UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the largest internationally funded source of population assistance to developing countries. The fund, which began operations in 1969, is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly.
What are UNFPA'S Function and Mandate?
UNFPA assists developing countries to improve reproductive health and family planning services on the basis of individual choice and to formulate population policies in support of efforts towards sustainable development.
The fund is an advocate for the strategy endorsed by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which emphasizes the numerous linkages between population and development and focuses on meeting the needs of individual women and men rather than on achieving demographic targets. The key to this new approach is empowering women and providing them with more choices through expanded access to education, health services and employment opportunities. The ICPD Program of Action calls for making reproductive health care, including family planning, universally available by 2015 or sooner.
UNFPA's mandate, established by the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 1973 and reaffirmed in 1993, is (1) to build the knowledge and the capacity to respond to needs in population and family planning; (2) to promote awareness in both developed and developing countries of population problems and possible strategies to deal with these problems; (3) to assist developing countries, at their request, in dealing with their population problems in the forms and means best suited to the individual countries' needs; (4) to assume a leading role in the United Nations' system in promoting population programs and to coordinate projects supported by the fund.
What is the Scope of UNFPA Operations?
In 1994, UNFPA provided support to 150 countries, 45 in sub-Saharan Africa, 34 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 42 in Asia and the Pacific and 29 in the Arab States and Europe. Since 1969, the fund has provided a total of $3.1 billion US dollars to virtually all developing countries. UNFPA directly manages one fourth of the world's population assistance to developing countries. In addition, UNFPA provides a multilateral channel through which donors can direct bilateral population assistance to recipient countries for specific programs or projects.
Who Contributes to UNFPA?
UNFPA is wholly funded by contributions which are voluntary and not part of the regular United Nations budget. In 1994, the fund had 88 donors, most of them developing countries; the major donors were Japan, the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada, Finland, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Australia and Italy. UNFPA's total income in 1994 was $265.3 million US dollars.
What are UNFPA's Specific Areas of Assistance?
About half of UNFPA assistance is used for reproductive health including maternal and child health care and family planning. Another 19% is allocated for related population information, education and communication. The fund also provides support for population data collection and analysis, research on demographic and socioeconomic relationships and population policy formulation and evaluation. Other special program interests include gender issues, youth, aging, HIV/AIDS and population and the environment.
What is UNFPA's Stand on Human Rights?
UNFPA supports the principle, endorsed by the world community in 1968 and reaffirmed at the International Conference on Population and Development, that all couples and individuals have the basic human right to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information, education and means to do so. Coercion in any form is unacceptable.
What is UNFPA's Policy Regarding Abortion?
The fund does not provide any support for abortion or abortion-related activities. While recognizing unsafe abortion as a major public health concern, the ICPD Program of Action states that abortion is not to be considered a method of family planning. Accordingly, UNFPA seeks to prevent abortion by increasing access to family planning services and to reduce maternal deaths through better management of complications of unsafe abortions.
How does UNFPA Monitor the Projects it Funds?
A strict accounting system, periodic audits and monitoring and evaluation reports ensure that UNFPA funds are used only for the activities stated in project documents. UNFPA is held accountable to its Executive Board for all funds it receives in contributions and for all funds it distributes in assistance.
Does UNFPA Provide Assistance to Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs)?
UNFPA was one of the first UN agencies to support national and international NGOs, recognizing the value of their special expertise, innovative approaches and grass-roots experience. In 1994, 15% of UNFPA assistance went to projects carried out by NGOs.
