| UNDP/UNFPA
Executive Board Meeting - First Regular
Session
19
- 22 January 2009, United Nations
Headquarters New York, USA
Statement
by
Thoraya Ahmed Obaid
Executive Director, UNFPA
Mr.
President,
Distinguished delegates,
Colleagues and friends,
Happy New Year!
My colleagues and I extend a warm
welcome to you, Ambassador Mohammad
Khazaee of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, as the new President, and to
the other members of the new Bureau.
We pledge our continued cooperation.
And we thank His Excellency, Mr. Jean-Marie
Ehouzou of Benin, now Minister of
Foreign Affairs, and his Vice-Presidents,
for their excellent leadership over
the past year.
I would also like to welcome four
new colleagues to UNFPA. They are
Neil Ford, Chief of the Media and
Communications Branch; Rune Froseth,
Chief of the Environmental Scanning
and Planning Branch; Laura Laski,
Chief of the Reproductive Health Branch;
and Bettina Maas, Chief of the Office
of the Executive Director.
I would also like to pay tribute to
my colleague, friend and brother,
the Administrator of UNDP, Kemal Dervis,
who has announced that he will not
seek a second term. He has led UNDP
during tough times and faced many
challenges throughout the four years.
I would like to celebrate his contribution
to United Nations reform in his capacity
as the Chair of the United Nations
Development Group. He had the courage,
the wisdom and the patience to win
over, not only the funds and programmes
but most importantly the specialized
agencies, so that together we can
share a common vision of how we can
support our Member States in a harmonized
and coordinated way. It has not been
an easy task, but he did it valiantly.
And since we meet here in the host
country of the United States, I would
like to welcome the new President
of the United States, Barack Obama.
We hope to work closely with the US
administration to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals, and more specifically,
the target of universal access to
reproductive health by 2015.
I would like to welcome the President
of Americans for UNFPA who is with
us today and we thank all its members
for support during the past years.
My friends, 2009 seems to mark a new
beginning, but tremendous challenges
lie ahead. People everywhere, who
are shaken by the global financial
crisis, want to contribute and to
have hope for a better future.
This is the hope that delegates, like
yourselves, felt more than six decades
ago when they created the United Nations,
right after the destruction of the
Second World War. It is the hope that
propelled them to write those first
three words of the UN Charter, We
the peoples…and the words that
followed—determined to save
succeeding generations from the scourge
of war, to reaffirm faith in fundamental
human rights, in the dignity and worth
of the human person, in the equal
rights of men and women and of nations
large and small.
It is this hope that motivated the
founders of the United Nations to
vow to promote justice, respect for
international law and better standards
of life in larger freedom. Hope kindles
within us the belief that maybe it
is possible for people to act in the
best interests not only of themselves,
but also of others, in a spirit of
shared humanity and solidarity.
It is this hope that delegates shared
60 years ago in Paris when they adopted
the historic Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and declared that
all persons are born free and equal.
Mr. President,
The United Nations remains an institution
of hope, but it is facing huge challenges—from
the recent war on Gaza, symbolizing
a long-standing conflict with global
ramifications, to the financial meltdown,
to the melting of polar ice caps due
to climate change.
These crises confirm what we have
known for a while—that the world
is more complex and connected than
ever before, and that what happens
on one side of the Earth has repercussions
that reach around the globe.
And the question seems to repeat itself
over and over again: can the United
Nations do something? Can people and
governments join together to put our
world on a more peaceful, equitable
and sustainable path?
Just as the crises are connected,
people are connected too.
During this time of crisis, we have
to maximize the power of connections
to reach across cultures, promote
universal values and find solutions
to the many crises that confront us.
In every country, people want to go
beyond words to connect with each
other and be part of the solution.
This is the power of We the Peoples
that must be translated into action.
This is a challenge that faces each
one of us as individuals and all of
us collectively and also as an institution
of world governments.
Are we ready now to tip the scale
towards humanity, to use human resources
and ingenuity to end poverty, to promote
human rights and to work towards a
satisfying and sustainable life for
everyone on the planet? Or will we
allow the new century to continue
the way it has begun, with wars and
conflicts that raged, economic policies
that failed, and social policies that
lagged behind?
