UNFPA's Contribution to Meeting the MDGs: Findings from the United Nations Millennium Project

The United Nations Millennium Project brought together more than 250 experts from around the world to identify best practices and to plot the way forward for meeting the MDGs.

Their final synthesis report, Investing in Development, and their series of specialized task force reports reaffirmed the centrality of UNFPA's work to reducing poverty.

These documents put forth strong messages and recommendations about the critical importance of sexual and reproductive health, gender equality and population issues to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Some of the key messages are:

• Ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, including voluntary family planning, is essential for achieving the MDGs. more..

• Gender equality is essential for achieving the MDGs. And, gender equality cannot be achieved without guaranteeing women's and girls' reproductive health and rights. more..

• There are strong links between rapid population growth, high fertility, ill-timed pregnancies and poverty – a demographic-related poverty trap exists. And, indeed, demographic trends affect development prospects. There are also linkages between conflict, poverty and demography. more..

• Strengthened health systems are needed to ensure universal access to health services, and sexual and reproductive health programmes need to be integrated into functioning health systems.

• Partnering between government, donors, civil society organizations and the private sector is essential.

Moreover, one of the “Quick Wins,” (solutions that should be implemented immediately to advance development) is:

Expand access to sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning and contraceptive information and services, and close funding gaps for supplies and logistics (Investing in Development Overview, page 26).

And one of the UN Millennium Project's “Ten Key Recommendations” includes:

“Focus on women's and girls' health (including reproductive health) and education outcomes, access to economic and political opportunities, right to control assets and freedom from violence.”