NEW YORK — UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin yesterday presented the Fund’s 2012 Annual Report: Promises to Keep, to its Executive Board. The title refers to the 26 overarching commitments UNFPA made in 2012 to become more effective, to focus on its core mandate, to prepare for emerging challenges and to make a real difference in the lives of individual women and young people in developing countries.
“Women and young people in developing countries are counting on us,” said the Executive Director in the introduction of the report. “We must keep our promises to them so they live healthy, productive lives, built on a foundation of rights and equality.”
As detailed in the report, a record $981 million in donor contributions supported those goals. In 2012, the Fund worked in 156 countries, areas and territories to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
The report spotlights accomplishments from UNFPA offices by region, and incorporates a number of infographics and regional indicators.
As described in the report, in 2012 UNFPA:
- Played a key role in the London Summit on Family Planning, co-hosted by the United Kingdom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, during which donor countries and foundations together pledged $2.6 billion to give 120 million women access to family planning by 2020.
- Procured more than 700 million male and female condoms.
- Supported 164 community-led organizations that address HIV-related services for young people.
- Established a secretariat to review progress towards achieving the Programme of Action of the 1994 ICPD
- Launched the social media campaign “Safe Birth. Even Here to raise awareness of the importance of providing maternal health services in crisis situations.
- Trained non-governmental partners and governmental counterparts to provide Minimum Initial Service Packages for the sexual and reproductive health of Syrian refugees.
- Mobilized support to end child marriage.
- Helped 33 countries to strengthen midwifery resources.
For more details, read the full "Promises to Keep" report on the UNFPA Global Site.
