Basis for action

13.1. During the past few decades, considerable experience has been gained around the world on how government policies and programmes can be designed and implemented to address population and development concerns, enhance the choices of people and contribute to broad social progress. As is the case with othersocial development programmes, experience has also shown, in instances where the leadership is strongly committed to economic growth, human resource development, gender equality and equity and meeting the health needs of the population, in particular the reproductive health needs, including family planning and sexual health, countries have been able to mobilize sustained commitment at all levels to make population and development programmes and projects successful.

13.2. While such success can be facilitated by developments in the overall social and economic context, and by success in other development efforts, population and development are intrinsically interrelated and progress in any component can catalyse improvement in others. The many facets of population relate to many facets of development. There is increased recognition of the need for countries to consider migration impacts, internal and international, in developing their relevant policies and programmes. There is also growing recognition that population-related policies, plans, programmes and projects, to be sustainable, need to engage their intended beneficiaries fully in their design and subsequent implementation.

13.3. The role of non-governmental organizations as partners innational policies and programmes is increasingly recognized, as is the important role of the private sector. Members of national legislatures can have a major role to play, especially in enacting appropriate domestic legislation for implementing the presentProgramme of Action, allocating appropriate financial resources, ensuring accountability of expenditure and raising public awareness of population issues.

Objectives

13.4. The objectives are:

1. To incorporate population concerns in all relevantnational development strategies, plans, policies and programmes;
2. To foster active involvement of elected representatives of people, particularly parliamentarians, concerned groups, especially at the grass-roots level, and individuals, in formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating strategies,policies, plans and programmes in the field of population and development.

Actions

13.5. Governments, with the active involvement of parliamentarians, locally elected bodies, communities, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and women's groups, should work to increase awareness of population and development issues and formulate, implement and evaluate national strategies, policies, plans, programmes and projects that address population and development issues, including migration, as integral parts of their sectoral, intersectoral and overall development planning and implementation process. They should also promote and work toensure adequate human resources and institutions to coordinate and carry out the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of population and development activities.

13.6. Governments and parliamentarians, in collaboration with the international community and non-governmental organizations, should make the necessary plans in accordance with national concerns and priorities and take the actions required to measure, assess, monitor and evaluate progress towards meeting the goals of the present Programme of Action. In this connection, the active participation of the private sector and the research community is to be encouraged.

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