Why contribute to UNFPA core resources?

UNFPA funding is voluntary: All the work UNFPA and its partners do, depends entirely on the generosity of contributors.

Every year, UNFPA staff must mobilize support from governments to pursue our collective Vision 2030: Zero unmet need for family planning; zero preventable maternal deaths; zero harmful practices and gender-based violence.

By donating to core resources, your country engages in a unique trust-based partnership with UNFPA, and effectively invests in realizing the Programme of Action of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for women, girls and young people. By contributing to UNFPA’s core resources, you clearly show your political support to UNFPA, backed by a financial commitment.

All contributions make a difference. Small- and mediumsized contributions make a meaningful cumulative impact on overall core resources, without adding transaction costs. UNFPA is committed to recognizing the generosity and political commitment of core contributors through joint advocacy and visibility initiatives.

Diversifying the donor base also lowers financial risks for UNFPA programmes. In the current funding context, losing a single core contributor among the top ten could result in a shortfall of millions of USD in funding, threatening UNFPA’s ability to deliver on its programmes. With a greater diversity of core contributors comes a greater variety of currencies, and minimized financial risks associated with exchange rates.

What do core resources help achieve?

Core resources directly contribute to leaving no one behind, and realizing the three zeros through:

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  Ensuring UNFPA presence globally

  Core resources fund UNFPA’s global presence in more than 150 countries and territories across the world, including in crisis situations.
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  Enabling UNFPA’s normative role

  With core funding, UNFPA representatives can, on countries’ behalf, advocate for development issues in international fora and to contributors. At the national, regional and global levels, UNFPA is able to promote international norms and standards, including on gender equality, and on measures against harmful practices.
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  Promoting country-level sustainability, ownership and impact

  Because it is provided without restrictions, core funding enables UNFPA and partner countries to more efficiently plan programmes, develop policy and advocacy, and deliver technical expertise. As such, predictable core funding enhances the sustainability of programmes and enables capacity-building of partner governments and other stakeholders.
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  Empowering UNFPA to lead on population data

  Core resources support the foundations of UNFPA’s Strategic Plan by enabling UNFPA’s global leadership on population data, a critical function primarily enabled by core resources. Census, civil registration and vital statistics as well as demographic studies are all key to targeting programmes where they are most needed, and delivering results in the most equitable and efficient manner.
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  Allowing UNFPA to adapt to change and respond 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, to adapt to shocks and to act quickly to save lives.
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  Supporting UNFPA oversight functions¹

  Core resources fund UNFPA oversight functions, 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. Oversight functions contribute to strengthening trust, in turn encouraging further investments.
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  Supporting UN inter-agency coordination

  Core resources support UN coordination, which is fundamental to increase 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 promotes integration and accelerates progress towards implementation of 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals at the national level.

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