Research on broader issues should be undertaken examining the factors
affecting change (or lack of change) in the birth rate in different
countries.

Funding for Population Programs:

The President desires that a review be undertaken quickly to examine
specific recommendations for funding in the population assistance and
family planning field for the period after FY 1976. The President
wishes a detailed analysis of the recommended funding levels in the
NSSM 200 study bearing in mind his desire to advance population
goals. This analysis should include performance criteria to assure
that any additional funds are utilized in the most effective manner.
The appropriate level of funding of multilateral programs which
effectively support this objective should be included in this review.
The Chairman of the USC is responsible for preparing this analysis
which is due 60 days from the date of this NSDM.

The Role of Other Countries:

Emphasis should be given to fostering international cooperation in
reducing population growth in pursuing the recommendations of the
World Population Plan of Action. It is important to enlist additional
contributions from other developed and newly rich countries for
bilateral and multilateral programs.

Basic Approach to Developing Countries' Population Programs:

Leaders of key developing countries should be encouraged to support
national and multilateral population assistance programs.

The objective of the United States in this field is to work closely with
others rather than to seek to impose our views on others. Our efforts
should stress the linkage between reduced population growth and the
 

 

National and World Population Goals:

The President believes that the recommendation contained in para-
graph 31(c) of the Executive Summary dealing with the announcement of
a United States national goal is outside the scope of NSSM 200. Of
course, domestic efforts in this field must continue in order to achieve
worldwide recognition that the United States has been successfully
practicing the basic recommendations of the World Plan of Action and
that the nation's birthrate is below the replacement level of fertility.
In order to obtain the support of the United States citizens for our
involvement in international population programs, it is important that
they recognize that excessive world population growth can affect
domestic problems including economic expansion as well as world
instability.

Concerning the consideration of World Population Goals in paragraph
31(b), it should be understood that the general goal of achieving global
replacement levels of fertility by the year 2000 does not imply inter-
ference in the national policies of other countries.

The Under Secretaries Committee, in conjunction with all appropriate
agencies of the Executive Branch, may wish to make further recom-
mendations to the President on these subjects.

Coordination of United States Global Population Policy:

Implementation of a United States worldwide population strategy will
involve careful coordination. The response to NSSM 200 is a good
beginning, but as noted above, there is need for further examination
of the mix of United States assistance strategy and its most efficient
application

The President, therefore, assigns to the Chairman, NSC Under Secre-
taries Committee, the responsibility to define and develop policy in
the population field and to coordinate its implementation beyond the
NSSM 200 response.
 

 

The Chairman is authorized to request other appropriate bodies and
agencies to assist him in this task as required. For the purpose of
implementing this NSDM, the Under Secretaries Committee should
include, in addition to the addressee members, ex officio representa-
tives of the following agencies:

 

cc:	The Chairman, NSC Under Secretaries Committee The Director, Office of Management and Budget The Chairman, Council of Economic Advisers The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff The Director of Central Intelligence The Chairman, Council of Environmental Quality