United Nations Population

Fund
(UNFPA)
Prepared by Bina Agrahari
BPH 2nd Batch 4th Year
UCMS, bhairahwa
Outline of presentation
• Introduction to UNFPA
• Mission and goals
• History
• UNFPA in UN system
• Focus areas of UNFPA
• Structure of UNFPA : headquarter and executive board
• UNFPA funds, funding and transparency
• Major campaigns
• UNFPA strategic plan (2018-2021)
• UNFPA Nepal
• Focus areas of UNFPA Nepal
• UNFPA Nepal country programme (2018-2022)
• Dignity First campaign (In response to 2015 earthquake)
• UNFPA response in COVID -19 pandemic
• Future commitments
Introduction to UNFPA
• UNFPA, the United Nations population fund, is an international development
organization that promotes the right of every women, man and child to enjoy
a life of health and equal opportunity.
• It is an specialized UN Agency that addresses population and development
issues with an emphasis on sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender
equality.
• UNFPA works to fulfill the rights of people rather than the needs of
beneficiaries. It is an important distinction because an unfulfilled need leads
to dissatisfaction while a right that is not respected leads to violence.
• Guided by - ICPD Program of action
- Sustainable Development Goals
Mission and goal of UNFPA
• Mission of UNFPA - to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every
birth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

• Goal of UNFPA - to ensure reproductive rights for all. To accomplish

this UNFPA works to ensure that all people especially women and
young people are able to access high quality sexual and reproductive
health services, including voluntary family planning so that they can
make informed and voluntary choices about their sexual and
reproductive lives.
HISTORY
• United Nations, since its earliest days has maintained an interest in
population issues.
• In 1947 the UN established a population commission that collected and
analysed population data and supported member government to examine
national population information.
• Following several years of UN debate over the rapid rise of world’s
population , the General Assembly approved a resolution in 1966 calling on
UN and other international organization to extend technical assistance on
population matters.
• In 1967 UN Secretary General created a Trust fund for population activities
which in 1969 was renamed the UN fund for population activities (UNFPA).
• In 1987 it was officially renamed the United Nations population fund
reflecting its lead role in UN system in the area of population. The
original abbreviation UNFPA was retained. UNFPA’s full name the United
Nations population fund is the working title used in all languages.
• Initially UNFPA was administered by UNDP the organization’s primary
international development organ.
• Within few years at the direction of General Assembly UNFPA has
expanded its operations beyond statistical collection and analysis to the
provision of maternal and child health, family planning, communication,
education and population policy assistances
• By 1972 UNFPA was operating in 78 countries with a budget of over $30M.
With such rapid growth the fund’s scope and programs, UNFPA became a
separate entity under the direct authority of General Assembly, with the
same status as UNDP an UNICEF.
• In the initial years United States provided the majority of UNFPA funding
through voluntary contribution.
• In 1968 and 1969, the governments extended financial support. By 1972 the
number of donors has grown US remaining by far the largest source of
funds. Over next decade US shared declined as other nations increased their
contribution.
• Since 2016, united states has withdrawn its funding for consecutive 3 years.
UNFPA in UN system
• UNFPA is a subsidiary organ of United Nations General Assembly.
• It plays an unique role within UN system : to address population and
development issues with an emphasis on reproductive health and
rights, gender equality.
• UNFPA is assigned clear leadership within the United Nations on
sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights but it shares
the playing field with other UN agencies notably WHO’s unit on
reproductive health research, UNAIDS, UNICEF.
• UNFPA receives overall policy guidance from General Assembly and
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
• It reports to its governing body the UNDP/UNFPA executive board of
UN member states on administration, financial and programme
matters.
• UNFPA is one of the 4 founding members of united nations
development group (UNDG) which was created by Secretary General
in 1997 to improve coherence of UN development at country level.
• UNFPA also participates in interagency collaboration and processes. It
is a member of UN chief executive board for coordination (CEB) which
is the main instrument for executive heads of UN system to
coordinate their actions and policies.
• CEB is chaired by Secretary General of the UN and meets twice
annually.
• In 2007 UNDG was placed under umbrella of CEB.
• UNFPA is not supported by UN regular budget but by voluntary
contributions from private sector groups, foundation and individuals.
FOCUS AREAS OF UNFPA
SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH HUMAN RIGHT AND GENDER EQUALITY

