Experts to Examine European Population Trends and Policies

GENEVA, Switzerland -- International experts on population and reproductive health will meet at thePalais des Nations in Geneva from 12-14 January 2004 to examine key issues in Europe and North America, their causes, consequences and policy responses.

The European Population Forum 2004 will consider challenges posed by current and emerging demographic trends in the European region, including countries in transition, and will assess progress in implementing the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and related agreements.

Hosted by the Government of Switzerland and co-organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, the Forum will consider such issues as:

• Support of UNECE countries for ICPD implementation in developing countries and those with economies in transition, particularly efforts to ensure universal access to reproductive health services – including family planning, safe motherhood and HIV/AIDS prevention – by 2015.
• Causes and consequences of low fertility in UNECE countries, particularly in Southern, Central and Eastern Europe, and policy options enabling the combination of work and family, childbearing and parenting, e.g. those facilitating access to free or subsidized child care and providing financial support to families with children.
• Health challenges facing Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia including: high morbidity and mortality, especially among adult males; the spread of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS; adolescent sexual and reproductive health issues; and all forms of gender-based violence, including trafficking in young women and adolescents.
• Causes of international migration flows, implications of the flows for both sending and receiving countries, and the integration of immigrant populations along with policies to manage the flows and foster integration.

Participants will include professionals with a broad range of expertise in the social, demographic, economic and health fields, from executive and legislative branches of governments, academia and research institutions, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.

Journalists are invited to the Opening on 12 January, featuring Walter Fust, Director-General, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA; and Brigita Schmögnerová, Executive Secretary, UNECE. All three will hold a press conference on 12 January, at 11 a.m. in Room III.

For accreditation, please contact: The Director, United Nations Information Service (UNIS), Office C.203/C.207, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland. Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 23 13 (or 23 36), Fax. +41 (0) 22 917 00 73.

More information about the Forum, including the agenda and background papers, is available at www.unece.org/ead/pau/epf.

Further information about population issues, reproductive health and the ICPD can be found at www.unfpa.org.

Contact information:

William A. Ryan

Tel.: +66 2 288 2446

Email: ryanw@unfpa.org

David Winiger

Tel.: +41 (0) 22 917 16 43

Email: david.winiger@unece.org

Miroslav Macura

Tel.: +41 (0) 22 917 27 64

Email: miroslav.macura@unece.org