage female participation, undertake regular assessments of progress in implementing the programme of action and help to mobilise the resources required for the programme.
3. Programme of action of the Cairo Conference
16. The programme of action lays down population and development policies for the next twenty years. It has sixteen chapters (totalling some 120 pages) headed as follows: I. Preamble; II. Principles; III. The interrelationships between population, sustained economic growth and sustainable development; IV. Gender equality, equity and empowerment of women; V. The family, its roles, composition and structure; VI. Population growth and structure; VII. Reproductive rights and reproductive health; VIII. Health, morbidity and mortality; IX. Population distribution, urbanisation and internal migration; X. International migration; XI. Population, development and education; XII. Technology, research and development; XIII. National action; XIV. International co-operation; XV. Partnership with the non-governmental sector; XVI. Follow-up to the conference.
17. The conference was given the task of analysing in greater depth the relations between population dynamics and sustainable development, a recognition that solutions to demographic problems require profound economic and social changes. The era when purely technical solutions to population problems could be mooted is clearly past.
18. The programme of action does not revolve round precise demographic targets, but instead sets out to guarantee the dignity and freedom of every individual, particularly by improving all aspects of women's situation and by meeting health and education needs. The text particularly stresses the importance of combating poverty, which is both a cause and a consequence of rapid population growth.
19. The essential aims of emancipating women and giving individuals and couples freedom of choice in respect of reproduction are central to the policies proposed in the programme of action as means of achieving rapid stabilisation of the world population. The document confirms the international recognition of the right to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of children. This right, acknowledged in respect of parents at the United Nations Conference on Human Rights in Teheran in 1968, was extended to individuals and couples at the Bucharest Population Conference in 1974.
20. The following sections of this report will describe how the various principles, objectives and measures proposed in the programme of action should be incorporated into member states' policies.
4. Follow-up by the Council of Europe and in the policies
of its member states
21. Above all, the Cairo conference represents a point of departure; the real challenge lies in implementing the programmes adopted. Since the programme of action is not binding, the political will to carry it out will be critical.
22. It is acknowledged that sustainable development on a global scale is a shared, albeit differentiated, responsibility of the entire international community. The developed countries must therefore accept their responsibilities in this regard. The programme also provides a solid basis for strengthening measures to resolve Europe's demographic problems.
4.1. Measures to respond to global problems
4.1.1. North-South partnership
23. Large amounts of funding will be needed in order to implement the policies for developing countries set out in the programme of action. Additional financing will be required in the education and health sectors, as well as to fund programmes to improve women's condition, speed up the implementation of development programmes, create jobs, protect the environment, safeguard social services and so on.
24. Provision is made for the beneficiary countries to pay up to two-thirds of the above-mentioned costs; the remaining third should be met through external financing. The European countries must therefore intensify their efforts to achieve the spending target of 0,7% of their gross national product (GNP) on public development aid (PDA). Much more political will is required in this regard, since the Rapporteur notes with concern that only four European countries, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark, have reached this target and that last year the average percentage of GNP which developed countries spent on this type of aid fell rather than increased.
25. Similarly, more of this aid must be devoted to the social sectors and, in particular, the proportion spent on population programmes, currently 1,25% of total assistance, must be increased.
26. European countries should improve the co-ordination of their development aid programmes, both through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other United Nations bodies and through multilateral financial organisations and the European Union, with a view to greater effectiveness and the avoidance of duplication.
27. European countries should also encourage an open, fair and non-discriminatory international trading system, stimulate direct investment, reduce developing countries' debts and improve their access to technology (particularly when this is compatible with sustainable development).
28. It is also necessary to continue and intensify efforts to increase awareness of the North-South partnership. In this context, the Rapporteur welcomes the activities of the Council of Europe's North-South Centre in Lisbon, whose consciousness-raising work is based on a three-pronged approach involving, firstly, informing the public and developing relations with the media, secondly, providing education and training in global interdependence and, thirdly, promoting dialogue leading to a global partnership.
29. It should be recalled that this is not the first time that the Parliamentary Assembly has put forward proposals for strengthening co-operation with and assistance to developing countries. In its Resolution 981 (1992) on the new North-South relationship, it stressed that "the vicious circle of underdevelopment, linking high population growth with poverty and environmental degradation, must be overcome by integrating the objectives and requirements of economic growth, and by ensuring broader democratic participation of all people, a more equitable sharing of the benefits of the economic system and environmental sustainability." The resolution also proposed practical policies in the various areas concerned.
