Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:34:47 +0000 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:34:47 +0000 http://www.unfpa.org UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. UNFPA – because everyone counts. en-us serrano@unfpa.org (Alvaro Serrano) gruber@unfpa.org (Kimberly Gruber) http://www.unfpa.org/images/unfpalogoxs.gif http://www.unfpa.org 80 36 The world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programmes http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/4342 LONDON — Women bear the disproportionate burden of climate change, but have so far been largely overlooked in the debate about how to address problems of rising seas, droughts, melting glaciers and extreme weather, concludes The State of World Population 2009, released today by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. “Poor women in poor countries are among the hardest hit by climate change, even though they contributed the least to it,” says UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. The poor are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and the majority of the 1.5 billion people living on $1 a day or less are women. The poor are more likely to depend on agriculture for a living and therefore risk going hungry or losing their livelihoods when droughts strike, rains become unpredictable and hurricanes move with unprecedented force. The poor tend to live in marginal areas, vulnerable to floods, rising seas and storms. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/4312 ISTANBUL - The ICPD at 15 forum was held on 12-13 November 2009, in Istanbul, Turkey and was organized by the Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECARO) of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF), the European Network of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), and the State Planning Organization of Turkey (SPO). At the Forum participants, including Government officials, Members of Parliament, researchers and academic experts as well as representatives of NGOs, took stock of where countries in the region stand in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action, through the prism of the MDGs. Participants also explored ideas and opportunities that could guide Europe through the population challenges that it is facing. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/4308 ISTANBUL – Decision-makers and government officials from 20 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have pledged to step up the fight against needless deaths and suffering resulting from pregnancy and childbirth. In a Statement of Commitment issued in Istanbul late last night, delegates to a high-level meeting recognized that investment in the health and rights of women is smart economics, especially during a financial crisis, and that family planning is one of the most cost-effective investments in reducing the maternal deaths that continue to affect the region. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/4313 GENEVA - UNFPA has welcomed a new report by the World Health Organization, Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrows Agenda, which concludes that despite significant progress over the past two decades, societies are still failing women at crucial points in their lives: at birth, in childhood and adolescence, in adulthood and when they age. “UNFPA especially welcomes that the WHO Report highlights the consequences and costs of failing to address women’s health issues because we still face many challenges to ensure that health systems work for women. We need to join forces to improve the health and lives of girls and women around the world,” said, Alanna Armitage, Director of the UNFPA Office in Geneva. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/4309 BRUSSELS - The European Commission has contributed nearly a million Euros to UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, to help organize the Solomon Islands’ first population and housing census in ten years. The census will provide accurate and up-to-date information, which is essential for development assistance. The funds will also help measure development progress in the coming years. “It is very encouraging to see the European Union support this vital national exercise”, said Dr Annette Sachs Robertson, Director of UNFPA’s Pacific Subregional Office. “Accurate population data is crucial for the Solomon Islands and all development partners. For this reason this census is utilizing new technologies and approaches. For example Global Positioning Systems, data scanning facilities and pre-census communication for generating awareness and support are being used for the first time in the Pacific.” http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/4232 STOCKHOLM – Mobilizing women is essential to democracy and good governance, according to Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA, the UN Population Fund. “To mobilize especially women at the grass root level is the real challenge if you want a lasting democracy, otherwise it’s a simulation of what could be good governance or a good democratic process,” she told in a key plenary session on democracy and development at the 4th edition of the European Development Days, which took place in Stockholm from 22 to 24 October 2009. UNFPA took part in a range of discussions on development issues, which included plenaries and round-table discussions on democracy, climate change, security and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/4231 BRUSSELS – The economic crisis has not affected European public support for development aid, according to a new report. The survey also shows that overall awareness and knowledge of the MDGs is greater in countries where a higher share of the national budget goes to development assistance. The Special Eurobarometer study, published by the European Commission, shows that 90% of Europeans still believe development is important and 72% support maintaining or increasing aid commitments to poor countries. Moreover, 61% of European citizens think that Europe can positively contribute to the global debate on development. