United Nations Population Fund

The United Nations Fund for Population Activities was established as a trust fund in 1967 and began operations in 1969. In 1987, it was officially renamed the United Nations Population Fund, reflecting its lead role in the United Nations system in the area of population. The original abbreviation, UNFPA, was retained. The mandate of UNFPA, as established by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 1973 and reaffirmed in 1993, is (1) to build the knowledge and the capacity to respond to needs in population and family planning; (2) to promote awareness in both developed and developing countries of population problems and possible strategies to deal with these problems; (3) to assist their population problems in the forms and means best suited to the individual countries’ needs; (4) to assume a leading role in the United Nations system in promoting population programmes, and to coordinate projects supported by the Fund. At the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, these broad ideas were elaborated to emphasize the gender and human rights dimensions of population. UNFPA was given the lead in helping countries carry out the Programme of Action adopted by 179 governments at the Cairo Conference. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly extended the ICPD beyond 2014, which was original end date for the 20-year Programme of Action.

Mission

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

Geographic Focus

Global

Programme Areas

Sexual Reproductive Health Rights of Young People Human Rights & Gender Equality Population Matters (inc aging, census, urbanisation, climate change, migration, demographic dividend) Humanitarian