UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- World leaders on Wednesday joined their voices in support of a 1994 action plan aiming to promote sexual and reproductive health, women's empowerment, economic progress and environmental protection.

    The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released the joint statement signed by more than 250 current and former government leaders, scientists, religious officials and businessmen. The signatories included British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and former US President Bill Clinton.

    The statement was issued to mark the 10th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) heldin Cairo, which adopted a 20-year action plan setting targets for expanding access to family planning services, protecting environment and promoting human rights.

    "We call on the international community, national governments and private philanthropic organizations, to prioritize and fund the ICPD Program of Action," said the leaders. "By signing this leadership statement, we pledge to do our part."

    Admitting much remains to be done in implementing the plan, they said, "The exponential increase in HIV/AIDS, persistently high levels of death and ill health due to preventable complications from pregnancy and childbirth, inadequate access to family planning services, and weak public health systems are stillmajor challenges."

    Figures from UNFPA show that currently world governments spend some 15 billion US dollars yearly in realizing the goals set out in the action program, which is short of the agreed goal of 18.5 billion dollars by 2005.

    UNFPA chief Thoraya Ahmed Obaid praised the declaration, calling it "most welcome and priceless."

    "We are more confident than ever that the hopes of Cairo will be fulfilled and the dreams of the hundreds of millions of women and men in need of health, rights and development will be realizedin the coming decade," she told reporters. Enditem