POPULATION FUND ESTIMATES RECORD INCOME FOR 1996
Press Release
POP/600
POPULATION FUND ESTIMATES RECORD INCOME FOR 1996
19951107 NEW YORK, 7 November (UNFPA) -- Based on announcements made by countries at a pledging conference last week, as well as on expected pledges, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that contributions for 1996 will reach a record $325 million.The projected 1996 income, the highest level ever for the Fund, represents an 8 per cent increase over the Fund's 1995 resources which were just over $300 million.
Officials of the UNFPA credited the increase, in a climate of decreasing levels of overseas development assistance, to widespread support for the goals of the Cairo International Conference on Population and Development.
"The effective implementation of the agreements reached at the Conference is critical for improved well-being of all people, and for the stabilization of world population at the lowest possible level, within the shortest possible period of time", said Dr. Nafis Sadik, the UNFPA Executive Director. "This in turn will be a major contribution to sustainable human development."
Among the Conference goals was the financial target of $17 billion for the Programme of Action by the year 2000, increasing to $21.7 billion by 2015. The Programme stipulates that up to one third of the required resources will have to come from the international donor community and two thirds from the developing countries. Approximately $5.6 billion is being spent on population programmes today, of which the international community is giving $1.3 billion.
At the United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities held at the United Nations on 1 and 2 November, a total of 55 countries announced pledges for the UNFPA. Major donors which announced increases in their contributions to the Fund were Australia, Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland. Other countries that pledged to increase their contributions were Benin, Chile, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Maldives, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Tunisia and Viet Nam.
"It is gratifying to note the speed and enthusiasm with which the momentum gathered at Cairo is becoming translated into programmatic actions", said Dr. Sadik. Countries have taken many steps to disseminate widely the results of the Cairo Conference, to undertake advocacy to promote understanding of the new thinking reflected in the Programme of Action. The UNFPA had instructed all its country directors to encourage and work with governments to help them implement the Cairo Programme.
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