The EU has reiterated its political and financial support for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), highlighting the agency’s work on sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls, including in crisis settings, according to a statement delivered in New York.
The remarks were made on 24 August at a joint meeting of the Executive Board overseeing the UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNFPA and UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the EU Delegation to the UN in New York said, cited on Tuesday by the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Speaking on behalf of the EU as a donor, Ambassador Hedda Samson said the bloc backed UNFPA’s mandate and cited its role in promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights — often shortened to SRHR — and gender equality.
The EU statement also referred to UNFPA’s work on “comprehensive sexuality education” and “safe abortion care”, and described the agency’s role in delivering supplies through “last-mile” supply chains, meaning the final stage of getting goods to communities, including in humanitarian contexts.
UN reform and possible changes
The EU linked its comments to ongoing UN reform discussions known as “UN80”, and said it welcomed UNFPA’s contribution to making the UN development system “more efficient, coherent and fit-for-purpose.”
It encouraged what it called simpler processes, reduced fragmentation and clearer priorities, including further work on a potential merger and other options to increase alignment and efficiency with UN Women, while safeguarding existing mandates.
The EU also called for reforms to translate into stronger delivery at country level and better co-ordination within UN Country Teams — the UN’s in-country co-ordination structures — including in humanitarian settings and supply chains.
It said it wanted UNFPA to continue engaging transparently with member states and donors on reform efforts, and that the EU looked forward to continuing its partnership with the agency.
