Office of the Historian

326. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance1

Washington, May 23, 1979

SUBJECT

  • U.S. Population Policy

Let me transmit some recommendations, arising out of the Third Annual Report of the NSC Ad Hoc Group on U.S. International Population Policy,2 which confirms the critical importance of international population activities to our broad foreign policy objectives. U.S. population activities should stress the factors, which the Report highlights, that contribute to declines in fertility rates. In accordance with Section 104 (d) of the Foreign Assistance Act,3 U.S. development assistance programs should be designed with reference to their impact on fertility rates, while responding to the economic and social development of individual countries.

U.S. officials, in their contacts with foreign political leaders and opinion-makers and at international conferences dealing with development, food, and related issues, should actively support international population activities and objectives. U.S. and other bilateral population assistance programs are a major element in efforts to implement the World Population Plan of Action, as are the programs of multilateral agencies, in particular the UN Fund for Population Activities, and private organizations.

The Coordinator of Population Affairs should explore means of encouraging other bilateral donors and UN agencies, the World Bank, and regional development banks to develop projects that reinforce national population programs where they currently exist and encourage their adoption where they do not. The Population Coordinator should work closely with the Chairman of the Development Coordination Committee in pursuing these and other objectives.

Zbigniew Brzezinski
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P790085–0179. No classification marking. A notation in the bottom right-hand corner of the memorandum reads: “Recv’d in S/S–I 5/24/79 0930 CWMc.” Sent to all diplomatic and consular posts in telegram 140009, June 1. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D790248–0988)↩
  2. The Department transmitted the Third Annual Report of the NSC Ad Hoc Group to all diplomatic and consular posts in airgram A–1389, April 30. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P790062–0013)↩
  3. See footnote 11, Document 308.↩