We know that we cannot continue on
this path and expect our civilization
to survive. There are four times as
many people today as there were in
1900. Among us, we wield terrible
power. In the last 100 years, we have
altered the planet more than in the
whole of human history. We have drastically
reduced the available margin for error.
I believe we have no choice. We the
Peoples must assume our duty to find
solutions to these crises that endanger
our very existence and that make a
mockery of the principles of human
rights and the inherent dignity and
worth of each person.
If we say, “yes we can”,
then we must harness our collective
capacity and try to make every person
part of the solution. This is the
real challenge for the United Nations
and it requires creative thinking,
a deep and shared sense of justice
within and among nations, and a whole
lot of courage.
Today, there are wide divides between
the rich and the poor and the powerful
and the powerless, and together we
must connect to the poor, the vulnerable,
the occupied, the marginalized, and
the forgotten. We must insist that
those who need us most are the center
of our efforts. To this, my colleagues
and I at UNFPA recommit ourselves
for 2009.
Mr. President,
Distinguished delegates,
It is within this context that we
mark the 40th anniversary of UNFPA
and the 15th anniversary of the International
Conference on Population and Development.
In the early years, the Population
Fund supported countries, at their
request, to reduce high rates of fertility
and mortality. In 1994, you, as Member
States, gave us a new mandate based
on the rights of individuals.
In Cairo, 179 governments reaffirmed
that every person has the right to
determine the number and spacing of
their children. And for the first
time, they agreed that everyone has
the right to attain the highest standard
of sexual and reproductive health.
Countries also agreed, and this is
a central point, that the empowerment
and full and equal participation of
women is not only an end in itself;
it is vital to sustainable development.
They agreed that progress for all
requires solid progress for the world’s
women.
In Cairo, delegates pronounced themselves
on many issues—on migration,
refugees and displaced persons, environment,
and urbanization. And over the years,
the support UNFPA provides to countries
at their request has expanded in scope
and scale.
At UNFPA, we believe that the 21st
century requires new ways of doing
business. Well developed networks
are the way forward, and we at UNFPA
are building stronger national, regional
and global networks to carry the ICPD
agenda forward.
Mr. President,
Distinguished delegates,
Some of you might ask, “What
does this whole thing about ICPD and
reproductive health have to do with
a world in turmoil?”
In one of my rich and open dialogues
with H.E. Archbishop Celestino Migliore,
the Permanent Observer of the Holy
See to the United Nations, he asked
me: “What is the relevance of
reproductive health programmes in
countries facing a major natural disaster?”
My answer to him was simple: yes,
people need shelter, food and water,
but at the same time, women have special
needs.
We all forget that women continue
to menstruate, get pregnant, deliver
babies, often prematurely, miscarry,
bleed, get raped, and get infected
with HIV, in all conflicts or disasters.
They have special needs that, if forgotten,
threaten the very human dignity that
we claim we work to protect. Therefore,
providing reproductive health services
in emergencies to meet their very
specific needs protects the dignity
of women.
I was reminded of this conversation
during the most recent tragic events
in Gaza, but it is a repeated story
wherever there is war or natural disaster
in any part of the world. As we read
the rising numbers of the dead and
injured, we keep on being told that
half of those are women and children.
But what we are not told is that there
are about 170 women who deliver babies
daily in Gaza; that adds up to 3,700
deliveries during the 22 days of conflict,
and with hospitals being used for
the injured, women had no medical
services to fully support them. So
some of them delivered safely under
very dangerous medical conditions,
others sustained delivery-related
injuries and yet others might have
died, along with their infants. These
are deaths and injuries that are not
included in the numbers of victims
of the war. These are silent deaths
and injuries that are forgotten because
they are invisible to our eyes, especially
in wars and natural disasters.
Mr. President,
Distinguished delegates,
We are living in a century when human
rights—especially social, economic
and cultural rights—are intrinsic
to people’s expectations and
demands. For UNFPA, human rights are
very specific because of the ICPD
mandate that 179 Member States have
given us. And you have made this the
focus and business of our strategic
plan.
We also see that the success of implementing
the mandate depends on understanding
the context of our Member States.
