TEHRAN The one-day 11th Seminar of Population, Development and the Environment was held here yesterday to mark World Population Day. Health Minister Mohammad Farhadi, the UNFPA representative in Iran Mohammad Mosleh-Uddin, foreign ambassadors, university professors and press representatives attended the seminar.

Also a message from President Mohammad Khatami was read to the audience stressing the need for population control in Iran and worldwide.

"Although there is suitable and good population growth in our country, we cannot maintain this situation without national will and good coordination among the country's cultural, social, and economic sectors.

"To achieve this goal, it is necessary to develop close cooperation between different organizations. Women should also have a huge participation and presence in the society. Women should enjoy suitable reproductive health programs and have enough knowledge to improve their life style," read a part of President Khatami's message to the seminar.

The latest UNFPA report said that Iran's total population is 64.5 million, and that the population growth rate is estimated to be 1.46 percent in comparison with the past when it was 3.2 percent. The population of the country is quite young, with a median age of 19.4 years for males and 19.5 years for females. The estimated mean ages for males and females are 24.2 years and 23.9 years respectively and the life expectancies at birth are 67 years (males) and 69.8 years (females).

"Despite the global fertility decline and the fact that during the period 1995-2000, the total fertility rate has been well below the replacement level, the world population will continue to witness an increasing trend in the years to come. This is due to the large base population and also the growing number of young people. The third millennium has witnessed a record number of young people in history. Over one billion people are between the ages of 15 and 24. This means that in the coming decade the world population will continue to grow", UNFPA representative said in his inaugural speech.

Evaluating the seminar and the cause and the role of holding this gathering, Mr. Mosleh-Uddin told the TEHRAN TIMES that the population boom is the greatest problem in the world since unchecked population growth speeds up the depletion of the world's resources. He also said that pollution and poverty add to this problem. He suggested holding more seminars on this topic, which brings together responsible organizations and can improve the campaign against population growth.

Describing Iran's position in the world in regard to population control, he added that Iran is a remarkable model in both population control and health improvement as well as in the literacy campaign. Iran has been successful in bridging the social gaps which existed during the pre-revolution era.

Also, Farhadi talking to the TEHRAN TIMES said that Iran has been awarded the best campaigner against population growth last year.

Thanking the UNFPA for its cooperation, Farhadi said that the organization has already invested $11 million in the fields of education, population control, health and refugees' situation in Iran.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the World Population Day, Executive Director of UNFPA, Thoraya A. Obaid, in a message said billions of ordinary people share the same aspirations, a secure life, a place to live, economic opportunity for themselves, education as well as care for their children.

She added that the great challenge of the 21st century is to enable everyone to live a life of dignity, noting, "it must be done, because overconsumption, waste and poverty are combining to destroy the environment that supports us all."

She continued by saying that global warming, rapid population, species destruction as well as stress on food and water resources are facts all of us should be concerned about, noting, "We have limited time to correct these imbalances that imperil our world. Whoever we are, wherever we live, each one of us has a responsibility."