Gay Mitchell
Ceist:100 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the amount of funding his Department has given to UNFPA; and if he will make a statement on the objectives of this organisation. [4525/99]
Written Answers. - United Nations Population Fund.
The United Nations Population Fund – UNFPA – was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966 to provide assistance in the field of population. It extends assistance to developing countries at their request to help them to address reproductive health and population issues and seeks to raise awareness of these issues in all countries. UNFPA's three main objectives are to help ensure universal access to reproductive health, including family planning and sexual health, to all couples and individuals on the basis of individual choice by the year 2015, and to formulate and support population strategies that promote sustainable development. to promote awareness of population and development issues and to seek to mobilise the resources and political will necessary to accomplish its work.
UNFPA runs extensive campaigns and assistance programmes in Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa with those developing countries which request its advice and assistance. It is committed by its mandates to the principles of voluntarism in all of its programmes of assistance and its projects are grounded on the principles of freedom of choice and informed consent. Its policy, as laid down by its Governing Council in 1985, specifically states that UNFPA is not to provide assistance for abortions, abortion services or abortion-related equipment and supplies as a method of family planning.
UNFPA is financed from contributions by Governments and private donors. Prior to 1993, Ireland was the only EU member state not to have contributed to UNFPA. Given the growing importance of the population issue at international level, it was felt by the Government at that time that a contribution to UNFPA represented an appropriate response to the challenge posed by population growth, particularly in developing countries.
Ireland has since provided annual contributions of £50,000 in 1993, £150,000 in 1994, £250,000 in both 1995 and 1996, £275,000 in 1997 and £308,000 in 1998, representing a total contribution of £1.283 million to UNFPA over that period. It is proposed to provide a further contribution to UNFPA in 1999.
Ireland is currently a member of the executive board of UNFPA/UNDP for the period 1998-2000.