| UNFPA
Governing Body Meets in New York |
| Date
: 21-25 January, 2008 |
|
|
The
first regular seesion for 2008 of the UNDP/UNFPA Board
which took place at the United Nations in New York from
21 to 25 January was attended on behalf of PPD by Mr
Harry Jooseery, Executive Director, Dr Jotham Musinguzi,
Director, Africa Regional Office and Mr Jyoti Shankar
Singh, Permanent Observer of to the United Nations.
In
a statement
to the Executive Board, Mr Jooseery, outlined the results
of the recent PPD Forum and Board meetings in Rabat,
Morocco and listed the challenges facing PPD:
1. To meet RH unmet needs taking
into account demand on one hand and on the other demand
with resources. There is a pressing need not only
to improve access to quality RH commodities and services,
but also to set up and improve systems for their use
and distribution. Neither the ICPD objectives nor
the MDGs will be reached without accelerated progress
towards reproductive health commodity security, when
individuals can choose, obtain, and use the reproductive
health supplies they want.
2. To advocate for greater support
to RH which is still inadequate from decision makers,
civil society, community groups and the private sector.
Barriers to RH programme are both institutional and
structural.
3.
To integrate HIV/AIDS with RH programme and
eliminate the unhealthy competition between the two,
which unfortunately has impeded upon improvement in
quality of life in the developing countries.
4.
To build more capacity to enable more effective
sharing of experience and expertise. In 2007 PPD with
assistance from UNFPA conducted an inquiry among 17
major Partner Training and Research Institutions in
developing countries to assess their level of competence
and effectiveness in addressing RH within the context
of achieving ICPD and MDGs. There is a need to establish
a coordinating mechanism among the Partner Institutions
and also design specific training programme that would
be in congruence with the objectives of ICPD and MDGs
5.
To intensify efforts for resource mobilization
and the attainment of sustainability. There is need
to galvanize resources both internally and externally,
and continue to press for more additional Official
Development Assistance.
In her opening statement
to the Board, Dr Thoraya Obaid mentioned the importance
of South-South cooperation in implementing the Strategic
Plan of UNFPA (2008-2011); and in her response to the
statements made at the Board, indicated her strong support
to PPD and the willingness of UNFPA to work closely
with PPD.
Dr
Obaid informed the Board that UNFPA received a record
number of contributions in 2007 totalling more than
$400 million. The number of contributing countries in
2007 was the culmination of a steady increase over the
last few years, from 69 in 1999, to 172 in 2005, to
last year’s new high of 181. The top ten donor
countries in 2007 were the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway,
the United Kingdom, Japan, Denmark, Germany, Finland,
Spain and Canada. In addition, every nation in sub-Saharan
Africa pledged funds to UNFPA in 2007.
Co-financing
income—funds earmarked to specific projects or
programmes—also reached a new high: a total of
US$244 million in 2007. This included contributions
from donors, including the European Commission and the
World Bank, in support of national population and housing
censuses, UNFPA's thematic trust funds on reproductive
health commodity security, maternal health, and the
Campaign to End Fistula, as well as UNFPA’s humanitarian
activities and HIV prevention efforts.
The
Board approved the operating budget of UNFPA for 2009-2009.
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