IN 2000, THERE WERE MANY HIGHLIGHTS:

• UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the Queen of Bhutan, undertook a national campaign to increase male responsibility among the armed forces, which resulted in increased contraceptive use among soldiers, from 29 per cent in 1997 to 50 per cent in 2000.

• In Botswana, Mpule Kwelagobe went on two trips, one in April and one in November, as part of a nationwide campaign for HIV/AIDS prevention. The trips helped sensitize leaders on the need for youth-friendly services, gave young people hope, and raised funds for prevention efforts.

• Goodwill Ambassadors Kattis Ahlstrom (Sweden), Mikko Kuustonen (Finland) and Goedele Liekens (Belgium) produced Face to Face television documentaries.

• UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and F2F Campaign Chairperson Linda Gray Addressed U.S. legislators and urged them to support reproductive health programmes worldwide.

• Xavier Sarda, TV and radio presenter (Spain), educated millions of Spaniards on population issues through on-air commentaries during his weekly TV variety show, Marian Chronicles.

• Irish Politician Mary Banotti supported a successful campaign by the Irish Family Planning Association to increase Ireland's Official development assistance for reproductive health.

• All United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors and Messengers of Peace were invited to  meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in October and a public forum to discuss their work: 18 UNFPA Goodwill Ambassadors took part.

GOODWILL AMBASSADOR  PARACHUTES TO PALAIS DES NATIONS UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador Bertand Piccard, famous for his round-the-world hot-air ballooning, delighted participants at a reception in Geneva during the United Nations special session on the World Social Summit by parachuting to the ground from a blimp and speaking about social development.  At the reception, Dr. Piccard chatted with Prince Albert of Monaco and was honoured by United Nations Genera Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab for his Aviation accomplishments and his word to promote UNFPA. Photo: Face to Face International, Inc

2000 UN POPULATION AWARD

Ismail Awadallah Sallam, the Minister of Health and Population of Egypt, and the Mexican family planning organization, Fundacion Mexicana para la Planificacion Familiar (MEXFAM), were awarded the 2000 United Nations Population Award.  The award is presented annually by the Committee for the United Nations Population Award to individuals and institutions that have made outstanding contributions to increasing the awareness of population problems and to their solutions.