ICPD revisited: Pacific island population developments since Cairo, and their implications for public policy

Gerald Haberkorn, Secretariat of the Pacific Community

The complex relationship between population, resources and development in the Pacific island region has attracted considerable political attention for some time. Leading up to Cairo, the 1993 Port Vila declaration on population and development provided a regional policy framework, with most policy priorities addressing the ICPD’s first objective – the interrelationship between population, sustained economic growth and sustainable development, arguing that only a carefully balanced approach in policy development and development practice will deliver sustainable results. Ten years on, the region’s population has increased by a formidable 20% to 8,6 million people, posing significant challenges to policy-makers and planners. Acknowledging the dialect interplay between population dynamics, resource management and sustainable development, and the domestic and international policy environment shaping such developments, this paper explores the continued relevance of the ICPD Programme of action and associated international development assistance initiatives guiding Pacific island population and sustainable development policy and programme initiatives.