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/4317 BRUSSELS – Delegates to a major international workshop on sexual and reproductive health have concluded that "no social investment costs so little and brings benefits that are as far-reaching as investments in the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and young people." The International Workshop on Poverty Eradication and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights took place in Brussels from 14-15 October 2009 with some 150 representatives from governments, European institutions, civil society, UN agencies and donor governments. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/4227 STOCKHOLM – Sweden has accelerated global efforts to reach MDG5 with a new initiative for maternal health and sexual and reproductive health and rights. The initiative includes an additional investment of SEK 100 million (EUR 9,7 million) for 2009-2010 to support a range of reproductive health activities, such as training midwives and advocating for prioritizing maternal health in developing countries. MDG5, one of the eight Millennium Development Goals known as MDGs, aims to radically improve maternal health by 2015. The two targets of MDG 5 are to reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters and achieve universal access to reproductive health by the year 2015. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/3911 GENEVA - A documentary film on reproductive health in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and a story about its making were broadcast on BBC World on 8 September. Grace Under Fire, produced by TVE and supported by UNFPA, follows Grace Kodindo, an obstetrician gynaecologist, on a mission through North Kivu where she investigates reproductive health issues in the war-ravaged region. She meets women who have suffered from the brutal and sexual violence that has plagued the area and visits health facilities to find out what reproductive health services are available. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/3947 BERLIN — More than 400 delegates from 131 countries have reaffirmed their support for women’s health and rights at a conference convened here from 2-4 September 2009. Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Germany’s Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, opened the meeting with a ten-point Berlin Clarion Call: The Spirit of Cairo Lives On calling for new investment and political commitment on behalf of women and girls worldwide. “We call for special protection for the poorest and weakest, particularly in these times of economic and financial crisis,” she said. “The economic stimulus programmes being implemented by donor countries should therefore allocate one per cent of the funding to development policy measures.” http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/3523 NEW YORK – According to UNFPA’s latest Annual Report, the organization's projects and technical assistance helped countries move significantly closer to their development goals. Achievements highlighted by the Annual Report 2008 include the launch of a Maternal Health Trust Fund, which is helping improve the health of mothers and newborns in 11 countries; the provision of medical and family-planning supplies to 50 countries in humanitarian crises; and the building of national capacities to carry out censuses in 2010 to generate data needed for the development of policies and strategies to tackle poverty and create opportunities for vulnerable groups. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/3722 COPENHAGEN, GENEVA - Alanna Armitage in Geneva and Pernille Fenger in Copenhagen have been appointed to head two of the three UNFPA offices in Europe. The third office, Brussels, has been headed by Ms Sietske Steneker of the Netherlands since October 2007. Ms Fenger, a Danish national, was appointed to head the UNFPA Nordic Office on 1 June. She joins UNFPA with wide experience from the Government and NGO sectors as well as the UN. Ms Armitage, a Canadian citizen, joined the Geneva office a month later, on 1 July. She brings with her extensive UNFPA experience, having joined the organization nearly 20 years ago. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/3522 SKANDERBORG, Denmark – For the second year in a row UNFPA’s Nordic Office participated actively in the Skanderborg music festival in Denmark. Trained volunteers distributed condoms and raised awareness of UNFPA’s work around the world on sexual and reproructive health (SRH). UNFPA collaborated with the Danish family planning association, Sex & Samfund, to set up a common stand – a ‘condom booth’ – in the main festival area. During the festivities, a constant stream of visitors engaged in games and quizzes to win condoms. http://www.unfpa.org/public/news/pid/3358 GENEVA - Alanna Armitage, the new Director of the UNFPA Office in Geneva, spoke to an audience of engaged and committed young students as part of the Model Global UN, which took place in Geneva on 5-7 August 2009. Students listened as representatives of a number of United Nations agencies - FAO, UNDP, UNEP, UNICEF and WHO, in addition to UNFPA - explained the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).