UNFPA Core Contribution 2018-2020

Project completed

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) works to address questions related to population and development, with an emphasis on sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, and youth. UNFPA is a key partner for Switzerland to ensure progress on its priorities of sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Global
Health
Gender
Education
nothemedefined
Reproductive health & rights
Sexual & gender-based violence
Basic life skills
01.01.2018 - 31.12.2020
CHF  48’000’000
Area of responsibility 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. 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.
Switzerland's and the organisation's strategic priorities and their coherence
  • The Federal Council’s Dispatch for International Cooperation 2017- 2020 includes UNFPA as one of Swiss development cooperation’s 15 priority multilateral organisations.
  • UNFPA’s work contributes to the Swiss strategic priorities as outlined in the Dispatch, in particular with regard to the promotion and realization of sexual and reproductive health and gender equality. UNFPA is the lead of the “protection cluster” in humanitarian contexts, including gender-based violence, which is a priority for SDC’s humanitarian aid in the Dispatch.
  • The CCM is line with the Swiss International Health Strategy.
  • UNFPA’s work derives 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).
Results of the organisation's previous engagement The Mid Term review of UNFPA’s 2014-2017 and 2016 Annual Report demonstrated UNFPA’s imrpoved results and that UNFPA was well on its way to achieve 95% of its output targets. In 2016 alone UNFPA achieved important results, such as: 20,9 million people reached by contraceptives provided by UNFPA and 11,4 million people received access to sexual and reproductive health services. The estimated impact of contraceptives and services provided by UNFPA is 3,68 million unsafe abortions averted and 29,000 maternal deaths averted. In 2016 in humanitarian contexts, UNFPA reached more than 11 million people with sexual and reproductive care and services addressing gender-based violence.
Results of Switzerland's engagement in previous phase Switzerland engaged in ensuring UNFPA’s implementation of the QCPR and in the elaboration of the new Strategic Plan. Switzerland contributed to UNFPA’s effort to ensure the Sexual Reproductive Human Rights (SRHR) of women and girls, all the while dialoguing with the organization to ensure that it maintains its strong focus on women and youth, including in the elaboration of its new strategic plan 2018-2021. Switzerland intensified its engagement with UNFPA, particularly in the areas of evaluation, results-based management and UN coordination. Significant improvement was measured in these areas. For example, the percentage of corporate and programme-level evaluations that were completed as planned grew from 77% in 2014 to 100% in 2017. In addition, despite core resource intake in 2016 that was markedly lower than expected, management demonstrated its commitment by maintaining its budgetary allocation for the Evaluation Office (increase of 35% from 2015).
Medium-term outcome of organisation's current engagement

Within its new 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.

In addition, to further enhance organizational effectiveness, outcomes will follow-up on performance of audit function, transparency as well as increased performance of regional and country offices

Effect in Switzerland

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

  • Improved access to SRHR services in particular for adolescents, including in humanitarian contexts
  • Improved institutional effectiveness, in particular evaluation, financial sustainability and gender parity amongst staff.
  • Switzerland contributes to 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.
  • The representation of Switzerland as a Member State in UNFPA is enhanced through an increased number of Swiss staff.
Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • United Nations Population Fund


Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    48’000’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    48’000’000
Switzerland's ranking in the DonorOrder

Core contributions ranking (2016): 1. UK, 2. Sweden, 3. USA, 4. Canada, 5. Norway, 6. Netherlands, 7. Japan, 8. Denmark, 9. Switzerland, 10. Finland

Donors

UK, Sweden, USA, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, Japan, Denmark, Switzerland and Finland

Coordination with other projects and actors

Switzerland regularly coordinates its positions with the Western European and Others Group (WEOG), as well as establishing alliances with interested countries outside the WEOG.

Project phases Phase 28 01.01.2022 - 31.12.2024   (Current phase) Phase 27 01.01.2021 - 31.12.2021   (Completed)

Phase 26 01.01.2018 - 31.12.2020   (Completed)

Phase 24 01.01.2014 - 31.12.2016   (Completed)