Asia-Pacific Population Journal - Volume 24, Issue 1, 2009

The Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference (APPC) convened in December 2002 by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (ESCAP) reviewed the progress accomplished by countries in the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Bali Declaration on Population and Sustainable Development adopted at the Fourth APPC, held at Bali, Indonesia in 1992 as well as the objectives and goals of the Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held at Cairo in 1994.

The Bali Declaration on Population and Sustainable Development adopted by the Fourth Asian and Pacific Population Conference held at Bali, Indonesia from 19-27 August 1992 stated that, “among the ultimate objectives of sustainable development are to achieve a balance between human needs and aspirations in balance with population, resources and the environment and to enhance the quality of life today and in the future”.

The main objective of this paper is to analyse the linkages between demographic dynamics and various dimensions of poverty and to suggest population-related policy options to minimize the adverse impacts, and strengthen the positive impacts, of demographic dynamics on socio-economic development including poverty reduction. The paper will begin by considering the dimensions of poverty and different ways of viewing poverty. It will then examine trends in poverty in the ESCAP region. Then the linkages between demographic dynamics and various dimensions of poverty will be discussed, and some resultant policy challenges highlighted.

Over the past few decades, the world population has been ageing at a phenomenal pace. Some demographers claim that population ageing in the twentieth century represents a human success story, and that for the first time in the history of mankind, human populations have the luxury of ageing (Kinsella and Velkoff, 2001).

The Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference (Fifth APPC) held in Bangkok in December, 2002 recognized that one of the major challenges in linking population to development was related to gender equality - a persistent struggle to equalize opportunities between men and women.

The Plan of Action on Population and Poverty, adopted in Bangkok in December 2002 by the members and associate members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), recognized that there remained major challenges in the areas of population, sustainable development and poverty; migration; ageing; gender; reproductive health including the need of adolescents; HIV and AIDS; and resource mobilization. They committed themselves to address these issues.

The purpose of the present paper is to assess progress towards achieving the recommendations concerning international migration in the Plan of Action on Population and Poverty adopted by the Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference (Fifth APPC). In that context, it is valuable to review other international commitments and policy processes affecting international migration because they also influence the decisions and actions taken by Governments in Asia and the Pacific.

The Expert Group Meeting to Assess the Progress in the Implementation of the Plan of Action on Population and Poverty adopted at the Fifth Asian and Pacific Population Conference (APPC) was held in Bangkok from 3 to 5 February 2009. It was organized by the Social Policy and Population Section, Social Development Division, ESCAP in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund Asia and the Pacific Regional Office.