United Nations Population Fund ‘Torchlight’ for Millions of Women in Control over Their Lives, Says Deputy Secretary-General at Anniversary Event

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at a reception marking the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in New York today:

Happy birthday UNFPA.  50 years.  Congratulations to Natalia Kanem and the entire UNFPA family.

UNFPA is the United Nations torchlight for the millions of women in the last 50 years who have struggled to obtain their rights to decision-making over their lives and bodies.

Your impact has been felt in millions of homes and the lives of children who can now survive and thrive.

While we celebrate these incredible achievements against all odds, we also know that so many were left behind and that the glass is only half full.

Today’s headwinds for women’s rights are strong, as demonstrated in last week’s annual briefing on sexual violence in conflict at the Security Council.  We thank our unwavering Secretary-General, Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten, as well as Nobel Peace Prize Winners Nadia Mourad and Denis Mukwege for keeping the flame alive.

In September we will take stock of the Sustainable Development Goals.  We have only one more decade to get this right.

We will also hold high-level meetings on universal health coverage and financing, two crucial aspects in our efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda.  We will also review the Samoa Pathway.

Today we celebrate our power to make a difference, individually and collectively.  We demand of ourselves to redouble our efforts for this next stage of our journey.  We call to action all leaders who have a duty to deliver on their promises to all women and girls, to leave no one behind.

We must do this with the urgency it deserves, as the Secretary-General said, our message remains as vital as ever.

In closing, 2 years ago I was blessed with a granddaughter, Maya, we call her the boss.  She was exclusively breastfed and immunized, and family planning was my daughter’s choice, accepted by her husband.  I want that for every woman.  Join us in our fight to make that possible in our world today.