Countries have evolved and developed
since 60 years ago. They are independent
states with independent wills; they
have their knowledge base and their
institutions and expertise. And they
have spoken clearly in the most recent
Accra meeting on aid effectiveness
about what they expect from us, as
an international community, including
the United Nations. And we have listened
carefully and must respond with appropriate
action.
We at UNFPA believe that, in the 21st
century, countries seek not only to
further develop their knowledge base
and human capacities; they also want
to offer these to the global pool
of knowledge. We know that countries
have interconnections with one another,
both South-South and triangular, and
these relations require further strengthening.
We at UNFPA believe that this is a
progressive way by which we can be
of service to our Member States as
they struggle to achieve the MDGs
and implement their commitment to
ICPD. Our approach in the strategic
plan 2008–2011, as well as our
logic for regionalization and changing
the way we provide technical assistance,
is based on this interconnectedness,
in building networks at national,
regional and global levels for flows
of information, knowledge, experience,
and expertise through both South-South
cooperation and South-North relations.
We all have something to offer and
to learn from each other. This is
why building networks among institutions
that are specialized in our mandate,
both public and private – whether
it is in demography or public health,
or family planning, or migration,
or urbanization – is critical
for achieving the results of the strategic
plan that this Board has adopted.
For us at UNFPA, networks are the
way to go and we look forward to all
Member States working with us. We
believe in the power of working together
for a common cause.
Just to give you a few examples of
what I mean, 15 years ago, few people
had heard of obstetric fistula. This
devastating childbirth injury was
eliminated in wealthy countries over
a century ago but continues to afflict
the world’s poorest women.
Today, I am pleased to announce that
our Campaign to End Fistula has grown
from 12 countries in 2003 to 45 countries
in Africa, the Arab region and Asia.
It has received an award of excellence
from the United Nations Development
Programme as a model for South-South
collaboration. The success of the
campaign highlights the importance
of fostering connections among countries
to share knowledge and expertise.
And it highlights the way UNFPA is
working to support national capacity
and nationally owned and led development.
Because we believe that no woman should
die giving life, UNFPA is intensifying
action with partners to achieve MDG
5 to improve maternal health.
UNFPA is proud to be working with
governments, civil society, the International
Health Partnership and other networks
to improve health systems, achieve
the health-related Millennium Development
Goals, and improve the well-being
of the world’s women and mothers.
We are proud of our collaboration
with UNICEF, the World Health Organization
and the World Bank, and our clear
division of roles to accelerate progress
in countries and to promote transfer
of knowledge from one country to another.
One of these countries is a ‘delivering
as one’ United Nations pilot,
Rwanda.
Over the past five years in Rwanda,
use of modern contraception has nearly
tripled, skilled birth attendance
has increased from less than 40 per
cent to more than 50 per cent, and
deliveries in health facilities have
jumped from less than a third to nearly
half. This is impressive progress
towards ensuring that every pregnancy
is wanted and every birth is safe.
UNFPA is undertaking a highly targeted
effort focused on specific results
in 60 high-maternal mortality countries.
To provide support that countries
need, our goal is to raise $500 million
between 2008 and 2011 in line with
our strategic plan. To date, we have
received some $25 million and we are
looking forward to $70 million in
2009, $140 million in 2010 and $270
million in 2011 for the Maternal Health
Trust Fund.
Along with our partner agencies of
the H8, we are providing support to
strengthen national health plans and
systems. This effort can not be successful
without the flow of information and
knowledge among countries that succeeded
so far in this area and others that
are working hard to succeed. Networking
among institutions of the countries
specialized in public health is a
foundation for this kind of endeavour.
Here, I would like to thank all countries
that have contributed to our Maternal
Health Trust Fund and encourage increased
contributions this year.
All health systems should be able
to deliver reproductive health services
and supplies. In 2008, UNFPA provided
support to some 60 countries to avoid
stock-outs of contraceptives and other
reproductive health commodities. In
2007, a comprehensive package of support
was introduced to Ethiopia, Burkina
Faso, Mongolia, Mozambique, and Nicaragua.
These countries were joined in 2008
by Haiti, Laos, Madagascar, and Niger.
