This week's In the News covers an important international conference on population and development. The nine resources discussed provide background information, breaking news, social commentary, and primary materials. This week, official delegates representing governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from over 180 nations are convening in The Hague, Netherlands, on the fifth anniversary of the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The 1994 ICPD, held in Cairo, Egypt, has been lauded as one of the most successful global congresses ever, culminating with the unanimous endorsement of a comprehensive 20-year Programme of Action. Recognizing that individual health, rights, and well-being provide the foundation for sustainable development, the ICPD Programme of Action emphasizes the need for universal access to affordable reproductive health services, underscores the promotion of women's rights issues, and highlights the impact of the world's expanding population on the environment. This week's international forum, dubbed ICPD+5, will review and appraise the progress made worldwide since the implementation of the Cairo agenda. With world population expected to exceed six billion in 1999, the UN plans to hold several special sessions on population and development throughout the year, based on the findings unearthed at this week's ICPD+5.