• Family planning • Gender based sex selection

• HIV/AIDS • Gender based violence
• Maternal health
• Female genital mutilation
• Midwifery
• Engaging men and boys
• Reproductive morbidities including
POP, Obstetric fistula, cervical cancer • Women empowerment
prevention • Human rights
• Adolescent Sexual and reproductive
health
• Gender equality
ADOLESCENTS AND YOUTH POPULATION MATTERS
• Adolescent pregnancy • Ageing
• Child marriage • Census
• Comprehensive sexuality • Demographic dividend
education • Climate change
• Youth leadership and
participation
Structure of UNFPA
• Headquarter – New York city, USA
• UNFPA works over 150 countries and territories around the world
• 6 regional offices, 3 sub regional offices and 8 liaison offices are serving
its services across the world
• 120 field offices are serving in 156 countries and territories which is
home to 80% of world’s population.
• Executive director – in 2017 Dr. Natalia Kanem was appointed as
UNFPA executive director by UN Secretary General. She is the 5th
executive director of UNFPA since the fund became operational in
1969.
Regional offices and headquarters
S.N REGIONS HEADQUARTER
1. Arab states Cairo, Egypt

2. Asia and the pacific Bangkok, Thailand

3. East and southern Africa Johannesburg, south Africa

4. Eastern Europe and central Asia Istanbul, turkey

5. Latin America and the Caribbean Panama

6. West and central Africa Senegal

Executive board
• Guides and monitors all UNFPA work. It is composed of 36 members
who are government representatives elected by the United Nations
Economic and Social Council (UNESCOSOC).
• Regional seat allocation :
1. Africa (8 seats)
2. Asia and the pacific (7 seats)
3. Eastern Europe (4 seats)
4. Latin America and Caribbean (5 seats)
5. Western Europe and other countries (12 seats)
Executive board sessions
• The executive board meets 3 times every year
1. First regular session (January)
2. Annual session (june)
3. Second regular session (September)

• Executive board sessions are held at the UNITED NATIONS

headquarter in New York, USA
FUNDS AND FUNDING
• UNFPA doesn’t receive automatic contribution from the countries.
• It is entirely supported by voluntary contribution of donor governments,
inter governmental organization, private sector and foundations and
individual not by the UN regular budget
• These contribution vary from year to year though there are some
multiyear commitment.
• Thus, its income is neither assured nor predictable.
• Most of its income comes from a handful of donors.
• Netherlands, Sweden and Japan have consistently been largest
contributors.
Funding resources
1. Core resources : these are the contribution without restrictions. These
allow UNFPA to effectively carry out its normative role and provide
essential services to countries, communities and individual. The majority of
core resources is allocated to least developed countries, low income
countries and countries in fragile or emergency situation.
2. Non core resources : includes the thematic funds like
- maternal health trust fund
- humanitarian action thematic fund
- population data thematic fund
- United Nations pooled and inter agency mechanisms
TRANSPARENCY
• In april 2012 UNFPA endorsed the International Aid Transparency Initiative
(IATI), a voluntary multi stakeholder initiative that seeks to improve the
transparency of aid, development and humanitarian resources.
• Stakeholders includes : donors, member states and partners.
• Stakeholders can see and understand how and where the development
funds are used.
• This includes developing solutions to address gaps in existing policies,
operational guidance, accountability norms and service related to finance,
budgets, procurement, administration and management information.
Campaign to end Fistula
• UNFPA led global campaign that works to prevent obstetric fistula in
2003.
• This campaign works in more than 40 countries in Africa, the Arab
states and South Asia.
• This is actively working not only to prevent fistula but also to give
fistula survivors a sense of reforming their life after overcoming this
burden.
• This campaign focuses mainly on providing training and funds to
support women living with fistula and also the survivors by providing
medical supplies and technical guidance and support.
• Ending Female Genital Mutilation : UNFPA has worked for many
years to end practice of FGM. In 2007, UNFPA in partnership with
UNICEF launched this program to reduce the practice by 40% in 16
countries by 2015 and to end it within a generation.

