First UNFPA Office to Serve Gulf Cooperation Council Countries Opens in Oman

MUSCAT, Oman — UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has set up its first subregional office to serve countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The new office is located in Muscat, Oman, and is being funded by the Government of Oman.

The new UNFPA office was officially inaugurated yesterday by Dr. Ali Bin Mohammed Bin Mousa, Oman’s Minister of Health, in the presence of UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of Omani ministers, ambassadors of the GCC countries, representatives of United Nations organizations and other officials.

“UNFPA considers its cooperation with the GCC ministries of health as essential for the well-being of the citizens of these countries, particularly for the promotion of the health of women and their families,” said Ms. Obaid at the opening ceremony. The opening of the new office, she added, “Is a reaffirmation of the role that UNFPA can play in assisting the GCC countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by contributing to the quality of people’s lives.”

The office will enhance cooperation on population issues among Oman, other GCC member countries, and UNFPA. It will also provide scientific and technical assistance to support national efforts by these countries to improve the social, health and cultural welfare of their people.

UNFPA has been working with Oman on population issues for the last two decades. Common projects on population data collection have helped the country achieve its development goals, which are fully in line with the MDGs. The cooperation also includes projects on maternal and child health and reproductive health.

The opening of the new UNFPA office reflects the Fund’s commitment to helping to address the region’s emerging health and social needs by providing the highest technical expertise available.

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UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

Contact Information:

Amman: Henrietta Aswad, +962 777654544, aswad@unfpa.org

New York: Omar Gharzeddine, +1 212 297 5028, gharzeddine@unfpa.org