The focus of our work in countries
is to help governments prioritize
reproductive health, including commodity
security, in national health plans,
programmes and budgets.
Here again, countries are building
momentum by learning from each other.
We also are able to transfer lessons
learned from one country to another.
Progress is building through the Reproductive
Health Supplies Coalition, a network
of more than 80 partners from all
sectors working to guarantee access
to reproductive health by 2015.
Mr.
President,
Distinguished delegates,
During the past 15 years since the
Cairo Conference, solid progress has
been made. We see this clearly in
the case of emergencies and humanitarian
assistance to the displaced and refugees.
Over the years, UNFPA has built a
global network so that issues of gender
and sexual and reproductive health
are addressed in emergencies. This
is a network that we continue to expand.
We recently signed new or intensified
agreements with eight organizations,
including the International Federation
of the Red Cross and Red Crescent,
Islamic Relief, and the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees.
We play a strong role within the United
Nations humanitarian system. Now starting
our third year of the UNFPA humanitarian
strategy, we are focused on building
skills and awareness, not only in
our country and regional offices,
but among a large and growing number
of partners in our network.
We are also reaching out to adolescents
and young people through building
and using existing networks. Today,
there are more young people than ever
before and they are a powerful group
for change that is connected like
no generation before them through
communication technology.
UNFPA
is working with young people through
our Global Youth Advisory Panel, national
panels and other networks, including
the Coalition for Adolescent Girls.
The public private partnership builds
greater investment in the developing
world’s 500 million girls. We
are also reaching out through the
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS,
a UNFPA and UNAIDS-supported network
of 3,500 young leaders working in
150 countries.
Advancing the ICPD agenda is the business
of all. So we are also connecting
to the police and the army.
Since our last Board meeting, we brought
together representatives of uniformed
services from every region. It was
impressive to hear police lieutenants,
UN peacekeeping commanders and army
captains talk about their work to
promote and protect the rights of
women.
In March, we are co-sponsoring the
International Symposium on Men and
Boys for Gender Equality. Hundreds
of representatives from civil society
and government will converge in Brazil
to exchange perspectives and experiences.
Without the involvement of men, equality
cannot be achieved.
As I have repeated many times before,
change cannot be imposed from the
outside; to be lasting it must come
from within. This is why UNFPA is
using a culturally sensitive approach
to promote human rights, including
the rights to sexual and reproductive
health and to development in general.
This is why we are reaching out to
traditional and non-traditional partners
to advance the principles and goals
of the ICPD Programme of Action.
Within this context, I am pleased
to report that the Global Forum of
Faith-Based Organizations held in
October in Istanbul was not only a
success, it exceeded our expectations.
More than 160 religious leaders and
representatives of faith-based organizations
came together and decided to establish
an interfaith network for population
and development. We agreed that we
all have the same goal of supporting
people to have a better quality of
life and can work together in areas
of common interest while respecting
each other’s differences. And
we agreed that faith-based organizations
should work together to support the
multiple and varied needs of their
communities.
It was a moving experience to hear
faith leaders pledge their commitment
to work, as a multi-faith network,
with UNFPA and others 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.
My friends, during the past 15 years,
we have come a long way. But we still
have a long way to go to realize this
vision.
Today, the violence committed against
women and girls is the most systematic
and unpunished human rights violation
in the world. In some war-torn countries,
sexual violence has reached brutal
and alarming proportions.
UNFPA is working with many networks
to prevent violence against women,
end impunity, and offer services to
survivors. We are an active member
of the Secretary-General’s campaign
UNITE to end violence against women.
We are co-chairing the UN Task Force
on Violence against Women bringing
together UN Country Teams in pilot
countries to develop national responses.
And we are a member of Stop Rape Now:
UN action to stop sexual violence
in conflicts. In all we do, we are
working with partners to implement
Security Council resolutions 1325
on women, peace and security and 1820
on sexual violence.
Today, I urge everyone here to reach
out and do more to stop violence against
women and promote women’s full
participation in conflict prevention,
peace building and reconstruction.
The network of UN agencies, civil
society organizations and governments
is critical to the success of stopping
all forms of violence against women.