30. Similar points have been made in other Assembly texts, in particular Recommendation 962 (1983) on development co-operation and human rights, Recommendation 1062 (1987) on political co-operation between Europe and Africa and Resolution 1006 (1993) on North-South interdependence and solidarity: Europe and the least developed countries. Unfortunately, it has to be acknowledged that the follow-up to these texts has been unsatisfactory.
31. In conclusion, it should be borne in mind that co-operation also calls for efforts on the part of aid recipient countries, while recognising their right to define their own population policies. These countries must ensure that outside aid is used strictly for the purposes for which it was intended and that there is complete transparency about this use.
32. However, the conditions governing development co-operation cannot be confined to purely technical considerations. According to the aforementioned Resolution 981 (1992), they must be supplemented by the notion of "additionality", with the following five criteria being taken into account: a. the level of poverty in recipient countries, b. respect for human rights and democracy, c. efforts to introduce social and economic reforms, d. reductions in military spending and e. environmental protection.
4.1.2. Transformation of production processes and consumption practices in order to comply with the imperatives of sustainable development
33. When emphasising the threat to sustainable development and the environment posed by rapid population growth, the developed countries must realise that their current production processes and their lifestyles and consumption patterns impose an even heavier ecological burden. It is a fact that the developed countries, which have 22% of the world's population, consume 85% of the wood, 75% of the raw materials and 70% of the energy used. It is therefore essential that they make their proposals relating to developing countries more credible by taking practical steps to change their own production and consumption practices.
34. European countries must therefore make greater efforts to apply the programmes to which they subscribed at the United Nations International Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, June 1992), particularly Agenda 21. They must take concrete steps to reduce energy and resource flows and limit waste generation.
35. The use of inappropriate production and manufacturing techniques has also caused significant damage to developing countries' environment, sometimes leading to the disappearance of rare and irreplaceable natural resources. These countries must therefore also make more effort to apply the principles of sustainable development, an effort to which developed countries should contribute by the transfer of environmentally friendly technology.
4.2. The basis for a European response
36. Europe is not directly affected by the problem of rapid population growth. The countries concerned have a very low growth rate and their populations are ageing rapidly, which itself raises numerous issues relating, in particular, to existing retirement and social security systems and intergenerational relationships. European countries also have to adapt to changes in the lifestyles of a population which seeks greater occupational and personal self-fulfilment and in traditional notions of the family. At the same time, Europe has become the final destination of a growing number of migrants while the fall of communism has led to increased intra-European migration, whose likely extent is difficult to forecast.
37. The countries of central and eastern Europe are experiencing particular problems linked both to their different form of development under communist regimes and to their transition to a market economy. One result is that in certain respects, for example with regard to mortality and immigration rates, the trends in these countries are the opposite of those in western Europe. However, there is reason to suppose that these differences will lessen as they develop economically and that, as in many other areas, today's problems in western Europe will be tomorrow's problems in the east.
38. Member states should ensure that a corresponding proportion of the aid allocated to the implementation of the programme of action should be devoted to solving the problems of central and eastern Europe. Moreover, the European Union should devote a greater proportion of the aid granted under its PHARE and TACIS programmes to this purpose.
39. It should be noted that the Council of Europe, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the United Nations Population Fund jointly organised a European population conference in Geneva in March 1993 as part of the preparation for the Cairo conference and at which the Parliamentary Assembly was represented by its Sub-Committee on Demography.
40. The Council of Europe must continue to be fully involved in European activities in this field, both in the follow-up to the European conference held in Geneva and to the Cairo conference. This is the background to the proposal to organise an interparliamentary conference on demography and development, responsibility for which was given to the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography by Order No. 498 (1994). However, steps must be taken to ensure that this initiative forms part of a general European follow-up exercise and that the preparations are co-ordinated with the activities of the Council of Europe's intergovernmental sector, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the European Union.
41. The Rapporteur also welcomes the proposal of the European Population Committee (CDPO) to associate the Parliamentary Assembly in the preparations for the Mediterranean Conference on Population, Migration and Development, to be held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in 1996. The conference, whose organisation was agreed to by the Committee of Ministers in response to Parliamentary Assembly recommendations, will provide a valuable opportunity to present the various texts adopted by the Assembly on this subject2 and contribute to the implementation of the Cairo programmes in the Mediterranean region.
