UNFPA IN THE NEWS – SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2004

STATE OF WORLD POPULATION 2004 REPORT

On September 15, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, released its “State of World Population 2004: The Cairo Consensus at 10” report with events in London and around the world. Associated Press reported that day on the report’s finding that wealthy countries are falling billions of dollars short of their promises to help fund reproductive health care and improvements in the status of women. UNFPA noted significant but uneven progress in the past decade on those issues, which it sees as central to tackling poverty and keeping population growth in check. The gaps between rich and poor nations remain vast, the agency said.

The report marks the halfway point toward the 20-year goals set at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt. UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid said countries in Europe and elsewhere had more than made up U.S. funding cuts for her agency: the Netherlands , Japan, Norway and Denmark top the donors' list. But overall funding was still "woefully inadequate," she said. “If reproductive health issues are not addressed, that means increased poverty, more death. This year's report is, above all, a call to mobilize the political will and resources needed to make the Cairo vision a reality."

Bangladesh: The New Nation (Bangladesh) reported September 15 that despite a slight decline in the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) in the past decade, the population is growing and now stands at 150 million, according to UNFPA’s annual report. The report said the use of modern contraception has increased from 44.6 percent in 1994 to 58.1 percent in 2004. "This is a remarkable achievement in view of the country's socio-economic perspective," said UNFPA Representative Suneeta Mukherjee.

Colombia: Xinhua General News Service reported September 17 that UNFPA’s Colombia representative, Lucy Wartenberg, said Colombia "has an admirable record of advances to share," especially in the field of regulation. However, Wartenberg noted that "to these economic and social factors one has to add the armed conflict that translates into forced displacements."

Czech Republic: CTK National News Wire (Czechoslovakia) reported September 15 that the birth rate in the Czech Republic is one of the lowest in the world, according to UNFPA’s annual report.

India: The Statesman (India) reported September 16 that the Chief Minister, Navin Patnaik, said his government had taken several initiatives to alleviate poverty, empower women, reduce maternal and infant deaths and address needs of adolescents, which will help in stabilizing the population. He noted that women are a majority in poorer sections.

The Hindustan Times (India) reported September 16 that the UNFPA report highlighted the need for India to spend more on health and education. The country's current health spending remains at a low 0.9 percent of GDP—far behind that of developed countries like the United States (at 6.2 percent) or even other developing countries like Brazil
(3.2 percent).

Ireland: The Irish Times reported September 16 that as the agency presented its annual report in Dublin , Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University , said the global fight against terrorism would be better served if the Bush administration restored funding to UNFPA. Sachs praised the Irish government for its continued support of UNFPA, which he said was doing an excellent job in tackling poverty but had suffered "a highly political attack to satisfy the extreme right wing of the Republican Party".

Kenya: The Nation (Kenya) reported September 16 that the Kenyan government will cover its shortfall in donor funding for contraceptives through the National Social Health Insurance Scheme, according to Anyang' Nyong'o, Planning and National Development minister. At the UNFPA report launching, Nyong’o said reproductive health was key to attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

Latin America and the Caribbean: Inter Press Service reported September 15 that countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have made progress in the past 10 years in empowering women and ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health services. But poverty reduction in the region remains an elusive goal, said UNFPA liaison officer María del Carmen Feijoó at UNFPA’s event in Buenos Aires . "There have been advances in recognition of gender rights and in the implementation of policies for access to reproductive rights, as well as progress in creating public institutions to address problems faced by women. In that sense there has undoubtedly been improvement," said Feijoó, an Argentine sociologist.

Mozambique: The Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique reported September 15 that now more than ever, Mozambique and the world need a human-centered concept of development in order to tackle absolute poverty and halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, said UNFPA representative of Maputo, Petra Lantz, in presenting the report.

Pakistan: The Daily Times (Pakistan) reported September 16 that Pakistan’s population growth rate has gone down from 2.56 percent in 1998 to 1.9 percent, but at that rate it will have a population of 195 million by 2020. Observing the release of UNFPA’s report, Population Welfare Minister Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain said Pakistan ’s population has increased almost fivefold since independence.

Read: Associated Press: Sept. 15 b, Sept. 15c, Reuters: Sept. 15a, Sept. 15b, BBC News: Sept. 15a, Sept. 15b, Inter Press Service: Sept. 15a, Sept. 15b, Agence France-Presse, United Press International, Cox News Service, Financial Times (U.K.), Press Association (U.K.), Radio Free Europe, Deutsche Well (Germany), IRIN, Sept. 15, Sept. 16, News24 (South Africa), BuaNews (South Africa), Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique, Kyodo News Service (Japan), Xinhua General News Service, Kerala Next (India), Press Trust of India: Sept. 15a, Sept. 15b, Times of India, Hindustan Times(India), The New Nation (Bangladesh), Daily Star (Bangladesh), Daily Times (Pakistan), Keunsel (Bhutan), UN News Centre, Toronto Star (Canada), Voice of America, Women’s Enews

The Financial Times (U.K.) September 17 editorial noted: “Ten years ago, the Cairo conference on population growth set some clear targets for wealthy donor countries to contribute to population and reproductive health programs, both to reduce the rate of population growth and to tackle the directly related question of improved rights for women. They were supposed to pay some $6.1 billion a year to provide family planning services, reduce maternal deaths and prevent HIV/AIDS. According to UNFPA’s annual report, they have come up with only half of it.” The editorial said, “Changes in social attitudes are also a central part of the challenge. Above all, changing the status of women and improving women's rights to better health and education are essential.” Read: Financial Times

