World Family Policy Center News
4/22/02

Volume 1, Issue 4


The following excerpts are highlights of current events and do not necessarily represent the views of the World Family Policy Center or Brigham Young University.


FROM THE WORLD FAMILY POLICY CENTER



THE WFPC AT THE SECOND WORLD ASSEMBLY ON AGEING
(click to read the full article)

Representatives from the World Family Policy Center attended The Second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid this month. Read the report summarizing their participation and the outcome of the assembly.

"The Assembly was the most important international conference on ageing in over 20 years. Since the last international conference on ageing, and as a result of the population control movement, world demographics have changed dramatically. Even the United Nations now admits that population growth is virtually at an end and that the world is facing serious declines in fertility. In his opening remarks at the Assembly, Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that, within 20 years, persons over the age of 60 would outnumber children under the age of 15.

Because of the rapidly ageing population of the entire planet, one of the first moves by social planners is to create a 'right to die,' where 'death with dignity' is the catchphrase used to promote public acceptance of euthanasia."


"THE CHILD AND THE FAMILY": Special Session of the WCF, NYC

The Howard Center for Family Religion and Society, The World Family Policy Center, and United Families International are pleased to announce the convening of a Special Session of the World Congress of Families in New York City. This meeting is being held in conjunction with the United Nations World Summit on Children. It will be a high level, informative event directed towards world policy makers including Heads of State, Ambassadors to the United Nations and their spouses.

Speakers for the meeting include: Dr. Wade Horn, Mrs. Janet Museveni (First Lady of Uganda),
Patrick Fagan, Ph. D., Maggie Gallagher, Father Frank Gelli, Allan Carlson, Ph.D., Richard Wilkins, Jeremy Rabkin, and Sophia Aguirre, Ph.D.

For more information on the World Congress of Families New York or to register, go to the United Families International website at www.unitedfamilies.org .




IN THE NEWS

UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISION ADOPTS RESOLUTIONS - Africa (click to read the full article)

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) on Friday adopted resolutions on situations in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) among other countries, a statement from the UNCHR said.
In a consensus resolution on the human rights situation in Burundi, the Commission welcomed the numerous steps taken by the transitional government to advance human rights and establish democracy, condemned all attacks on humanitarian workers and urged all parties to the conflict to end the use of children as soldiers, the statement said.

Related Stories :
UN Rights Commission Avoids Criticizing Iran - Voice of America
UN human rights in Chechnya resolution defeated - Russian Observer
Iran Unlisted As Rights Offender - Miami Herald



U.S. CARDINALS ARRIVE AT VATICAN - ABC News (click to read the full article)

Never before has a pope summoned all the American cardinals, and the formal meetings, which start Tuesday, could start dramatic change within the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, beginning this week.

While they are here, the American cardinals hope to get the pope's general approval for a strict new sex abuse policy that they will take back to all of the U.S. bishops when they return. It's a policy they hope will be binding for all American Catholic churches.


Related Stories:
Paedophile priests scandal Cardinal may be forced out says report - Ananova
Crisis admitted by US Cardinal - NZ Herald
Cardinals In Rome For Pope Meeting - Guardian, UK
Bishops off to Rome in bid to resolve pedophilia crisis - National Post

 

 


AT THE UN

ANNAN URGES STATES TO RATIFY WAR CRIMES COURT'S STATUTE AS PREPARATORY PANEL ENDS SESSION (click to read the full article)

As the preparatory body laying the groundwork for the world's first permanent war crimes court wrapped up its latest session today, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised the speedy ratifications of the Rome Statute and expressed hope that the tribunal would be functioning by mid-2003.
"Now with the unusually rapid entry of the Statute into force, we are witnessing a great victory for justice, and for world order - a turn away from the rule of brute force, and towards the rule of law," the Secretary-General said in his statement to the ninth session of the Preparatory Commission for the International Criminal Court.



UN FORUM ADOPTS NEW BLUEPRINT TO FACE CHALLENGE OF AGEING GLOBAL POPULATION
(click to read the full article)

After five days of intensive work, the United Nations Second World Assembly on Ageing concluded successfully in Madrid today by adopting an action plan aimed at addressing the challenges brought about by the rapidly growing number of older persons around the world, particularly in the developing countries.
Responding to growing concern over the speed and scale of global ageing, the International Plan of Action, which contained over 120 recommendations, and the accompanying Political Declaration both stressed the "crucial" importance of incorporating ageing issues into all development plans as a way of coping with what has been billed as the main demographic challenge of the 21st century.


Related Story:
UN forum on ageing makes 'significant progress' on action plan, political declaration



NEW E-MAIL SERVICE FROM UN TO HELP MEDIA, WORLD PUBLIC STAY ON TOP OF THE UN NEWS (click to read the full article)

The United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) today launched an E-mail UN News Service, which will bring breaking stories and reports on key UN developments - at headquarters and in the field - straight to the computers and E-mail in-boxes of its subscribers around the globe.
"This is a major innovation in the way the UN communicates with the media worldwide," Shashi Tharoor, the Interim Head of the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), told a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York "Even in the nations where Internet access is not widely available, timely delivery of UN news directly to the desktops of media outlets, public offices, educational institutions or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be a step towards improving public awareness of vital UN events and issues."

 


UPCOMING NEW YORK CONFERENCE
 

May 8-10 Special Session on Children



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