UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health
agency, notes with deep regret that the United States of
America has announced its intention to deny future funding
to the organization by triggering the Kemp-Kasten
Amendment. This decision is based on unfounded claims
about UNFPA’s work in China that have long been disproved
– including
by the US Government itself. It comes in addition to termination
notices UNFPA has already received for more than 40
existing humanitarian projects, amounting to some $335
million in funding.
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Following the abrupt
termination of development assistance grants, this move will
add further strain to the already-stretched global public
health system. It will cut essential support for millions of
people living in humanitarian crises and for midwives
preventing mothers from dying in childbirth — work that is
a ‘best-buy’ in development, a cost-effective investment
that generates positive returns over
generations.
UNFPA’s decades-long
partnership with the United States, a founding partner, has
made the world safer, stronger and more prosperous.
Together, we have strengthened health systems, saved
millions of lives, and improved the economic prospects of
families and communities worldwide. Over the past four years
alone, with the US Government’s life-saving investments,
we prevented more than 17,000 maternal deaths, 9 million
unintended pregnancies and nearly 3 million unsafe abortions
by expanding access to voluntary family
planning.
UNFPA remains keen to maintain an open
dialogue with the US Government, including through the UNFPA
Executive Board, of which the USA is a
member.
We urge the United States to
reconsider its stance and reclaim its position as a leader
in global public health, saving millions of lives. Funding
UNFPA – the only United Nations agency dedicated to
reproductive health and rights – is the surest way of
reducing the risk of coercive practices around the
world.
UNFPA staff and partners are
determined to support safety and dignity, progress and hope
for every woman and girl. We will continue to work
tirelessly under our mandate to deliver on our collective
promise to women and girls around the
world.
