Since 1965, fertility worldwide has declined from 5.0 to 2.7 births per woman, and about 40% of people now live in countries that have begun but not completed the transition to a fertility rate in line with the longer life span in industrial economies. In that light, the Department's Population Division called a meeting for March 2002, where specialists pondered prospects of fertility decline in countries with intermediate levels, and most urgently, whether less developed countries will follow their more developed brethren into below-replacement fertility. Their reports, reproduced here, grapple with such matters as global issues impacting the transition, national policies and programs, future expectations for fertility, and reflections of ambassadors. Summaries of country papers are appended. Annotation ⓒ2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)