• UNFPA-UNICEF Global programme to accelerate action to end child

marriage 2016 : With significant support of donors, UNFPA and
UNICEF launched joint effort in 12 countries to ensure that all girls
fully enjoy their childhood free the risk of marriage and that they
experience healthier, safer and more empowered life transition in
control of their own destiny, including making choices and decision
about relationship, marriage and child bearing.
STRATEGIC PLAN (2018-2021)
• This document presents strategic plan of UNFPA to meet the goal of
universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive
rights, focusing on women, adolescents and youth.
• This strategic plan is the 1st of 3 consecutive UNFPA strategic plans
leading to agenda of SDG 2030, cumulatively to the achievement of
sustainable development goals 2030.
• Strategic plan will seek to ensure that no one will be left behind and
that the furthest behind will be reached first.
• For next 4 years UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF and UN Women has
committed to work better, characterized by stronger coherence and
collaboration to better support countries to achieve SDG.
• The fund is mobilized to support programmes that aim to achieve the
‘three zeros’ :
- zero unmet need for family planning
- zero preventable maternal deaths
- zero harmful practices and GBV
And accelerate progress towards SDG by 2030.
KEY AREAS OF STRATEGIC PLAN
• Eradicating poverty
• Addressing climate change
• Improving adolescent and maternal health
• Achieving gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.
• Ensuring greater availability and use of disaggregated data for
sustainable development
• Building peace and sustaining peace in accordance with national
plans, needs and priorities and respecting national ownership.
UNFPA Nepal
• Nepal became active member of United Nations in december 14th 1955.
• UNFPA Nepal is active in Nepal since 1971 and has evolved in response to
changing national context.
• It has supported the health sector programmes, enhanced the national
response to GBV and implemented the population and housing census.
• It partners with the government of Nepal, youth and women’s
organization to advocate for adolescents and youth’s right and invests in
education, livelihood skills and health including sexual and reproductive
health.
Working areas
1. Sexual and reproductive health and rights
2. Gender equality
3. Adolescents and youth
4. Population dynamics
1. Sexual and reproductive health and
rights
• UNFPA is supporting national efforts in Nepal to improve the sexual
and reproductive health of the most marginalized adolescent girls and
women
• The fund is largely focusing on youth aged 15-24 and the most
marginalized women addressing both the demand and supply sides of
reproductive health services to improve access to information and
services on maternal health, family planning and STI including
HIV/AIDS.
2. Gender equality
• It supports government of Nepal to ensure that the vulnerable groups
experience greater self confidence, respect and dignity.
• Also helps to build national capacity in the health sector to address
gender based violence (GBV), prevent child marriage and other
harmful practices and working to enhance the knowledge and
capacity of men, women and communities to GBV.
3. Adolescents and youth
• Investing in young people, especially the vulnerable and marginalized
is a priority of UNFPA Nepal.
• Nepali youth face several development challenges including access to
education, employment, gender inequality, child marriage, youth
friendly health services and adolescent pregnancy.
• UNFPA Nepal works with government and partners to advocate for
adolescents and youth’s rights and investments including education,
livelihood skills and health, including sexual and reproductive health.
4. Population dynamics
• Population trends in Nepal continued with rapid population growth,
population ageing, urbanization and migration.
• Without an adequate understanding of how Nepal is changing from a
demographic perspective, forward looking planning and agenda
setting will be of little value.
• Keeping this in mind, UNFPA Nepal is working with government to
ensure that the national, sectoral and decentralized policies and plans
address population dynamics and the interlinkages with gender
equality, poverty reduction, the needs of young people and
reproductive health including family planning.
UNFPA Nepal country programme (2018-
2022)
• UNFPA works both at national and at local level through 5 year
programme cycles under framework of United Nations Development
Assistance Framework.
• Currently 8th country programme document of UNFPA for Nepal,
approved by Executive Board of UNDP, the UNFPA and UN offices for
project services will contribute to a transformative agenda to build a
foundation for achieving the sustainable development goals.
• Goal of this programme is to reduce the maternal mortality and
expand reproductive rights and choices.
Indicative assistance
OUTCOME AREAS Regular resource Other Total
resources
Outcome 1 Sexual and reproductive 4.7 9.3 14
health
Outcome 2 Adolescent and youth 1.5 2 3.5

