UNFPA 2023

Core funding mobilization

Join UNFPA's coalition of core contributors supporting rights and choices for all.

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What are core resources?

Core resources, also called regular resources, are crucial to realizing UNFPA’s mandate: To deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

Core resources are not earmarked for specific programming, which means they enable UNFPA to act flexibly and responsively to meet the needs of women and girls everywhere, especially when crisis strikes.

Core resources enable UNFPA to fulfill its normative and advocacy role, and to test innovative approaches to scale up results.

These resources also act as seed funding for UNFPA’s resource mobilization efforts; for each $1 of core resources raised in 2022, UNFPA mobilized an average of $2.49 of other resources. In 2022, 96 partners provided a total of $442.5 million to UNFPA’s core resources.

Core resources are the foundation for all UNFPA programmes in 150 countries, aimed at leaving no one behind and reaching the furthest behind first. Two thirds of UNFPA core resources go to our programmes on the ground, and the other third funds operations that make those programmes possible and viable.

Why contribute to UNFPA core resources?

UNFPA recognizes the extraordinary commitment of donors contributing to core resources at a time of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. And with women’s health and rights under threat, the solidarity of your country and people with the world’s most vulnerable has become increasingly crucial.

Every year, core funding from governments helps us pursue our three transformative results: The end of unmet needs for family planning, preventable maternal deaths and harmful practices such as gender-based violence.

With challenges like the climate crisis and conflict threatening to undermine progress towards these goals, UNFPA’s mission has never been more relevant – and its corresponding need for flexible funding has never been greater.

Contributing to core resources creates a trust-based partnership between your country and UNFPA, and signals your political commitment to the International Conference on Population and Development.

What do core resources help achieve?

  • Ensuring UNFPA presence globally

    Enabling UNFPA’s presence on the ground in your country and dozens of others

    Core resources fund UNFPA’s global presence in more than 150 countries and territories around the world and where humanitarian crises strike.
  • Allowing UNFPA to adapt to change and respond to humanitarian emergencies

    Allowing UNFPA respond quickly to humanitarian emergencies

    UNFPA provides ongoing support to people all around the world, but we cannot always predict where and when our help will be needed. When environments change or crises strike, core funding allows us to be prepared, adapt to shocks and act quickly to save lives.
  • Enabling UNFPA's normative role

    Encouraging changes to social norms that harm women and girls

    UNFPA uses core funding to play a global normative role as an advocate for sexual and reproductive health and make long-lasting, sustainable impacts in the lives of women and girls that promote, protect and fulfill human rights.
  • Empowering UNFPA to lead on population data

    Empowering UNFPA to lead on population data

    Core resources help establish UNFPA’s global leadership on population data, which inform sound policies that build demographic resilience. Core resources support 125 programme countries in conducting their population and housing censuses and improving population data systems for tracking country-level progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Promoting country-level sustainability, ownership and impact

    Promoting sustainability and country ownership of programs

    Predictable core funding enhances the sustainability of programmes and enables capacity-building of and relationship-building with partner governments and other stakeholders. These partnerships and long-term relationships on the ground enable participatory approaches to designing our programming. Core funding enables UNFPA to reach the last mile; only with core funding are we capable of putting life-saving supplies in the hands of women and girls who would otherwise not have them.
  • Supporting UNFPA oversight functions

    Supporting UNFPA oversight functions

    Core resources fund UNFPA oversight functions1, which ensure that UNFPA’s operations are diligently conducted, efficient, transparent, and accountable. They are essential to demonstrate value for money to taxpayers, contributors, governments and other constituencies.
  • Supporting UN inter-agency coordination

    Enabling UN inter-agency coordination

    Core resources support UN coordination, which is fundamental to increasing the impact and efficiency of UN country level-operations through improved division of labor among UN entities. Contributing to core resources represents an investment in the overall efficiency of the United Nations Development System in each country, which in turn accelerates progress towards implementing the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals at the national level.

1Oversight functions include audits and investigations, evaluations, ethics and the legal office.

