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Reproductive Health Matters
An international journal on sexual and reproductive health and rights
Volume 22, 2014 - Issue 43: Population, environment and sustainable development
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Original Articles

Sustainable development, demography and sexual and reproductive health: inseparable linkages and their policy implications

 

Abstract

Abstract

The greatest challenge today is to meet the needs of current and future generations, of a large and growing world population, without imposing catastrophic pressures on the natural environment. Meeting this challenge depends on decisive policy changes in three areas: more inclusive economic growth, greener economic growth, and population policies. This article focuses on efforts to address and harness demographic changes for sustainable development, which are largely outside the purview of the current debate. Efforts to this end must be based on the recognition that demographic changes are the cumulative result of individual choices and opportunities, and that demographic changes are best addressed through policies that enlarge these choices and opportunities, with a focus on ensuring unrestricted and universal access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, empowering women to fully participate in social, economic and political life, and investing in the education of the younger generation beyond the primary level. The article provides a strong argument for why the Programme of Action that was agreed at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) 20 years ago continues to hold important implications and lessons for the formulation of the post-2015 development agenda, which is expected to supersede the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Résumé

Le principal enjeu aujourd’hui est de répondre aux besoins des générations actuelles et futures, d’une population mondiale importante et qui s’accroît, sans imposer de pressions catastrophiques sur l’environnement naturel. Relever ce défi dépend de changements politiques décisifs dans trois domaines : une croissance économique plus intégratrice, une croissance économique plus écologique et des politiques démographiques. Cet article se centre sur les activités destinées à traiter et exploiter les changements démographiques pour le développement durable, qui sont largement en dehors du cadre des débats actuels. Les activités dans ce sens doivent être fondées sur le constat que les changements démographiques sont le résultat cumulé de possibilités et choix individuels, et que les changements démographiques sont traités au mieux par des politiques qui élargissent ces choix et possibilités. Il s’agit en particulier de garantir un accès universel et sans restriction à l’information et aux services de santé sexuelle et génésique, doter les femmes des moyens de participer pleinement à la vie sociale, économique et politique, et investir en faveur de l’éducation de la jeune génération au-delà du niveau primaire. L’article donne un argument solide montrant pourquoi le Programme d’action adopté à la Conférence internationale sur la population et le développement il y a 20 ans contient toujours des incidences et leçons importantes pour la formulation du programme de développement de l’après-2015, qui devrait se substituer aux objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement (OMD).

Resumen

El mayor reto hoy en día es satisfacer las necesidades de generaciones actuales y futuras, de una amplia población mundial creciente, sin imponer presiones catastróficas en el medio ambiente natural. Para enfrentar este reto se necesitan cambios decisivos de políticas en tres áreas: crecimiento económico más inclusivo, crecimiento económico más verde y políticas de población. Este artículo se enfoca en los esfuerzos por abordar y aprovechar los cambios demográficos para el desarrollo sostenible, que en su mayoría quedan fuera del alcance del debate actual. Con este fin, los esfuerzos deben basarse en el reconocimiento de que los cambios demográficos son el resultado acumulativo de opciones y oportunidades individuales, y que la mejor manera de abordar los cambios demográficos es por medio de políticas que amplíen esas opciones y oportunidades, con un enfoque en asegurar acceso no restringido y universal a información y servicios de salud sexual y reproductiva, empoderando a las mujeres a participar al máximo en la vida social, económica y política, e invirtiendo en la educación de la generación más joven más allá del nivel primario. El artículo plantea un sólido argumento para explicar por qué el Programa de Acción acordado hace 20 años en la Conferencia Internacional sobre la Población y el Desarrollo (CIPD) continúa teniendo importantes implicaciones y lecciones para la formulación de la agenda de desarrollo post 2015, que se espera que reemplace los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM).

Notes

* Inequality in Brazil, as measured by the Gini coefficient, fell from 59% in 2001 to 53% in 2007.Citation16

† Estimates based on World Bank,Citation17 UN,Citation4 and MeasuringWorth.com.Citation18

** The estimated changes in resource efficiency are highly sensitive to the measurement of output. If resource efficiency is measured in constant dollars and not adjusted for differences in purchasing power, many countries have not achieved rising resource efficiency.

* There is a large and growing literature focusing on the need for green economies and policies for sustainable growth;Citation13,22–28 the creation of green jobs and poverty reduction;Citation29,30 and the financial and macroeconomic implications of such structural shifts.Citation13,31 The shift towards green economies is best understood as a process of structural change. This change will have cost implications for individual companies, but does not need to have negative net effects on economic growth. Likewise it will imply changes in employment opportunities but does not need to have negative effects on overall employment. Green industries contribute to economic growth and create jobs, and they are a necessity for a sustainable rise in living standards.

* The lack of a governance system for global environmental goods is what HardinCitation33 suitably termed the tragedy of the commons.

* Even the high variant assumes a considerable decline in fertility from current levels. If today’s fertility levels remained unchanged, the world population would be set to reach 29 billion persons by the end of the century.

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