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UNFPA - because everyone counts

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity.

UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA seeks to improve the lives and expand the choices of individuals and couples. Over time, the reproductive choices of those who are alive today, multiplied across communities, regions and countries, alter demographic trends.

Changes in the structure, distribution, and size of populations are interlinked with all facets of sustainable development.

UNFPA cooperates with countries, at their request, to collect and analyse population data that can help them understand population trends. This understanding enables governments to formulate and implement effective public policies that address both current and future needs.

The close links between development and reproductive health and gender equality, the other main areas of UNFPA's work, were affirmed at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. UNFPA is guided in its work by the Programme of Action adopted there. At the conference, 179 countries (among them the Russian Federation) agreed on the following goals:

· Universal access to reproductive health services by 2015

· Universal primary education and closing the gender gap in education by 2015

· Reducing maternal mortality by 75 per cent by 2015

· Reducing infant mortality

· Increasing life expectancy

· Reducing HIV infection rates

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, began operations in 1969 as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities. UNFPA Headquearters is located in New York, United States.

Dr. Thoraya A.Obaid is UNFPA Executive Director and UN Under-Secretary-General.

UNFPA Representative in the Russian Federation is Ms. Sietske Steneker (since July 2004).

The cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and UNFPA has focused on the following areas:

· population and development

UNFPA supported the collection and analysis of policy-relevant population data at the federal and regional level, contributing to a more complete understanding of current demographic trends and policy options.

· reproductive health

UNFPA invested in programmes to meet young people's needs for health care, education, economic opportunity and life skills. The Fund works to ensure that young people receive accurate information, non-judgmental counseling and comprehensive and affordable services to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. In this work, UNFPA seeks to engage young people as active participants in programmes that affect them.

· HIV/AIDS prevention

Key priorities were promoting safer sexual behaviour - including delayed sexual initiation - among young people, making sure condoms are readily available and widely and correctly used, and preventing the infection among pregnant women and their babies.

UNFPA’s partners in Russia:

· The Russian State Duma

· Ministry of health and Social development

· Ministry of Education

· Russian Federal State Statistic Service

· Russian Academy of Sciences

· Moscow State University

· Russian Family Planning Association

· Russian Union of Journalists

· Regional Administrations

· Regional and local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

On the bilingual UNFPA Country Office site you can find information about the most recent activities, publications, project briefs and other useful information.

119034 Moscow

28, Ostozhenka street

Telephone: +7-495 787-2113/07

Fax: +7-495 787-2137

E-mail: russia.office@unfpa.org

Website: www.unfpa.ru

Website: www.unfpa.org

© 2006 UN Russia Moscow | E-mail: info@unrussia.ru