4.2.1. Migration policies
42. Uncontrolled immigration is one of European governments' major concerns. The Rapporteur believes that the Cairo conference did not take full advantage of the opportunity to establish a dialogue between migrants' countries of origin and of destination, a key condition for controlling migratory flows. However, a proposal was made at Cairo to organise a world migration conference and this was supported by a recently adopted resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. If, as is to be hoped, this proposal comes to fruition, the Council of Europe should be involved in the preparation of such a conference and any contribution it makes should be given corresponding prominence.
43. The programme of action reaffirmed the importance of attacking the causes of migration, above all those linked to poverty. This naturally means improving economic and social conditions in migrants' countries of origin, as has already been noted in the section on North-South partnership. Similarly, European countries must become more involved in preventive diplomacy aimed at defusing domestic and international conflicts from their outset.
44. The Cairo conference also provides an opportunity to renew the call for European countries to introduce transparent migration policies. Contrary to certain received opinions, immigration has always existed and ignoring the fact simply deprives us of the means to control it. The absence of an immigration policy leads to increasing numbers of illegal migrants, who are mainly obliged to live in humiliating conditions and are often badly exploited. Moreover, their presence is causing numerous problems, such as disruption of the labour market, more crime and so on.
45. If they are to be successful, these policies must be harmonised throughout Europe and the Council of Europe, as a pan-European organisation, has an important role to play in this regard.
46. In particular, countries should clearly define the number of immigrants they are willing to accept, undertake information campaigns in countries of origin about the realities of emigration to their countries, recognise the right to family reunion, introduce forms of temporary immigration, for example, for study or training purposes, provide equal economic and social rights for legal immigrants and protect them against racism and intolerance, guarantee security of residence for long-term legal immigrants and offer them the opportunity to adopt the nationality of the host country and so on.
47. If immigration policies are to succeed, steps must also be taken to prevent illegal immigration. A key aspect of this is that countries of origin must be willing to take back illegal migrants.
48. Nevertheless, a clear distinction must be drawn between migrants and refugees under the terms of the Geneva Convention and the latter must continue to be protected. In this context, the programme of action reaffirms everyone's right to seek and be granted asylum in other countries, on grounds of persecution. Similarly, the countries meeting in Cairo confirmed their responsibilities towards refugees, in accordance with the 1951 Geneva Convention and its Protocol of 1967. This is of topical importance since certain European countries seem ready to contemplate more restrictive measures.
49. European countries must establish immigration policies which form part of an overall European immigration policy, based on the rules set out above. Europe needs such a policy, which represents the only fair and balanced way of responding to the growing numbers of those wishing to emigrate or who are forced to do so.
4.2.2. The ageing of the population
50. The principal characteristic of Europe's demographic situation is, and will continue to be, the ageing of its population, that is the increase in the number of elderly people and the percentage of the total which they represent. In other words, the fall in Europe's birth rate has been accompanied by a fall in the mortality rate — at least in western Europe — and immigration has not been sufficiently high to reverse this trend. According to United Nations' estimates, about one sixth of the population of the most developed regions is aged sixty or over and by 2025 this will have risen to a quarter.
51. In general, it may be said that the change in the demographic structure of the European countries must give rise to a reconsideration of both the way in which economic activity is organised and the provision of social services by the state. Prolonging the working life of the elderly, together with increased productivity and improved education and training, could be envisaged as a way of overcoming the various problems caused today by the ageing of the population. Consequently, policies designed to encourage fertility and greater migration should not be viewed as the only options available to European societies.
52. What most concerns European governments is in fact the rising cost of health care and pensions. Urgent steps are needed to avoid the collapse of public pension schemes.
53. Similarly, given this trend, it is time to open discussions about an implicit social contract between the generations, in order to avoid conflict as the younger age group start to question the costs of social policies to assist the elderly.
54. At all events, European countries must create the conditions to enable elderly people to be more independent, so that they can participate longer in active life, while at the same time strengthening the safety nets put in place for their benefit. It is also important to develop alternative support systems, particularly in conjunction with non-governmental organisations.
55. In this connection, the Rapporteur welcomes the adoption on 10 November 1994 of Recommendation 1254 (1994) on the medical and welfare rights of the old: ethics and policies (Rapporteur: Mrs Özver) which proposes a series of measures to be introduced in both eastern and western Europe.
