Record number of countries contribute record amount to UNFPA

One hundred and eighty countries contributed US$ 360 million to the regular resources of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) last year, the highest number of donors and the largest total since the fund began its operation in 1969.
“We are very thankful for the continuous and growing support from nearly all United Nations Member States”, UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said. “We take this new record as a solid sign of the global commitment to our work and mandate. It also highlights the importance of sexual and reproductive health, as well as HIV prevention, for development”.

The number of UNFPA donor countries has steadily increased over the last few years, from 69 in 1999, to 172 in 2005, to last year’s record. The top six donors were the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, Japan and Denmark. In addition, every nation in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as all sub-Saharan Africa, pledged funds to UNFPA in 2006.

“Achieving universal access to reproductive health is vital for poverty eradication, and it requires partnerships and efforts from Governments and the civil society”, Ms. Obaid said. “Seeing so many different countries supporting our work is heart-warming and I hope this support will continue to grow in the years to come”.