Population Forums

Wider participation by media, NGO representatives and the general public in the population debate is regarded as essential since there is overwhelming evidence that rapid population growth poses substantial challenges to the attainment of the MDGs.

Yet population has been virtually ignored by policy-makers for the past decade.

Since the term 'population' became increasingly tarnished by the brush of 'coercion' and 'control' during the 1980s it has remained politically sensitive. The link between poverty and population growth has been downplayed and financial and political support for population stabilisation has diminished.

Population is now beginning to re-emerge in the media and into political discourse, most recently in relation to climate change issues. The Population and Sustainability Network (PSN) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) are eager to build on this growing interest and increase dialogue between policy, action (NGOs) and academic research on the topic of the population factor, about which many have remained silent for so long.

Each Forum was chaired by a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health, with contributions from two distinguished speakers, and concluding remarks from a third speaker.

The final Population Forum was held on January 30th 2007 at the Houses of Parliament in London.

Population: The Unfinished Agenda – from Research to Policy Action

See below for the speakers presentations made at the forums.