4.2.3. The condition and emancipation of women
56. One of the most important outcomes of the Cairo conference was the priority accorded to the need to improve women's condition as a basis for development. Even though women's situation in Europe is generally superior to that of their counterparts in developing countries, this report supports the relevant proposals in the programme of action and calls on member states to eliminate all inequality between women and men, particularly by:
a. encouraging equal participation and fair representation of women in public and political life;
b. eliminating all discriminatory practices against women, above all with regard to education, training and employment (particularly the requirement that they prove that they are not pregnant and use contraceptives). In this context, the Rapporteur was horrified to hear a statement made at one of the parliamentarians' conferences in Cairo criticising the fact that in certain European countries a certificate of sterilisation was apparently required as a condition of employment;
c. enabling women, a growing number of whom seek the same personal and professional fulfilment as men, to reconcile their maternal role with their occupational activities;
d. eliminating violence against women, including sexual harassment;
e. ensuring full access to reproductive health services, and in particular family planning (see section 4.2.5. of this report).
57. In adopting these concrete measures, European countries should base their activities on international instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993.
58. It should be noted that the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers has adopted several recommendations on improving women's condition while the Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men (CDEG) is currently preparing a study on parity democracy, as part of its responsibility for continuing and intensifying efforts to achieve de jure and de facto equality. The Parliamentary Assembly has also devoted a number of resolutions and recommendations to this issue, the most recent being Recommendation 1229 (1994) and Resolution 1018 (1994) on equality of rights between men and women (Rapporteur: Mrs Err). These two texts contain a series of extremely important proposals, including that of enshrining the principle of equality between women and men into a protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights. This report asks the Committee of Ministers to ensure that rapid action is taken on these initiatives.
4.2.4. Family policies
59. The programme of action emphasises the family's role as a fundamental unit of society which must be afforded general protection. Undoubtedly, this provision is, and must remain, the corner-stone of European government policies in this area.
60. Nevertheless, family policies must recognise that economic and social changes in Europe have had a profound effect on family composition and structure.
61. The most striking change is in the number of one-parent families, 85% of which are headed by women.3 The number of married couples with children is continuing to decline in most European countries, mainly as a result of an increase in divorces, fewer marriages, more cohabitation and reduced fertility. By way of example, in Denmark, Norway and Sweden nearly half — and in Iceland more than half — of all births are outside marriage.4
62. The family must therefore be respected in all its varied forms and support must be given to one-parent families and other forms of union between men and women. Governments, in conjunction with employers, must provide the facilities to enable those with family responsibilities, particularly one-parent families with young children, to remain economically active. The measures introduced should include sickness insurance and social security for members of families living in consensual union, paid parental leave, part-time employment, flexible working hours and more day-care provision.
63. States should also take steps to assist families, particularly those on a low income, with the financial burdens associated with birth and children's education.
64. The countries of central and eastern Europe, where pressures to reduce the budgets for family support during the current period of transition towards a market economy may be very strong, should devote more attention to government policies in this area.
4.2.5. Health policies
a. Reproductive health
65. Any policy on reproduction must rest on the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely the number and spacing of their children and to have the information to do so, which means in particular universal access to the means of family planning. Such policies, whose main purpose is to avoid unwanted pregnancies, must respect human rights and may never make use of forms of coercion.
66. High quality, affordable and accessible family planning services must be made available to all those who need them and wish to use them. At the same time, there must be better information and education about these services. It is very important for governments to involve non-governmental organisations as key partners in this field.
67. Even in Europe, proper family planning services and contraceptive methods are not always sufficiently available, particularly in central and eastern Europe. These are also the countries which hold the unenviable record for the highest abortion rates. In first place comes Romania (26 abortions per 1 000 population), followed by Estonia (17), Latvia (12) and Lithuania (11,3). These contrast with rates of 3,9 in Sweden, 3,3 in France and 1,1 in Spain and Greece.5
68. It has already been emphasised that reducing the number of abortions is an absolute priority and that abortion does not in any circumstances constitute a means of family planning. Nevertheless, in cases where abortions are carried out, everything must be done to protect the woman's health. It must be reiterated that legally banning abortion leads to illegal abortions or operations carried out abroad, which increases the risk for women's health and life.
b. Health and mortality
69. If European mortality patterns are measured in terms of life expectancy, what stands out is the large gap between western Europe, where life expectancy is rising, and the situation in central and eastern Europe, which has stagnated or even deteriorated over the last few decades. Thus average life expectancy (for men and women combined) does not exceed seventy in central and eastern Europe while it is about seventy-six in the countries of western Europe.
