Revisiting 2005: A Year of Achievement, Commitment and Challenge

UNITED NATIONS, New York — The work and mandate of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, gained momentum in 2005, thanks to exceptional support by world leaders, donor, partners and individuals. The inclusion of universal access to reproductive health by 2015 in the 2005 World Summit commitments was an important manifestation of this support.

The broadening base of support for UNFPA is encouraging, because the challenges the Fund addresses on a daily basis have not abated. In 2005, UNFPA responded to the aftermath of two massive natural disasters, the displacement of tens of thousands others following armed conflict, the ongoing emergency of maternal mortality, the continuing crisis of AIDS and the urgency of incorporating reliable population data into development plans. At the same time, UNFPA has been working hard to scale up access to reproductive health and to respond to the changing dynamics of the UN system.

The just-released UNFPA Annual Report 2005 showcases the Fund’s work in each of these areas and demonstrates how this work changes the lives of individuals and families in every region of the world. It also presents facts and figures about our work, including details of the contributions that UNFPA received from a record 172 donor countries, and on the kinds of projects that are supported by this generous funding.

“The UNFPA Annual Report 2005 highlights our work with partners in 142 countries,” said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. “It provides an overview of challenges and achievements throughout the year, in policy and programming and in efforts to harmonize efforts with our United Nations partners.”

These themes were echoed in Ms. Obaid’s statement to the UNFPA Executive Board, where she also details UNFPA’s organizational priorities. Taken together, these two documents provide a compelling look at another extraordinary year for UNFPA.