By: Peter Smith
The Bible is very clear about people having children, even when in captivity[1].
In 1994 there was an enormous Conference on Population & Development in Cairo. Last week in New York was the 30th anniversary. There was just a one-and-a-half-page political declaration agreed last Monday, nothing controversial in it[2].
The idea of linking population and development is a diabolically clever one. Many countries have been fooled into thinking that low fertility rates will lead to development. However the actual results are quite different, see ref.[3] where a study by the World Bank shows no linkage between fertility rates and economic development. This graph of 100 countries is a scatter pattern, no correlation between the Y and X axis.
Attached is a promotional video from UNFPA promoting this fictional model of the Demographic Dividend[4]. They forget to mention the old dependent people who are to be looked after by fewer and fewer young people. Some 19 countries and two large groups mentioned the term “demographic dividend”[5]. I have spoken to some delegates previously about this and they say they did not manage the dividend so well. It’s the perfect excuse , you did not get it , as your management was bad.
There was one flicker of light in the dark wilderness at the UN last week. Angola said they were fighting against corruption. I would say war and corruption are the two main barriers to development.
The two worst delegates promoting the killing of unborn children by abortion were the U.K. and France. The group of countries for the family were led by Belarus. Many pro-abortion NGOs were promoting the killing of unborn children. They seemed to think this was the key to female emancipation. Pro-Life NGOs like C-Fam were the small sane voices crying in the wilderness. Youth delegates were unhappy that children could not run the world.
The best delegation for reservations was the Holy See. They promoted the 30th anniversary for the Year of the Family (2024), promoted the sanctity of life from conception and explained that gender was biology , male and female. They also spoke up for the poor.
May 6, 2024
Peter Smith represents CCI at the UN in New York
[1] Gen 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “ Be fruitful and increase in number ….”
Gen 9:1 Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth
Jeremiah 9:6 Marry and have sons and daughters ; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage , so that they too may have sons and daughters.
[4] Promotional video from UNFPA promoting this fictional model of Demographic Dividend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhkrS0qSJLg
[5] Demographic dividend , Countries - Nepal, Panama, Burkina Faso, Soa Tome and Principe. Laos, Costa Rica, Chine , Cambodia, Gambia, Chad, Niger, Burundi, Comoros, Brazil, South Africa, Sri Lanka& Liberia.
Groups – ESCAP – Ecconomis & Social Commission for Africa & the pacific
ECA – Economic Commission for Africa