Strategic Partnerships

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International Financial Institutions

Strengthening partnerships with international financial institutions is key to achieving UNFPA’s transformative results.

International financial institutions, including multilateral, regional and national development banks with international operations, are critical development partners to advance the Programme of Action of the المؤتمر الدولي للسكان والتنمية. They are also instrumental in achieving UNFPA’s three transformative results by 2030 – zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices – while adapting to demographic change through evidence- and rights-based policies.

In their engagement with national governments, international financial institutions operate as development partners and financiers. They assist governments in extending financial assistance in various forms, including grants, loans and investments in support of country priorities, while also strengthening legislation, institutions and accountability. The distinct added value they bring is the ability to catalyze and mobilize public and private sources of funds for development.

In line with the Sevilla Commitment 2025 and the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026-2029, UNFPA has focused on collaborating with multilateral development banks to strengthen their collaboration with countries and regions, and to support governments in accessing sustainable development financing and expertise. In doing so, UNFPA has become a trusted partner for many international financial institutions.

How UNFPA works with international financial institutions

UNFPA engages with a growing number of international financial institutions, both through supporting sustainable development priorities and by implementing programmes financed by these institutions.

Financial partnerships

As an executing partner, UNFPA can also support governments in their loan and grant implementation and helps international financial institutions meet benchmarks in their grant or loan initiatives through:
- Project design and implementation;
- Managing loans or grants through capacity building of a specific government agency or institute;
- Coordination and integration of project implementation within a regional and global framework.
Non-financial partnerships

UNFPA mostly works with international financial institutions to foster non-financial collaborations, which include:
- Developing joint research in order to help governments develop effective interventions and direct more resources towards achieving the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development;
- Harnessing collaboration with institutions by engaging on policies (for instance, friendly workspaces for breastfeeding women);
- Designing pilot projects to test new approaches and scale up funding resources in the medium term;
- Helping governments coordinate efforts and improve their impact;
- And providing training and technical assistance in capacity building, advocacy and other areas.

How UNFPA adds value to the operations of international financial institutions

With its extensive global presence and trusted access to national governments, UNFPA offers impartial expertise to support international financial institutions in maximizing the development impact of every dollar invested in grants and government loans.

Through technical knowledge in its thematic areas, UNFPA can add value to operations including in the fields of sexual and reproductive health and rights, young people, gender equality و population matters. Furthermore, UNFPA’s thought leadership as an intergovernmental organization can help accelerate the development agenda and harness innovative funding instruments from international financial institutions.

UNFPA has a strong presence in fragile contexts and established relationships with relevant national stakeholders. UNFPA’s operations on the ground are extremely valuable to many international financial institutions, especially when it comes to humanitarian settings. Active in more than 150 countries, UNFPA not only bridges the access gap for these institutions, but also supports them in tailoring projects and investments to meet specific country priorities, which in turn increases country leadership and ownership.

With its far-reaching presence, UNFPA is able to contribute operational, programmatic and technical capacities to support countries’ access to sustainable financing. For example, UNFPA partners with governments and international financial institutions to introduce charges or levies (small taxes) on products that have a negative health impact, in order to fund procurement of sexual and reproductive health commodities. For instance, in Panama UNFPA has negotiated with the government to channel a percentage of taxes coming from the trade in tobacco and related products to promote healthy lifestyles among young people.

UNFPA’s multilateral partnerships

بنك التنمية الأفريقي Asian Development Bank مصرف التنمية الكاريبي مصرف التنمية للبلدان الأمريكية البنك الإسلامي للتنمية مجموعة البنك الدولي

Examples of UNFPA’s partnerships in action

UNFPA, the West African Health Organisation and the World Bank are partnering with 12 countries to drive a regional movement for improved reproductive health services, public policies and social norms across the Sahel. Focusing on Burkina Faso, Chad, The Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Togo for its 2024–2028 phase, the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD+) initiative scales up local innovations to deepen gender equality and harness the demographic dividend. This collaborative effort empowers women and adolescent girls by strengthening community resilience and driving systemic policy reforms across participating nations.

In another example, the Government of Bangladesh and UNFPA are partnering with the World Bank’s Inclusive Services and Opportunities Project to expand access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services and vital gender-based violence prevention efforts. Operating across host communities and the displaced Rohingya population in Cox’s Bazar, Bhasan Char Island and the Chattogram Division, the joint initiative delivers life-saving medical care and community-based mental health support. Additionally, the project provides young people with life-skills training and equips front-line healthcare workers with specialized, survivor-centred care skills.

Updated 6 July 2026

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International financial institutions

How UNFPA works with international financial institutions

Financial partnerships

Non-financial partnerships

How UNFPA adds value to the operations of international financial institutions

UNFPA’s multilateral partnerships

Examples of UNFPA’s partnerships in action