In 1983, the Economic and Social Council, as the acting Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on Population, concentrated "inter alia" on the formation of specific recommendations to the Conference on the further implementation of the Plan of Action.

The recommendations sought to respond to priority areas identified by the Population Commission and assist governments in the implementation of the Plan of Action. The recommendations focus on the following areas: socioeconomic development and population; development of population policies; population goals and policies (morbidity and mortality; reproduction, the family, and the status of women; population distribution and internal migration; international migration; and population structure); and promotion of knowledge (data collection; research and analysis; and training, information, education, and communication).