Written Answers. - UN Fund for Population Activities.
Denis Naughten
Question:
495
Mr. Naughten
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
the Government's position regarding UNFPA in view of recent reports by the Population Research Institute and the US Congress; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[16820/02]
In 2002 Ireland contributed €1.84 million to UNFPA – the UN Fund for Population Activities – in support of its work in developing countries in areas such as maternal and infant mortality, HIV-AIDS and reproductive health-care. The fund is also supported by many other donors through voluntary contributions.
The fund's guiding policy, as laid down by its Governing Council in 1985, stipulates that UNFPA is "not to provide assistance for abortions, abortion services and abortion-related equipment and supplies as a method of family planning". Its programmes adhere strictly to the voluntary, human rights-based approach to reproductive health and family planning stipulated by the 1994 Cairo International Conference and unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
Recent reports by the Population Research Institute, a private US body, have alleged that UNFPA supports the Chinese Government's one child policy. There have been a number of US congressional hearings on the basis of these reports.
Two separate recent investigations by independent teams, commissioned by UNFPA itself and by the British Parliament, examined UNFPA's activities in China in detail and both came to the same conclusion that the fund is working to encourage China away from coercive policies and is not involved in supporting a one child policy.
Despite the two independent investigations, the US Administration, however, decided to carry out its own fact-finding mission to China. This mission, which reported in May 2002, also found no support for the allegations made by the Population Research Institute. The report of the mission, addressed to Secretary of State Colin Powell, stated that the mission found "no evidence that UNFPA has knowingly supported or participated in the management of a programme of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation in China" and therefore recommended that the "$34 million which has already been appropriated be released to UNFPA".
In the event, the US Administration did not accept the recommendation of the investigation team and decided to withhold its financial support from UNFPA. This decision was taken by the State Department which voiced concern,inter alia, that it was possible that some of UNFPA's activities – such as the funding of computers – might unwittingly be used to support China's coercive policies. UNFPA has vehemently denied this possibility and no investigation to date has found any evidence that this is the case.
The EU is currently engaged in dialogue with the US on its decision to withhold its funding from UNFPA and on the background to its decision. At the EU Development Council in May 2002, EU member states reaffirmed the importance of the role of UNFPA in reaching the Millennium Development Goals in the areas of infant, child and maternal mortality, and restated the EU's firm commitment to continue to support the Fund.
The Irish Government would not support in any way, either financially or politically, any organisation that was involved in supporting the implementation of coercive family planning measures, including a one child policy. We believe that UNFPA abides by its mandate and is playing an important role, particularly in Africa, in helping some of the world's poorest countries to fight HIV-AIDS and to deal with the challenges of maternal and infant mortality.
Question No. 496 answered with Question No. 463.