Mr.
President,
I have heard loud and clear from many
of our Member States that the United
Nations has to change the way it does
business to stay in business. At UNFPA,
we are taking this message to heart.
In all we do, we are putting people
above process. We are really trying
to streamline and consolidate efforts
so that we can focus on programme
priorities. We want to consolidate
our initiatives of the past few years
and focus on concrete and tangible
actions that make a positive difference
in people’s lives.
We are working together with our UN
partners, within the context of the
TCPR, to provide unified support to
countries for nationally owned and
led development, to ensure that the
UN system can deliver the best support
possible. I am pleased to report that
our effort was recognized by the 2008
MOPAN (Multilateral Organizations
Performance Assessment Network) Survey
that stated that UNFPA makes a "considerable
contribution to harmonization within
the UN system at the Country Level".
All UNFPA staff are held accountable
for their constructive participation
in the UN reform process and for working
in collaboration with others. We at
UNFPA are fully convinced that the
best way to support the ICPD Programme
of Action is to make sure that as
many partners as possible, inside
and outside of the UN, understand
its importance and integrate its operational
components into their own programmes
and work to achieve its goals.
We are committed to harmonization
and simplification in line with UN
resolutions, and the principles of
the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness,
as well as the Accra Agenda for Action.
We are committed to being less bureaucratic
and more responsive, and accountable
for results.
To make greater progress, we are moving
closer to the people we serve. I am
pleased that reorganization remains
on track as we become an even more
field-focused and results-oriented
organization.
The Africa Regional Office and Asia
Pacific Regional Office are on track
to be relocated by the end of February.
The Latin America and Caribbean Regional
Office is operating out of temporary
space in Panama with new premises
to be completed around April. The
Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional
Office and the Arab States Regional
Office are scheduled to be relocated
in the second half of this year.
Here I would like to thank our UN
system partners in the regional hubs
for their collaboration and welcoming
us with open arms. Specifically, I
want to thank UNICEF for providing
multifaceted support as well as space
to meet our temporary needs in Panama;
the World Food Programme for their
generosity in housing us in Cairo;
and the UN Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific for their
cooperation in Bangkok.
I would also like to thank all the
governments for their generous support.
We have received contributions from
Benin, Finland, Gabon and Mauritania
and pledges to the one-time cost from
Egypt, Kazakhstan, Senegal, Seychelles,
Sudan and Uganda. I would also like
to thank the Government of Senegal
for the offer of premises rent-free,
Panama for support with setting up
premises and financial support to
the regional hub, and Slovakia for
the offer of premises, rent and maintenance
free.
I would also like to thank my dear
UNFPA colleagues for all the work
they have done to make this transition
go smoothly. You carried a heavy load
in 2008 and your efforts are deeply
appreciated. I also thank the members
of the Executive Board for your continuous
guidance and support.
As we set up our regional offices,
we are focused on staying connected.
We are using the latest technology
for cost effectiveness and efficiency,
such as employing regional websites,
knowledge-sharing platforms, and new
web-based video and telephone technology.
Right now, colleagues in New York,
in the Sub-Regional Office in Jamaica
and in the Regional Office in South
Africa can talk to each other toll-free
as if they were in the same building,
and this will eventually cover the
whole Fund. Our new video conferencing
system also keeps us connected at
minimal cost, especially considering
the savings in travel. But I would
also like to assure you that UNFPA
Regional Directors will continue to
attend all Executive Board meetings,
and desk officers at headquarters
will provide liaison and quick response
services for each region.
During the past few years, we have
undertaken a major management initiative
to make the organization fit for higher
performance. For UNFPA, effective
management underpins our effectiveness
as an organization. Because we are
focused on accountability and results,
we have improved communications, accounting,
oversight, monitoring and evaluation,
and put in place tighter controls
to prevent fraud.
Our budgeting system is results-based
and explicitly links funds expended
to results achieved. Our oversight
is robust with internal and external
audits and an independent Audit Advisory
Committee. We know we still have a
way to go for excellence in national
execution but with your support we
will together reach our goal. And
in 2009 specifically, we are going
to ensure that a line of sight can
be drawn from individual performance
to office performance to the UNFPA
Strategic Plan.
