World's Leading Demographers Gather in Marrakesh to Share Research and Ideas

MARRAKESH, Morocco — More than 2,000 population experts, scholars, researchers and policymakers from all parts of the world gathered here to share ideas and review recent developments in population and demography.

The 26th International Population Conference, organized by the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), opened at Marrakesh’s Palais des Congrès. This is the first time the quadrennial event has taken place in Africa or in an Arab State, and it is the largest meeting ever organized by the IUSSP, according to the organization’s president, John Cleland.

Demographic changes are, together with climate change, among the greatest challenges facing the world in the 21st century, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, told the meeting of the world’s leading demographers. “As researchers, scientists and advocates, we must continue to build the evidence base and strengthen understanding of demographic trends and population dynamics to sharpen policy, inform the delivery of social services, and hold governments accountable for the commitments they have made,” she told the group.

The five-day conference includes 220 regular scientific sessions, in addition to plenary and debate sessions, exhibitions and side events. It will also feature more than 700 papers reflecting the latest scientific findings in population and demography.