KIE: In April 1985, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) sponsored an interdisciplinary conference on appropriate technology for birth. A lengthy list of recommendations, reprinted in this article, was unanimously adopted by the conferees. Among the considerations addressed by the recommendations are a woman's right to exercise control over conditions of labor and delivery; the importance of communication between women, their families, and health personnel; and the need to make judicious use of technologies such as fetal monitoring. A network of evaluation groups to assess new technologies, sponsored by WHO and PAHO, is advocated.