Because professional knowledge is
acquired and replaced faster than
ever, we are investing in continuous
learning and training. An updated
approach to human resources is now
in line with the Strategic Plan and
focuses on preparing a global team
to meet the challenges ahead. For
more information, we have placed brochures
on UNFPA management reforms at the
back of the room.
Like the rest of the United Nations,
UNFPA is faced with increasing risk
and threats to staff. In response,
we are taking concrete steps to strengthen
staff safety and security. We have
added posts and increased investments
to focus on the security of UNFPA
operations and premises. We have taken
unprecedented measures to ensure safety
and security of locally recruited
staff. And we have established regional
security advisers in several regions.
As Kemal said yesterday, it all comes
with a cost but the lives of our colleagues
are worth it all.
This afternoon, we shall brief you
on the development of the UNFPA evaluation
policy. Tomorrow afternoon, during
the joint segment, Mari Simonen will
update you on progress made in complying
with audits. And next Monday, during
the joint meeting of the Executive
Boards, I will provide an update on
progress made in harmonizing business
practices among UN funds and programmes.
There is much more to say on the progress
in the support provided to countries
for censuses, as well as other areas,
but this will have to wait for the
annual session in June.
Mr. President,
Distinguished Delegates,
Finally, I would now like to turn
to the financial situation of UNFPA.
Last year the provisional core contributions
from donor Governments totaled $430
million, an increase of more than
$10 million from the previous year.
It was however $50 million less than
expected, due to unfavourable exchange
rates coinciding with late payments
from some major donors. The non-core
contributions income was around $300
million, an increase of $50 million
from 2007.
Five of our 20 major donors have given
us multi-year pledges aligned with
our Strategic Plan (Belgium, Ireland,
the Netherlands, Norway, and the United
Kingdom) and Switzerland has pledged
for two years. We urge you to keep
these commitments in spite of financial
difficulties.
We also look forward to more multi-year
pledges, as well as payments early
in the year in order for us to plan
our activities on the ground. For
2009, we do not foresee any decrease;
several donors have already pledged
increases. Together with the leadership
from you in the Executive Board, we
need to – and can – make
sure that our resources are also protected
in 2010 and 2011.
I thank all donors for your confidence
and trust in UNFPA. We recognize that
keeping these commitments will not
be easy as national economies face
the continuing impact of a global
recession. But we have confidence
that investments in development will
be maintained and even bolstered to
promote a full recovery and protect
the world’s poorest people from
the worst effects of the current crisis.
I would like to call on all governments
to keep people in the centre of their
decision-making processes as they
are examining their budgets. I call
on donors to provide leadership in
terms of support to the social sector,
in particular education and health,
the two most basic human rights that
determine the well-being of people
and nations. I also call on programme
countries to ensure that the share
of funding for the social sector does
not falter in national budgets, as
it did years ago during structural
adjustment.
Together, we should ensure that resources
go to meet the needs of the people
who are most in need – this
is our collective commitment and we
need to show that we can make it happen.
Depriving the social sector of resources
will only undermine human security
and the rights of people. You, as
Member States, have committed yourselves
to achieve the MDGs and together we
must deliver.
Mr. President,
Distinguished delegates,
As we begin the new year, people everywhere
want to feel hope for a better future.
Today, I have talked about how UNFPA
is moving forward, in the spirit of
UN reform, to connect governments
and people to the ICPD agenda.
Fifteen years ago in Cairo, delegates
made the connections between women’s
empowerment and equality, reproductive
health and rights, and population,
the environment and development.
In this time of turbulence, it is
time to renew our commitment to this
holistic and visionary agenda, as
we strive to meet the Millennium Development
Goals. At the core of the ICPD agenda
lies a singular objective –
to bring our world into balance to
improve the lives of present and future
generations.
This year, as we mark the 15th anniversary
of the Cairo Conference on Population
and Development, let us be bold, proactive
and focus on actions.
As Executive Board members, you have
an unprecedented opportunity in a
year of change and great challenges
to champion women’s rights and
universal access to education and
reproductive health and connect others
to this vision of hope for the future.
I thank you.
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