United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Legislation | Documents/Reports | Links | Press Releases

As a strong defender of international family planning, I have been a longtime supporter of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund). UNFPA has been, and continues to be, a leader in the renewed commitment of the world community to stabilize global population and improve the status of women. The Agency operates in over 146 nations in the world and supplies ¼ of all grant assistance to population programs worldwide; more than ½ of UNFPA’s assistance is devoted to maternal and child health programs, including voluntary family planning. Since 2001, Congress has appropriated money to contribute to UNFPA each year, and each year the administration has withheld that contribution, invoking the Kemp-Kasten provision. The administration claims UNFPA supports the Chinese government in forced sterilizations and coercive abortions - a claim that was flatly refuted by the State Department’s own fact-finding team. I continue to work to restore funding to the Agency and am very hopeful that under an Obama Administration, UNFPA will get the funding it deserves and needs to continue its lifesaving work. 

Legislation: 

 05/27/10 - H.R. 5441 Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope, and Dignity Restoration Act of 2010

06/07/2007 - H.R. 2604, United Nations Population Fund Women's Health and Dignity Act

05/02/07 - H.R.2114, Repairing Young Women's Lives Around the World Act 

06/16/05 - H.AMDT.293, Maloney Amendment on UNFPA and Kemp Kasten

06/08/05 - H.R.2811, Repairing Young Women's Lives Around the World Act

03/15/05 - H.AMDT.49, Maloney Amendment on UNFPA Tsunami Relief

03/01/05 - H.R.1011, Women, Children, and Infant Tsunami Victim Relief Act of 2005

02/11/04 - H.R.3810, Repairing Young Women's Lives Around the World Act [108th Congress]

03/11/03 - H.R.1196, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Funding Act of 2003 [108th Congress]

07/26/02 - H.R.5293, Still Saving Women's Lives Act of 2002 [107th Congress]

03/07/02 - H.R.3916, Saving Women's Lives Act of 2002 [107th Congress]

03/20/01 - H.R.1117, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Funding Act of 2001 [107th Congress]

01/31/01 - H.R.361, Saving Women's Lives Through International Family Planning Act of 2001 [107th Congress]

02/10/00 - H.R.3634, Saving Women's Lives through International Family Planning Act of 2000 [106th Congress]

03/02/99 - H.R.895, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Funding Act of 1999 [106th Congress]

12/13/95 - H.CON.RES.119, Legislation supporting the Beijing Conference [104th Congress]

Links: 

UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund

More on United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Feb 26, 2009 Press Release

WASHINGTON—Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) today applauded Congressional approval of $50 million in appropriations for UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

“The House has sent a message to millions of women and children around the world: we know you have struggled and we are going to help,” Maloney said. “Instead of ignoring the world’s neediest, we will now help those who seek it, and help save women’s lives in the 150 countries where UNFPA does its valuable work.”

Jan 23, 2009 Press Release


WASHINGTON, DC—Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) issued this statement upon President Obama’s announcement today to repeal the “global gag rule.”

“President Obama, in his first days, is well on his way to reversing 8 years of misguided policy,” Rep. Maloney said. “In repealing the global gag rule, President Obama has stopped the export of our divisive politics and renewed the export of our rights and values of free speech and expression. I proudly stand with him and will work within Congress to increase funding for family planning services abroad so that women’s lives may be treated with the respect they deserve-- and help achieve our overall foreign policy goals of increasing democracy abroad,” Maloney concluded.

Jan 23, 2009 Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC-- Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), a leader in the fight to fund UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, issued this statement upon President Obama's announcement to release funding for UNFPA in the next budget: President Obama is continuing to change course on women's health," Rep. Maloney said.

Nov 12, 2008 Press Release
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 – Development programs to promote women’s rights must work within cultures to bring about change rather than trying to impose change from above," Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) said today.
Jun 25, 2008 Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) released the following statement today on the Bush Administration’s decision to again block the United States’ contribution to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA):

Sep 7, 2007 Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) released the following statement on the Bush Administration’s decision to once again block the United States’s contribution to UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund).
Jun 27, 2007 Press Release

I’d like to talk about the world’s cities as places of hope, especially for women.

May 3, 2007 Press Release
WASHINGTON - To end the Bush Administration’s refusal to fund programs that could help save the lives of millions of women and babies around the world, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) reintroduced the “Repairing Young Women’s Lives around the World Act” (H.R. 2114).  The bipartisan bill would mandate $34 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to prevent, treat, and renew the hopes of women suffering from obstetric fistula, a horrific and debilitating condition found predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Arab States. 
Sep 15, 2006 Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – The Bush Administration has once again blocked United States’s $34 million contribution to UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund). The money was appropriated by Congress for FY06, but this is the fifth consecutive year in which the contribution has been withheld. The determination to de-fund UNFPA was apparently made on Wednesday (notification of determination), but the State Department failed to notify the public.
Sep 16, 2005 Press Release
 WASHINGTON, DC - The Bush Administration notified Congress last night that, for the fourth consecutive year, it will withhold the United States’s $34 million contribution to UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund). The money was appropriated by Congress in June. The administration made this determination as the world community gathers in New York for the UN’s 60th anniversary.

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