UNFPA - Core Contribution 2021

Progetto concluso

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 the only multilateral organization, which is engaged on a normative and operational level in promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights SRHR as well as gender equality and women’s empowerment. It is therefore a key partner for Switzerland to ensure progress on these joint priorities.

Paese/Regione Tema Periodo Budget
Mondo
Sanità
Gender
Istruzione
nothemedefined
Salute e diritti riproduttivi
Violenza sessuale e di genere
Capacità di base per la vita
01.01.2021 - 31.12.2021
CHF  16’000’000
Area di competenza

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.

Priorità strategiche della Svizzera e dell'organizazione e loro coerenza

·     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.

Risultati dell'impegno dell'organizzazione nella fase precedente

UNFPA has a strong performance, but regarding SRHR it operates in an increasingly difficult political context, which restricts the work and limits the impact of UNFPA in several countries. At mid-point of Strategic Plan 2018-2021 implementation, results are mixed. In 2019, 51.6 million women and adolescents in UNFPA priority countries used integrated sexual and reproductive health services. This is a slight negative trend, which risks to continue due to disruptive effects of COVID-19. On the positive side, the prevention of unintended pregnancies (44 million prevented), unsafe abortions (12.8 million prevented) and maternal deaths (121,000 less) was better in the years 2018-2019 than in the past. However, the achievement of the “three zero” (end maternal death, end unmet need for family planning, end gender-based violence and all harmful practices) by 2030 remains uncertain. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic is severely disrupting access to life-saving sexual and reproductive health services. It is deepening existing gender inequalities, increasing gender-based violence, and worsening discrimination and barriers for marginalized groups. To adress these challenges UNFPA helps governments to strengthen the capacity of their health systems, procuring and delivering essential supplies (i.a. masks, disinfectants, and protective equipment for health workers), and ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services.

UNFPA has strengthened the capacity of national systems in the production of data, as well as its availability and use. The censuses being the primary source of data for development, have though faced delays in some countries, inter alia due to COVID-19. 

Risultati dell'impegno svizzero nella fase precedente

Switzerland engaged in ensuring the implementation of the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2018-2021 and UNFPA’s implementation of the UNDS Reform. In terms of organizational effectiveness, Switzerland focused its institutional dialogue with UNFPA successfully on improved results-based management and strengthened evaluation function. Key results are the development and adoption of the new evaluation policy, and an increased number of joint or system-wide evaluations with other UN agencies. UNFPA ranks among the strong supporters of the UNDS reform promoting system-wide coherence and inter-agency collaboration.

Switzerland continued to follow up its thematic outcome “strengthened sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and youth, including in humanitarian contexts through support by UNFPA of the gender-based violence area of responsibility and UNFPA’s surge capacity”. It has continued to advocate for these priorities in a holistic approach to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) with an emphasis on strengthening of health systems and on reproductive rights. Switzerland was active in intergovernmental processes to defend the values of the ICPD Agenda as the political environment became increasingly difficult in 2019.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, about 10% of Swiss core contributions were used by UNFPA to rapidly and flexibly respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

While the experience with UNFPA continues to be positive regarding support in the choice of placements of Swiss JPOs, with only two Swiss nationals at professional level and higher left in UNFPA, the overall situation is not satisfactory.

Effetti a medio termine ottenuti dall'attuale impegno dell'organizzazione

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. 

Effetti a medio termine ottenuti dall'attuale impegno svizzero

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.

Direzione/Ufficio responsabile DSC
Partner del progetto Partner contrattuale
Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite (ONU)
  • Fondo delle Nazioni Unite per la popolazione


Budget Fase in corso Budget Svizzera CHF    16’000’000 Budget svizzero attualmente già speso CHF    16’000’000
Donatori

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

Coordinamento con altri progetti e attori

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

Fasi del progetto Fase 28 01.01.2022 - 31.12.2024   (Fase in corso)

Fase 27 01.01.2021 - 31.12.2021   (Completed)

Fase 26 01.01.2018 - 31.12.2020   (Completed) Fase 24 01.01.2014 - 31.12.2016   (Completed)