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Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
Chapter 9 : Population Distribution, Urbanization and Internal Migration
A. Population distribution and sustainable development
B. Population growth in large urban agglomerations
C. Internally displaced persons
A. Population distribution and sustainable development
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Basis for action
9.1. In the early 1990s, approximately half of the Governments in the world, mostly
those of developing countries, considered the patterns of population distribution in their
territories to be unsatisfactory and wished to modify them. A key issue was the rapid
growth of urban areas, which are expected to house more than half of the world population
by 2005. Consequently, attention has mostly been paid to rural-urban migration, although
rural-rural and urban- urban migration are in fact the dominant forms of spatial mobility
in many countries. The process of urbanization is an intrinsic dimension of economic and
social development and, in consequence, both developed and developing countries are going
through the process of shifting from predominantly rural to predominantly urban societies.
For individuals, migration is often a rational and dynamic effort to seek new
opportunities in life. Cities are centres of economic growth, providing the impetus for
socio-economic innovation and change. However, migration is also prompted by push factors,
such as inequitable allocation of development resources, adoption of inappropriate
technologies and lack of access to available land. The alarming consequences of
urbanization visible in many countries are related to its rapid pace, to which Governments
have been unable to respond with their current management capacities and practices. Even
in developing countries, however, there are already signs of a changing pattern of
population distribution, in the sense that the trend towards concentration in a few large
cities is giving way to a more widespread distribution in medium-sized urban centres. This
movement is also found in some developed countries, with people indicating preference for
living in smaller places. Effective population distribution policies are those that, while
respecting the right of individuals to live and work in the community of their choice,
take into account the effects of development strategies on population distribution.
Urbanization has profound implications for the livelihood, way of life and values of
individuals. At the same time, migration has economic, social and environmental
implications - both positive and negative - for the places of origin and destination.
Objectives
9.2. The objectives are:
(a) To foster a more balanced spatial distribution of the population by promoting in an
integrated manner the equitable and ecologically sustainable development of major sending
and receiving areas, with particular emphasis on the promotion of economic, social and
gender equity based on respect for human rights, especially the right to development;
(b) To reduce the role of the various push factors as they relate to migration flows.
Actions
9.3. Governments formulating population distribution policies should ensure that the
objectives and goals of those policies are consistent with other development goals,
policies and basic human rights. Governments, assisted by interested local, regional and
intergovernmental agencies, should assess on a regular basis how the consequences of their
economic and environmental policies, sectoral priorities, infrastructure investment and
balance of resources among regional, central, provincial and local authorities influence
population distribution and internal migration, both permanent and temporary.
9.4. In order to achieve a balanced spatial distribution of production employment and
population, countries should adopt sustainable regional development strategies and
strategies for the encouragement of urban consolidation, the growth of small or
medium-sized urban centres and the sustainable development of rural areas, including the
adoption of labour- intensive projects, training for non-farming jobs for youth and
effective transport and communication systems. To create an enabling context for local
development, including the provision of services, Governments should consider
decentralizing their administrative systems. This also involves giving responsibility for
expenditure and the right to raise revenue to regional, district and local authorities.
While vast improvements to the urban infrastructure and environmental strategies are
essential in many developing countries to provide a healthy environment for urban
residents, similar activities should also be pursued in rural areas.
9.5. To reduce urban bias and isolated rural development, Governments should examine
the feasibility of providing incentives to encourage the redistribution and relocation of
industries and businesses from urban to rural areas and to encourage the establishment of
new businesses, industrial units and income- generating projects in rural areas.
9.6. Governments wishing to create alternatives to out-migration from rural areas
should establish the preconditions for development in rural areas, actively support access
to ownership or use of land and access to water resources, especially for family units,
make and encourage investments to enhance rural productivity, improve rural infrastructure
and social services and facilitate the establishment of credit, production and marketing
cooperatives and other grass-roots organizations that give people greater control over
resources and improve their livelihoods. Particular attention is needed to ensure that
these opportunities are also made available to migrants' families remaining in the areas
of origin.
9.7. Governments should pursue development strategies offering tangible benefits to
investors in rural areas and to rural producers. Governments should also seek to reduce
restrictions on international trade in agricultural products.
9.8. Governments should strengthen their capacities to respond to the pressures caused
by rapid urbanization by revising and reorienting the agencies and mechanisms for urban
management as necessary and ensuring the wide participation of all population groups in
planning and decision-making on local development. Particular attention should be paid to
land management in order to ensure economical land use, protect fragile ecosystems and
facilitate the access of the poor to land in both urban and rural areas.
9.9. Countries are urged to recognize that the lands of indigenous people and their
communities should be protected from activities that are environmentally unsound or that
the indigenous people concerned consider to be socially and culturally inappropriate. The
term "lands" is understood to include the environment of the areas which the
people concerned traditionally occupy.
9.10. Countries should increase information and training on conservation practices and
foster the creation of sustainable off-farm rural employment opportunities in order to
limit the further expansion of human settlements to areas with fragile ecosystems.