70. This situation is extremely worrying. Taken in conjunction with a low birth rate and minimal immigration, it means that most of the countries of central and eastern Europe (for which statistics are available) are recording negative growth, in other words a reduction in their population.
71. Reversing these trends will be a very complex task, closely tied up with economic and social progress. In the health sector, a certain number of measures are required which remain valid for all the countries of Europe. These are designed to improve everyone's chances of a longer healthy life and involve:
—en suring universal access to primary health services, particularly for less well served and more vulnerable groups;—
—gi ving particular attention to reproductive health; —
— e nsuring that people receive education in disease prevention and healthy life-styles, with particular attention being paid to increasing awareness of the fight against Aids.4.
4.2.6. Human rights
72. Respect for human rights is a common factor which links all the proposals in this report. These rights are generally clearly defined in numerous national and international legal instruments and the main challenge is to ensure their safeguarding and application.
73. However, in the case of so-called "demographic" rights, associated with the beginning and end of human life (the right to be born, to die and so on), there is an urgent need to define their content and scope in order to ensure that they are respected.
74. This raises, for example, a whole series of moral questions associated with new methods of artificial reproduction, or ethical issues concerning the extension of human life beyond certain natural limits.
75. Any examination of such a complex subject is beyond the scope of this report, which can do no more than highlight these problems in order to promote detailed discussion of them, both in the Council of Europe's own sphere of activities and at various international gatherings.
5. Conclusions
76. The Cairo conference was not an isolated event; it represents a continuation of a series of recent global activities whose subject matter is often directly interconnected, including the World Summit for Children (New York, 1990), the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, June 1992) and the World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, 1993). Similarly the Cairo conference is a contribution to the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, March 1995), the 4th World Conference on Women (Beijing, September 1995) and the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements ("Habitat II", 1996).
77. It has to be observed that while the conclusions of these different conferences complement each other, the really urgent issue is always that of ensuring a practical follow-up. It is essential that regional organisations such as the Council of Europe apply the relevant resolutions within their respective geographical areas and act as a driving force for such follow-up, by co-ordinating the efforts of their member states and non-governmental organisations.
78. The Cairo conference has raised important problems with which the world will be confronted both at the end of this century and in the next: underdevelopment, rapid population growth, poverty, large-scale migration and environmental damage. The Rapporteur issues an urgent appeal to member states to show proof of their determination to solve these problems, which have the potential to destabilise entire continents. The countries of Europe must contribute, at both the bilateral and the multilateral levels, to the implementation of the programme of action adopted in Cairo. The future of all of us is at stake.
Reporting committee: Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography.
Budgetary implications for the Assembly: none.
Origin: Order No. 498 (1994), 28 June 1994.
Draft recommendation unanimously adopted by the committee on 13 December 1994.
Members of the committee: MM. Flückiger (Chairman), Cucó, Sir John Hunt (Vice-Chairmen), Mrs Aguiar, Mr Akselsen, Mrs Arnold, Mrs Astgeirsdottir, MM. Attard Montalto, Biefnot, Billing, Böhm, van den Bos, Branger, Mrs Brasseur, MM. Brennan, Brito, Dolazza, Ehrmann (Alternate: Schreiner), Fuhrmann, Galanos, Ghesquière, Golu, Gotzev, Mrs Hacklin, MM. Iuliano, Iwinski, Kalus, Kapsis, Kiliç, Kiratlioglu, Lord Kirkhill (Alternate: Mr Atkinson), MM. Laanoja, Lauricella, Leitner, Liapis, Lupták, Mrs Mascher, MM. Mészáros, Pastuszka, Mrs Robert, MM. Saudargas, Skolc, Mrs Soutendijk-van Appeldoorn, Mr Stoilov, Mrs Theorin, MM. Trojan, Vázquez (Alternate: Ms Guirado).
N.B. The names of those members present at the meeting are printed in italics.
Secretaries to the committee: MM. Newman and Sich.
1 1See Recommendation 1243 (1994) and Order No. 498 (1994) on demographic change and sustainable development, as well as Doc. 7089 on the same subject.
2 1In particular, Recommendation 1125 (1990) on the new immigration countries, Recommendation 1154 (1991) on North African migrants in Europe, Recommendation 1164 (1991) on demographic imbalances between the countries of the Mediterranean basin and Recommendation 1249 (1994) on co-operation in the Mediterranean basin.
3 1See the Council of Europe's annual population report "Recent Demographic Developments in Europe, 1994"
4 2Ibid.
5 1Ibid.