| 21-25
January, 2008
UNFPA
Governing Body Meets in New York
New
York, USA —
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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