About United Nations Population Fund:
- It is an international development agency created in 1967 to support the execution of projects and programmes in the area of population and sexual and reproductive health.
- Background:
- It was originally called the United Nations Fund for Population Activities.
- In 1987, it was officially renamed as the United Nations Population Fund but the original abbreviation UNFPA (United Nations Fund for Population Activities) was retained.
- Funding: It is entirely supported by voluntary contributions of donor governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector and foundations and individuals, not by the United Nations regular budget.
- It is not directly responsible for the collection of primary statistics; it plays an important role in the technical and financial support of statistical activities in countries, such as population censuses and thematic surveys etc.
- It funds assistance, research, and advocacy programs in three major areas:
- Reproductive health, including family planning, safe motherhood, and the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases,
- The population problems of developed and developing countries and possible strategies for addressing them.
- Issues related to the status of women, including the gender gap in education.
- UNFPA receives overall policy guidance from the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
- Headquarters: New York.
