UNFPA - Core Contribution 2021

UNFPA’s stated mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. Its main areas of work include sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal mortality, gender equality and women’s empowerment, youth, and population dynamics (growth rates, age structure, fertility, mortality and migration).

UNFPA is the lead organisation for the implementation of the Programme of Action (PoA) adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994 and reconfirmed in Nairobi 2019. UNFPA’s work is also strongly guided by the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular goal 3 on health and goal 5 on gender equality.

·     The Swiss Strategy for International Cooperation 2021-2024 includes UNFPA as one of Swiss development cooperation’s 16 priority multilateral development organisations. UNFPA’s work contributes to the Swiss strategic priorities as outlined in the Strategy, in particular with regard to the promotion and realization of sexual and reproductive health and gender equality. Switzerland supports UNFPA by leveraging its own thematic and geographic expertise in these areas. Switzerland’s engagement with UNFPA is in line with the Swiss Health Foreign Policy.

·     UNFPA’s work is derived directly from the Programme of Action of the ICPD, to which Switzerland committed itself in 1994.

·     UNFPA is an important partner of Switzerland in the achievement of the SDGs, in particular goals 3 (health) and 5 (gender equality).

-    UNFPA leads  the Area of Responsibility Gender-based Violence (GBV), a sub-cluster of the Global Protection Cluster. GBV is a priority for SDC’s humanitarian aid in the Strategy. In 2019, UNFPA moved its Humanitarian Response Office with Swiss support to Geneva.

Within its Strategic Plan 2018-2021, UNFPA’s overall impact goal is: to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights and reduce maternal mortality.

The midterm review of the strategic plan found that the strategic focus remain relevant. Adjustments based on this review include i) a strengthened thematic focus on mental health in humanitarian settings, climate change, and ageing and low fertility, ii) responses to the challenges “leaving no one behind”, population data, and quality of sexual and reproductive health care, iii) mechanisms to track the implementaton of the commitments made to achieve the three transformative results (“three zeros”) and the ICPD Programme of Action and iv) further aligning UNFPA with the UN Development System (UNDS) Reform.

In addition, in order to further enhance organizational effectiveness, performance of audit function, transparency as well as increased performance of regional and country offices will be followed up on. UNFPA will also focus on strengthening its capacities in humanitarian action. Working on these priorities, UNFPA also follows the recommendations made in the frame of the latest MOPAN (Multi-lateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network) assessment of UNFPA in 2018. 

Switzerland will continue to engage with UNFPA, in particular through active participation in the Executive Board and through ongoing exchange with UNFPA management, focusing on the following topics:

·     Switzerland actively follows the intergovernmental work within the Commission on Population and Development of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. In the context of the regressive tendencies in the multilateral debate around SRHR and gender Switzerland continues its position of progressive policy advocacy on the one hand but constructively work towards resolving blockages.

·     Switzerland promotes improved access to SRHR services in particular for adolescents, including in humanitarian contexts.

·     Switzerland will engage in a strategic dialogue with UNFPA’s Humanitarian Response Office in Geneva and with the UNFPA led GBV Area of Responsibility.

·     Switzerland promotes improved institutional effectiveness, in particular evaluation (including joint and system-wide evaluations), financial sustainability and gender parity amongst staff.

·     Switzerland supports the implementation of the UNDS reform by ensuring UNFPA’s full integration and implementation of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) recommendations and progress on UN reform.

·     Switzerland closely follows the COVID-19 situation and its implications on UNFPA’s work.

·     Switzerland promotes its representation as a Member State in UNFPA through an increased number of Swiss staff.

·     Switzerland is actively engaged in the elaboration of the new Strategic Plan 2022 – 2025.

Core contributions ranking (2019): 1. Norway, 2. Sweden, 3. Denmark, 4. Germany, 5. Netherlands, 6. UK, 7. Finland, 8. Japan, 9. Switzerland, 10. Canada.

Switzerland regularly coordinates its positions with the Western European and Others Group (WEOG), as well as establishes cross-regional alliances.

Phase 27 01.01.2021 - 31.12.2021   (Completed)