Cindy Richards of The Chicago Sun-Times wrote a September 15 column mentioning the UNFPA annual report. “Yet the United States under President Bush has refused to meet its financial obligations to UNFPA. Why? Because the fund works in China , where the one-child policy leads to government-coerced abortion. Does the fund condone that practice? No. In fact, in the small section of China where the organization runs family planning programs, the one-child rule has been lifted, said Sarah Craven, chief of the Washington office for the fund.” Richards concluded: “There are many ways to bring freedom and democracy to the world. One is to invade a country. Another is to spend a fraction of that money to educate women, give them contraceptives and empower them to raise healthy families. But that might be considered too ‘sensitive’ an approach.” Read: Chicago Sun-Times

The Center for American Progress ran a September 16 op ed by UNFPA youth advisor Kakenya Ntaiya. The introduction said: “On Sept. 15, UNFPA released its annual report on world population growth, women's health and development, and the progress made and challenges faced in addressing these critical global issues. Amidst the enormity of the demographic figures and political controversies facing the UNFPA, it is easy to forget the individuals behind its work. To remind us, Kakenya shares her story.” Read: Center for American Progress

COUNTDOWN 2015— LONDON ROUNDTABLE

Inter Press Service reported September 13 that UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Obaid found reason for optimism despite opposition from the present U.S. administration and the Vatican to provision of essential reproductive services in the developing world. "When the U.S. defunded us in 2002 we had a gap. In 2003 we covered the gap. The U.S. Congress had voted for $34 million, which is 12 percent of our budget. But a number of donors increased their contribution. In 2004 we project that UNFPA will have the highest budget since it was established—without U.S. money." Obaid said, "I am very hopeful that over the next ten years the funding will come.” She said UNFPA’s donor countries had grown in number from 92 in 2001 to 147 last year, most of them developing countries. She called that “a silent response to the U.S. position. But it is also an assertion of their commitment to the ICPD agenda." Read: Inter Press Service

10th ANNIVERSARY OF ICPD PROGRAMME OF ACTION

Vanguard (Nigeria) reported September 14 that it was “only natural” to observe the tenth anniversary of the ICPD, and described the purpose of the Global Roundtable conference in London.

In 2003, the United Nations Population Fund (UNPA) conducted a Global Survey with the aim of describing countries’ progress and constraints in implementing the ICPD PoA, examining emerging issues and lessons learned, and assessing the way forward.

The Survey responses showed amongst others that countries have taken full ownership of the ICPD agenda, countries are ensuring continuity by translating the issues of population, gender, HIV/AIDS prevention, adolescents and youth and reproductive health into formal legislation, policies, and strategies and programmes as well as recognizing that the attainment of ICPD goals is critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and that they can benefit from co-ordination efforts to achieve the two sets goals. Read: Vanguard (Nigeria)

INDONESIA: Maternal Mortality Rate Decreases Slowly

The Jakarta Post (Indonesia) reported September 17 that while Indonesia ’s maternal mortality rate is declining, it will still be difficult to achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goal of around 125 per 100,000 births, according to the head of the University of Indonesia 's Center for Family Welfare, Endang L. Achadi. UNFPA data put the country’s current rate at 41 per 100,000 births, Thailand 44 per 100,000 births and Vietnam 130 per 100,000 births. "We're even behind Vietnam .” Endang said. “Thus, more efforts by all layers of society, not just the government, are needed."

NIGERIA: Hospital Equipment Delivered

This Day (Nigeria) reported September 13 that UNFPA had donated millions of the local currency, naira, to Osun State to reduce maternal mortality rates. UNFPA Program Adviser Stella Akinso, who delivered hospital equipment to the chairman of the Orolu local government council, Woelola Ojo, said the donation was in fulfillment of UNFPA's promise to improve health service at the grass roots.

NIGERIA: Women and Youth Key to Poverty Alleviation

This Day (Nigeria) reported September 13 that at the African Union (AU) Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Governments, UNFPA Africa Director Fama Hane-Ba said women and youth play a key role as participants, beneficiaries and driving forces in poverty alleviation. "The youths constitute about one fifth of the continent's population and with a unique economic opportunities put in place they could become part of the working age population," she added. Read: This Day

UNITED STATES: U.S. Continues to Hold UNFPA Funding

The Charleston Gazette (U.S.) noted in a September 14 editorial: “For three years, a volunteer group called ‘34 million friends of UNFPA’ has been collecting donations to offset the White House withholding. Originally, the group sought $1 each from 34 million Americans, but the actual result has been larger gifts from a smaller number of donors. In an announcement titled ‘Strike Three,’ the organization deplored Bush’s callousness toward poor women, and urged concerned Americans to send money once again.” The editorial concluded: “So far, the volunteers have collected more than $2 million from more than 100,000 donors. It isn’t enough to offset the lost U.S. share, but it’s enough to show that many Americans are upset by the cruel White House policy.” Read: Charleston Gazette

UNITED STATES: Editorial Gets It Wrong

The Union-Leader (U.S.) September 12 editorial noted: “President Bush withheld $34 million from the United Nations Population Fund in protest of the abortion services provided by the fund. Great! That's $34 million we can spend on education, health care and job training here at home!” The editorial reasoned: “John Kerry is for America 's commitment to the United Nations. He is for helping AIDS victims in Africa . And in July, not quite two months before he said the $200 billion for the Iraq war would be better spent at home, he said of the UNPF [sic] funding, ‘The Bush administration decided to put politics above public health by withholding tens of millions of dollars that could help prevent needless deaths of mothers, infants and children.’” Read: The Union-Leader

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