The inexorable growth of the world's population poses a major challenge to the future of mankind. This book focuses particularly on the creation in 1969 of the UN Fund for Population Activities and on the population programmes undertaken by UNFPA and other specialist agencies, including the World Bank.

Introduction; 1. the rise of concern; 2. The breakthrough in the Untied Nations; 3. The role of the agencies; 4. Four reports; 5. UNFPA: the early days; 6. The World Population Conference, Bucharest, 1974: preparations and general debate; 7. The World Population Plan of Action; 8. Falling birth-rates: Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa; 9. Evolving perceptions; 10. The International Conference on Population, 1984; 11. China, the United States and the United Nations; 12. Postscript and conclusions; Notes; Index.