Outcome 3 Gender equality and women 2.4 5 7.4

empowerment
Outcome 4 Population dynamics 3.4 2 5.4

Programme coordination and assistance 0.5 - 0.5

Total (characters expressed in million of $) 12.5 18.3 30.8

Outcome 1 : sexual and reproductive health
Outcome indicators
• Unmet need for family
planning
• Proportion of service delivery
point having no stock out of
contraceptives in last 6
months.
• Percentage of adolescent
utilizing services through
adolescent friendly services.
Country programme Partners
output
• Output 1 : increased capacity • MoH, Federal Affairs and Local
to deliver integrated, quality Development, UNICEF, UNDP,
sexual and reproductive health WHO, USAID, Nepal Red Cross
services that target women and Society, Marie Stopes,
adolescent girls, especially the International Family planning
most vulnerable including in association of Nepal, BPKHIS,
humanitarian situation. TU.
Outcome 2 : Adolescents and youth
Outcome indicators
• Percentage of public budget
allocated for youth programme
at national and subnational
levels.
Country programme
output
• Output 1 : young people have
skills, knowledge to make
informed decision for health
and well being and to
participate in decision making.
Partners
• Ministry of education, Youth
and sports, health ; federal
affairs and local development ;
UNESCO ; UNICEF; ILO;
National Youth Council; ADRA;
YUWA-Nepal; Association of
youth in Nepal.
Outcome 3 : gender equality and women
Empowerment
Outcome indicators
• Percentage of women aged 15-
49 who think that a
husband/partner is justified in
hitting or beating his partner
under certain circumstances
• Proportion of women aged 20-
24 years who are married or in
union before age 18
• Sex ratio at birth
Country programme Partners
output
• Output 1 : public institution and • Ministry of women and
community capacities increased children; Federal affairs and
to prevent and respond to local development; Nepal
gender based violence police; United Nations Children’s
Fund; WHO; Nepal red cross
society; centre for reproductive
rights
Outcome 4 : Population dynamics
Outcome indicators Country programme Partners
output

• A Population and housing • Output 1 : High quality • National planning commission;

census is carried out,
processed and disseminated
following internationally
agreed recommendations.
disaggregated population data
available for planning and
monitoring of development
interventions.
Central bureau of statistics;
ministries of population and
environment; Federal Affairs
and Local Development;
European union; UK Aid,
United States agency for
international development;
UNDP; UN Women; central
department of population
studies; TU.
Dignity first campaign
• Specific needs of women and girls are often overlooked in crisis and
emergency situations.
• The Nepal earthquake affected 5.6M people in the 14 most affected
districts including 93 thousand pregnant women, 1500 women were
likely to experience complications requiring caesarean section and 28
thousand women were at risk of sexual violence.
• UNFPA with the support of Nepal Ministry of women, children and
social welfare (MoWCSW) and UNFPA Nepal goodwill Ambassador
Manisha koirala, launched ‘DIGNITY FIRST’, a campaign that captures
the essence of life saving work needed to support the need for safety,
security, hygiene, health and information to the pregnant women and
their infants and girls affected by disaster.
• This campaign aimed to provide special attention to women and girls that
their dignity needed to be preserved and respected. It aims to meet the
hygiene and protection need of women and girls.
• It provided :
- dignity kit
- female friendly spaces
- mobile reproductive health camps
- psychological support
- reproductive kit
- clinical management of rape
- protection and awareness messages
UNFPA response against COVID-19
• COVID-19 pandemic is straining public health systems, triggering
unprecedented measures by governments around the world including
movement restriction and shelter in place orders.
• Evidence from prior outbreaks shows that the crisis could exact a
massive toll on women and girls.
• Stress, limited mobility and livelihood disruption also increase
women’s and girl’s vulnerability to GBV and exploitation.
• UNFPA is working with government and UN partners including WHO
and UNICEF to support health system and keep reproductive services
available.
• UNFPA is on the ground distributing personal protective equipments
for frontline workers and supporting health system where needed.
• In april with the funding from China, UNFPA delivered 1200 PPE kits to
authorities containing masks, face shields, goggles, gowns, head and
shoe covers and other essential supplies.
• 30 sets of Dignity kits have been handed over to quarantine sites.
• It has also established a helpline number to provide life saving care
and support to the women facing violence while having their stay at
home during this lockdown including psychological counselling, legal
aid and consultancy and shelter services.
Future commitment
• Nepal will be conducting the 12th National Population and Housing
Census (NPHC) in june 2021.
• The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), under the National Planning
Commission (NPC) will lead planning and management of all the
census activities, including data collection, data processing, data
editing, tabulation plan and final dissemination of the census result.
• 2021 census will be the 1st census to be conducted under country’s
new socio-political and governance structure in line with the new
constitution of Nepal formulated in 2015.
• UNFPA has prepared technical assistance plan to support CBS in key
areas including Census mapping, IT handling, data processing and
dissemination among other technical areas.
• As the lead agency among External Development Partners (EDP) for
census support, UNFPA is recruiting a Census Coordinator. To liaise
with CBS on the implementation of the Census plan, mobilize
technical and financial support as needed and promote quality
assurance throughout all stages of the census operation.