Soeharto vows to balance population with resources<\/p>\n
By Rikza Abdullah<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (JP): President Soeharto, representing 75 heads of
\nstate and government, pledged yesterday to balance population
\ngrowth with resources during a UN ceremony presided over by
\nUnited Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that the statement we are presenting today will form
\na foundation for the strengthening and expansion of South-South
\ncooperation, particularly that in the field of population and
\ndevelopment,\" Soeharto said prior to presenting the Statement on
\nPopulation Stabilization. The statement is written on a plaque
\nmade from copper.<\/p>\n
The ceremony, held at the Trusteeship Council Chamber of the
\nUN headquarters here, was attended by representatives of the 75
\nheads of state and government participating in the UN's three-day
\nspecial commemorative meeting, which ended Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
Also on hand at the ceremony were Indonesia's Minister of
\nForeign Affairs Ali Alatas, Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono,
\nMinister of Population\/Chairman of the National Family Planning
\nHaryono Suyono, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung,
\nAmbassador to the U.S. Arifin Siregar and Nugroho Wisnumurti,
\nrepresentative to the UN.<\/p>\n
Soeharto said that South-South cooperation is very important
\nto improve the self-confidence and self-reliance of the
\ndeveloping countries in the South.<\/p>\n
\"When all nations are self-reliant, they will have greater
\ncommon responsibility to build a new world order which will bring
\nhappiness to everybody,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that Indonesia, with its population of almost 200
\nmillion, has experienced the difficulty of carrying out
\ndevelopment programs under low levels of health, education and
\nsocioeconomic conditions.<\/p>\n
The 75 heads of state and government preparing the statement
\nrepresented 3.9 billion people, or 68 percent of the world's
\ntotal population.<\/p>\n
Executive director of the United Nations Population Fund Nafis
\nSadik hailed President Soeharto's efforts to promote the
\nstabilization of population growth with resources by asking other
\nleaders to sign the statement.<\/p>\n
\"We note with special gratitude the outstanding efforts that
\nyou, Mr. President, have provided for the initiative of world
\nleaders on population stabilization,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"You have asked personally all the heads of government from
\nthe Non-Aligned Nations to sign this important statement and 75
\nworld leaders have done so.\"<\/p>\n
\"You have also promoted cooperation among countries, known as
\nSouth-South cooperation. It is in recognition of all these
\nefforts that you were honored in 1989 with the United Nations
\nPopulation Award, the only award sanctioned by the General
\nAssembly of the United Nations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Boutros-Ghali said that populations programs have been one of
\nthe success stories of the United Nations.<\/p>\n
During the 1960s, when such a statement on population was
\nintroduced for the first time, global population was growing at a
\nrate of over two percent annually and fertility stood at almost
\nfive births per woman.<\/p>\n
Today, the population global growth rate has declined to 1.6
\npercent per annum and the fertility rate to 3.1 children per
\nwoman, he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono told reporters
\nTuesday evening that President Soeharto had made separate
\nbilateral meetings at the UN headquarters building with Thai
\nPrime Minister Banharn Silpa-Archa, Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok,
\nRumanian President Ion Iliescu and acting president of the former
\nYugoslav Republic of Macedonia Stojan Andov.<\/p>\n
Soeharto also held a meeting with UNICEF's executive director
\nCarol Bellamy.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said that Soeharto and Silpa-Archa exchanged views
\non preparations for the third leadership meeting of the Asia
\nPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, which will be held in
\nthe Japanese city of Osaka next month, and the next year's summit
\nmeeting of European and Asian leaders in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
The two heads of government also discussed efforts to improve
\nbilateral ties between Indonesia and Thailand, the minister said.<\/p>\n
He said Kok also discussed preparations on the planned Asia-
\nEurope summit as well as the success of Queen Beatrix's 10-day
\nvisit to Indonesia only a few days after the country celebrated
\nits 50th anniversary on Aug. 17.<\/p>\n
The Macedonian leader asked for Indonesia's support for the
\nworld recognition of his country, while the Rumanian president
\ninvited Indonesia to improve economic cooperation with his
\ncountry, which, he said, could be used as a gateway for its
\nproducts to enter Europe.<\/p>\n
Bellamy, according to Moerdiono, said UNICEF will continue its
\nassistance to Indonesia in support of its programs to improve the
\nhealth of its children.<\/p>\n
\"Bellamy appreciates Indonesia's recent success in carrying
\nout our nationwide polio vaccination program within a single
\nday,\" Moerdiono said. (riz)<\/p>",
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