The significance of the United Nations international population conferences

"In this paper the four international population conferences held under the auspices of the United Nations are placed in historical perspective. Although each was unique, together they comprise a coherent whole reflecting the changing world situation and the increasing understanding of population dynamics and policies." The specific contributions of the Rome, Belgrade, Bucharest, and Mexico City conferences are summarized. The author concludes that "taken together, the four conferences transformed demography from a purely statistical discipline to a multidisciplinary science extending into the domain of population policies and programmes."