Speaking at a World Population Day meeting organised by UNFPA on the eve of XV International AIDS conference in Bangkok, Dr Steven Sinding IPPF spoke about the forces of opposition in the way of implementing the ICPD Programme of Action.

There are, he argued, four major obstacles:

• the opposition forces themselves
• funding
• competition for funds 
• the issue of commodity supply

'As an American it pains me to say that the US, since President Bush was elected in 2001, has become one of the major conservative forces opposing any advances in sexual and reproductive health and rights.

'As we all know, on his first day in office President Bush reinstated the Global Gag Rule - the real impact has been to leave young people with only one choice - abstinence, and to thousands if not millions of women to unwanted pregnancies and, in many cases, unsafe and illegal abortions.

'Conservative forces in many countries felt that the Programme of Action went too far in defining sexual and reproductive rights, some read the term 'reproductive health' as a code for abortion rights, others felt its references to adolescents and youth represented a licence for promiscuity and a challenge to parental authority.

'Opposition forces within Europe itself are increasingly finding strength. The enlarged European Union will pose new challenges and we, as defenders of reproductive choices and rights, must be vigilant.

Dr Sinding was speaking at a panel debate 'World Population Day ICPD at 10' (International Conference on Population and Development) with Dr Thoraya Obaid, executive director of United Nations Family Planning Association and Dr Nafis Sadik, Special envoy of the UN Secretary General for HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific.

'Dr Sinding concluded: 'So will the objectives of ICPD be met by 2015? I believe that if the sexual and reproductive health community pulls together, if reproductive health and AIDS organisations integrate their work, if donors understand the importance of the realisation of the ICPD Programme of Action, then and only then will advances be made.'