Philippines
When natural disasters strike, women and girls are particularly vulnerable, and core resources are crucial in responding to their immediate needs. In the Philippines, UNFPA used core resources to deploy a mobile birthing facility – called "Women’s Health on Wheels" – to access the hardest-to-reach areas affected by Super Typhoon Rai. This rapid response unit served nearly 14,000 women and girls in the first three months with dignity kits, emergency maternity tents and safe spaces.
Türkiye
Following devastating earthquakes in Türkiye in February 2023, UNFPA used core resources to swiftly respond to the urgent needs of women and girls. These resources facilitated the provision of life-saving supplies and services, especially to pregnant women and refugees. In the initial stages of the crisis, UNFPA’s core resources helped bolster and reposition seven service units in the affected provinces, which can support mobile service provision for reproductive health needs and distribute around 12,000 dignity kits to women in temporary accommodation. Essential sexual and reproductive health services, gender-based violence prevention and response and psychosocial support were also made possible with core resources.
South Sudan
In South Sudan, core resources have helped provide essential services to women and girls affected by conflict and natural disasters. The establishment of women’s and girls’ friendly spaces and one-stop centres has offered support to survivors of gender-based violence and those at risk. Eighteen safe spaces were supported in total, which helped an estimated 2,500 women and girls build life skills such as tailoring and bedsheet making. Additionally, cash assistance was provided to 200 women and girls.
Eastern Europe
In November 2022, the world population surpassed 8 billion people. In Eastern Europe, UNFPA draws on core resources to support the Demographic Resilience programme, which helps countries in the region address challenges related to demographic change, and harness the opportunities that also come with it. The programme aims to promote demographic resilience and foster reproductive rights while providing demographic analysis, intelligence and best practices for planning ahead.
Ghana
Core resources are instrumental in ensuring that contraceptives reach women and girls who need them the most. In countries like Ghana, core resources are used to deliver family planning commodities to the last mile. UNFPA's flagship programme, the Supplies Partnership, provides modern contraceptives and medicines that prevent millions of unintended pregnancies each year. Core resources enable the continuous delivery and availability of these commodities, helping countries avoid stock-outs and ensuring UNFPA can predictably and efficiently deliver them to remote communities.
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, UNFPA established the "Alapon Helpline" using core resources, providing young people with free remote counselling, information on sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial support. In 2022, the helpline assisted over 26,000 people, mostly adolescents, by improving knowledge and awareness and offering referral services to health facilities and legal support where necessary.
Madagascar
Core resources help ensure safe births in places affected by climate-related disasters. When Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit Madagascar in February, UNFPA responded to the immediate needs of women and girls: Core resources ensured essential sexual and reproductive health supplies were provided, such as clean delivery kits for midwives and doctors to use, and post-rape treatment for survivors of sexual violence. Services were provided through the Maroalakely health centre – one of 132 health centres supported by UNFPA – which in 2022 assisted over 370 women who gave birth.
Colombia
In Colombia, UNFPA is enhancing sexual and reproductive health services for women and girls in rural areas or uprooted by conflict. With core resources, UNFPA is strengthening institutional capacities and training health personnel in sexual and reproductive health and rights. In the Cesar department, 73 physicians, 89 nurses, and 102 health technicians were trained in 2022 through workshops, webinars and on- site technical training.
Libya
UNFPA has used core resources to deploy mobile health units in remote areas of Libya since 2018. These mobile health units provide essential maternal and newborn health services, medical case management for gender-based violence survivors, and general consultation and first aid. The teams consist of obstetricians, gynaecologists, paediatricians, midwives and other health professionals. The initiative has greatly reduced maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity rates in the country, despite political instability and a fragile security situation.
Benin
Core resources enable high-impact, timely innovative initiatives around the world. In Benin, where women die from pregnancy and birth complications at higher rates than in the rest of the world, core resources were used to invest in testing the use of drones for the delivery of emergency obstetric care like antibiotics. An initial core contribution led to a tenfold mobilization of resources, which helped expand the programme.
Brazil
UNFPA applies core resources to develop and foster spaces that advance the fight against gender-based violence. In northern Brazil, UNFPA partnered with civil society organizations to convene women from all backgrounds – Afro-descendant and indigenous women, women with disabilities, trans women – to debate and influence policies aimed at combating violence. UNFPA drew on core resources to establish a “Sala de Situação” (“Situation room”) in the city of Salvador, where women can meet to share experiences and develop joint actions to further advance the fight against violence. Established in 2020, the Sala de Situação had its first in-person gathering in August 2022.
Jordan
In Jordan, core resources have helped UNFPA partner with the Zain Jordan and Noor Al-Hussein Foundation Institute for Family Health to develop a course to empower women and adolescent girls, entitled “Me and My Mobile”. The course, which has been running for four years, provides training on using smartphones safely to access online education and employment opportunities, connect with peers, and improve knowledge of sexual and reproductive health through period tracking apps. In 2022, the curriculum included a session on preventing and respondings to cybercrime and online sexual harassment.

All contributions, whatever their size, make a meaningful difference, and diversifying our donor base lowers financial risks for UNFPA programmes. In 2022, 96 governments from around the world committed to fund UNFPA core resources. This demonstrates that we can unite as an international community to show solidarity and support for all women and girls.

Core resources embody trust in our vision and our capacity to realize shared goals. In 2023, UNFPA aims to rally together a diverse coalition of contributors, from governments to citizens, around our mandate and values to ensure rights and choices for all.

2024 will mark a milestone for women’s and girls’ health and rights, as we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development. Now is the time to unite to realize the bold ambitions of its Programme of Action adopted by 179 governments. We need the commitment of all to take this visionary approach forward, to realize sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Access the contribution form and payment instructions

UNFPA core contributors in 2022

UNFPA encourages multi-year core contributions, which enable programmes to be delivered in a predictable and sustainable manner.

UNFPA is committed to ensuring transparency and visibility by recognizing donors for their core contributions and the results achieved thanks to their partnership, with the hashtag #PartnersAtCore.

*Countries with multi-year commitments in 2022.

Sincere thanks to the governments of:

Afghanistan*
Albania
Algeria
Angola*
Armenia*
Australia*
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgium*
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana*
Burkina Faso*
Burundi
Canada
China
Colombia
Comoros*
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Denmark*
Dominican Republic
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea*
Estonia
Eswatini*
Ethiopia
Fed. St. of Micronesia
Finland
France
Georgia*
Germany
Guyana
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq*
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan*
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Luxembourg*
Madagascar*
Maldives
Mauritania*
Mauritius*
Mexico
Republic of Mongolia
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand*
Nicaragua
North Macedonia
Norway
Panama*
Peru
Philippines*
Portugal
Republic of Korea
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda*
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Senegal*
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka*
Sweden*
Switzerland*
Tajikistan
Thailand
Togo*
Trinidad and Tobago*
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Uganda
United Kingdom
United Republic of Tanzania*
United States
Uruguay
Vietnam*
Zimbabwe*
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