9.11. Population distribution policies should be consistent with such international
instruments, when applicable, as the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of
Civilian Persons in Time of War (1949), including article 49.
B. Population growth in large urban agglomerations
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Basis for action
9.12. In many countries, the urban system is characterized by the overwhelming
preponderance of a single major city or agglomeration.
The tendency towards population concentration, fostered by the concentration of public
and private resources in some cities, has also contributed to the rising number and size
of mega-cities. In 1992, there were 13 cities with at least 10 million inhabitants and
their number is expected to double by 2010, when most mega-cities will be located in the
developing countries. The continued concentration of population in primate cities, and in
mega-cities in particular, poses specific economic, social and environmental challenges
for Governments. Yet large agglomerations also represent the most dynamic centres of
economic and cultural activity in many countries. It is therefore essential that the
specific problems of large cities be analysed and addressed, in full awareness of the
positive contribution that large cities make to national economic and social development.
The challenges faced by cities are often exacerbated by weak management capacities at the
local level to address the consequences of population concentration, socio-economic
development, environmental impacts and their interrelations.
Objective
9.13. The objective is to enhance the management of urban agglomerations through more
participatory and resource-conscious planning and management, review and revise the
policies and mechanisms that contribute to the excessive concentration of population in
large cities, and improve the security and quality of life of both rural and urban
low-income residents.
Actions
9.14. Governments should increase the capacity and competence of city and municipal
authorities to manage urban development, to safeguard the environment, to respond to the
need of all citizens, including urban squatters, for personal safety, basic infrastructure
and services, to eliminate health and social problems, including problems of drugs and
criminality, and problems resulting from overcrowding and disasters, and to provide people
with alternatives to living in areas prone to natural and man-made disasters.
9.15. In order to improve the plight of the urban poor, many of whom work in the
informal sector of the economy, Governments are urged to promote the integration of
migrants from rural areas into urban areas and to develop and improve their income-earning
capability by facilitating their access to employment, credit, production, marketing
opportunities, basic education, health services, vocational training and transportation,
with special attention to the situation of women workers and women heads of households.
Child-care centres and special protection and rehabilitation programmes for street
children should be established.
9.16. To finance the needed infrastructure and services in a balanced manner, taking
into account the interests of the poor segments of society, local and national government
agencies should consider introducing equitable cost-recovery schemes and increasing
revenues by appropriate measures.
9.17. Governments should strengthen the capacity for land management, including urban
planning, at all levels in order to take into account demographic trends and encourage the
search for innovative approaches to address the challenges facing cities, with special
attention to the pressures and needs resulting from the growth of their populations.
9.18. Governments should promote the development and implementation of effective
environmental management strategies for urban agglomerations, giving special attention to
water, waste and air management, as well as to environmentally sound energy and transport
systems.
C. Internally displaced persons
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Basis for action
9.19. During the past decade, awareness of the situation of persons who are forced to
leave their places of usual residence for a variety of reasons has been rising. Because
there is no single definition of internally displaced persons, estimates of their number
vary, as do the causes of their migration. However, it is generally accepted that these
causes range from environmental degradation to natural disasters and internal conflicts
that destroy human settlements and force people to flee from one area of the country to
another. Indigenous people, in particular, are in many cases subject to displacement.
Given the forced nature of their movement, internally displaced persons often find
themselves in particularly vulnerable situations, especially women, who may be subjected
to rape and sexual assault in situations of armed conflict. Internal displacement is often
a precursor of outflows of refugees and externally displaced persons. Returning refugees
may also be internally displaced.
Objectives
9.20. The objectives are:
(a) To offer adequate protection and assistance to persons displaced within their
country, particularly women, children and the elderly, who are the most vulnerable, and to
find solutions to the root causes of their displacement in view of preventing it and, when
appropriate, to facilitate return or resettlement;
(b) To put an end to all forms of forced migration, including "ethnic
cleansing".
Actions
9.21. Countries should address the causes of internal displacement, including
environmental degradation, natural disasters, armed conflict and forced resettlement, and
establish the necessary mechanisms to protect and assist displaced persons, including,
where possible, compensation for damages, especially those who are not able to return to
their normal place of residence in the short term. Adequate capacities for disaster
preparedness should be developed. The United Nations, through dialogue with Governments
and all intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, is encouraged to continue to
review the need for protection and assistance to internally displaced persons, the root
causes of internal displacement, prevention and long-term solutions, taking into account
specific situations.
9.22. Measures should be taken to ensure that internally displaced persons receive
basic education, employment opportunities, vocational training and basic health-care
services, including reproductive health services and family planning.
9.23. In order to reverse declining environmental quality and minimize conflict over
access to grazing land, the modernization of the pastoralist economic system should be
pursued, with assistance provided as necessary through bilateral and multilateral
arrangements.
9.24. Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations are
encouraged to strengthen development assistance for internally displaced persons so that
they can return to their places of origin.
9.25. Measures should be taken, at the national level with international cooperation,
as appropriate, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, to find lasting
solutions to questions related to internally displaced persons, including their right to
voluntary and safe return to their home of origin.
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