May 13, 2004
Victory for Women, Children and the Environment Worldwide

Environmental Advocates of NY Applauds U.S. Decision to Support United Nations Population Stabilization Measure

(Albany, NY) – Environmental Advocates of NY (EANY) today joined the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in applauding the Bush Administration’s decision to join the rest of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development in reaffirming the family planning principles of the Program of Action of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development. The Administration’s action represents a reversal of long-standing official resistance to support for the Cairo Agreement (see NWF Press Release).

Environmental Advocates, the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, introduced a resolution urging official confirmation of U.S. participation in the Cairo Program at the March NWF annual meeting in St. Louis (see resolution).

“We view this as a renewal of our national commitment to this common sense measure,” said EANY Population and the Environment Project Advocate David Higby, “and that’s very good news for future generations. This is a recognition that the United States must be part of an international policy direction that recognizes the interconnected nature of issues like population growth, sustainable development, urbanization and habitat loss, while at the same time embracing the imperative of including such things as the empowerment of women and family planning within the comprehensive solutions to these problems.”