Role of legislation in population and development planning

Countries in the Asian and the Pacific region provide an interesting panorama of legal systems and the dynamics of developmental change. For demographers, social scientists and health lawyers, this panorama offers not only rich material for research but also a challenge to find meaningful solutions to the many and varied developmental problems of these countries. Increasingly, it is being realized that legislation is an important tool of developmental change and this article examines how law can influence population and developmental planning in the Asian and the Pacific region.