Creation and Evolution

The legislative history of UNFPA can be traced back to 30 July, with the adoption of Economic and Social Council resolution 1084 (XXXIX) on the work programmes and priorities in the population field. The resolution recognizes the need to intensify and expand the United Nations system’s work on population. UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata

The United Nations General Assembly adopts resolution 2211 (XXI), which calls for the United Nations and its agencies to help in further developing and strengthening national and regional facilities for training, research, information and advisory services in population growth and economic development. The Assembly recognized the sovereignty of nations in formulating their own population policies, “with due regard to the principle that the size of the family should be the free choice of each individual family.” UN Photo/Teddy Chen

United Nations Secretary-General announces the creation of a special United Nations Trust Fund for Population Activities. The announcement is made on his behalf by then Under-Secretary for Economic and Social Affairs, Philippe de Seynes. Pictured above are Mr. de Seynes and then-Secretary General, U Thant in a photo taken several years earlier.

The International Conference on Human Rights in Tehran, Iran, adopts a Proclamation, which declares: “Parents have the basic human right to determine freely and responsibly the number and the spacing of their children.” The Conference also adopts resolution XVIII on human rights aspects of family planning, which says: “Couples have the basic human right to determine freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and a right to adequate education and information in this respect.” UN Photo

Rafael Salas joins UNFPA, to later become its first Executive Director. He is first appointed as Senior Consultant to UNDP Administrator, Paul Hoffman, on 1 August 1969, and as Director of the Fund on 1 October. His titles changes to Executive Director with the rank of Assistant-Secretary-General (1971-72) and later of Under-Secretary-General (from 1973). UN Photo/Milton Grant

The UN Trust Fund for Population Activities is renamed the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and its administration entrusted to UNDP. Photo Caption: Canada Contributes 3.5 Million Canadian Dollars to Fund for Population Activities, UN Photo/Milton Grant

The General Assembly adopts the Declaration on Social Progress and Development, resolution 2542 (XXIV), which states: “Parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children.” UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata

Mr. Salas signs the Fund’s first country agreement, with Pakistan’s Government. The second and third, with Mauritius and Egypt, respectively are signed in 1971. UN Photo/F Iovino

UNFPA helps finance census programmes in 22 African countries, mostly newly independent states that had never completed population censuses. A few years later, another 24 sub-Saharan national census programmes get UNFPA support for the 1980 round of censuses. UN Photo/Gill Fickling

The General Assembly designates UNFPA as the leading United Nations body in promoting population programmes. UN Photo/PS

ECOSOC assigns UNFPA to prepare for the World Population Year planned for 1974. The Fund sets up a temporary secretariat for the Year. UN Photo

The General Assembly places UNFPA under its authority and designates the then-Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the Fund's governing body. UN Photo/John Isaac

UNFPA helps finance the 1974 World Population Conference in Bucharest, Romania. The Conference adopts the World Population Plan of Action by consensus of 133 governments. UN Photo

UNFPA issues the first State of World Population report to raise awareness of the need to address population issues. By the early 1980s, other agencies follow suit publishing theme-based flagship reports. Photo Caption: (l.) cover of State of World Population issue 1978; (r.) cover of State of World Population issue 2015, Photo/UNFPA

The General Assembly sets up the annual United Nations Population Award, first of its kind and then the only Assembly-authorized United Nations award. The Award – a certificate, a gold medal and monetary prize – is first presented in 1983.

UNFPA helps organize the International Conference on Population in Mexico City. The Conference approves 88 recommendations to help further the World Population Plan of Action. UN Photo/Saw Lwin

The General Assembly approves UNFPA name change to the United Nations Population Fund. The Assembly maintains the abbreviation, UNFPA, and UNFPA’s mandate. Photo/UNFPA

UNFPA's Executive Director dies on 3 March. Photo/UNFPA South Africa

Dr. Nafis Sadik is named his successor. She is the first woman to head one of the United Nations major voluntarily financed bodies. UN Photo/M Tzovaras

World population surpasses five billion; 11 July declared the ‘Day of Five Billion’. The Day’s highlight was the welcome by United Nations Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar, of ‘Baby Five Billion’ in Zagreb, in the former Yugoslavia. 11 July later becomes annual World Population Day. UN Photo/Kibae Park

UNFPA organizes the Amsterdam Forum, which recommends goals for the year 2000, many of which are included in the later Cairo Programme and Beijing Platform for Action of 1994 and 1995, respectively. The 79 States taking part approved the consensus Amsterdam Declaration whose Call to Action asked nations to double spending on family planning and major population activities from $4.5 billion in 1987 to $9 billion in 2000. UN Photo/M. Wild

The General Assembly transforms the then-UNDP Governing Council into the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board. UN Photo/Andrea Brizzi

UNFPA celebrates its 25th anniversary. UNFPA has received more than 3 billion in cumulative voluntary contributions coinciding with an 18 per cent rise in pledged assistance. UN Photo/Pernaca Sudhakaran

The Big One: UNFPA helps organize the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. According to former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the conference changed how the international community views population: no longer seen in isolation, but as integral to all development efforts. About 179 countries and entities adopt by consensus, the 16 chapter, 20-year Programme of Action that calls for $17 billion annual spending on population by the year 2000. Photo Caption: Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali (second from right) and President Hosni Mubarak (extreme right) of Egypt applaud the opening remarks made by Dr. Nafis Sadik (second from left), secretary-general of the conference. UN Photo

The General Assembly endorses (per decision 50/438) the designation of UNFPA resident country directors as UNFPA Representatives. Photo Caption: Stari Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Photo/John Isaac

The Hague Forum and the General Assembly’s special session on the implementation of the Programme of Action (ICPD+5) are organized and held in February and June-July, respectively. Among the recommendations of the 106-paragraph key actions to implement the Cairo Programme adopted by consensus by the Assembly are benchmarks. At least 40 per cent of all births should be helped by skilled persons where maternal death is very high, and 80 per cent globally, by 2005. They should rise to 50 and 85 per cent, respectively, by 2010; and 60 and 90 per cent by 2015. UN Photo/Albert González Farran

UNFPA marked 12 October as the Day of the Six Billion. (This was later revised as the UN Population Division reassessed its calculations and stated that the Day was actually in 1998.) Photo Caption: Adnan Mevic (first name given on a later date) was symbolically designated as the 6th billionth world citizen upon his birth at 3.6 kg and 52 cm tall, thereby officially marking the Day of Six Billion., UN Photo/Milton Grant

Many of the ICPD+5 goals are adopted as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by a summit of about 150 world leaders. UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz

Thoraya Ahmed Obaid of Saudi Arabia becomes the third UNFPA Executive Director. She serves until 31 December 2010. UNFPA Photo

The General Assembly authorizes the UN Secretary-General to delegate to UNFPA’s Executive Director formal authority in human resources matters. UN Photo/M Novicki
Bopolu, Liberia

The mid-term review of the ICPD Programme of Action has three major findings: First is the reaffirmation across the globe of the ICPD Programme of Action and the Key Actions. Second is the universal recognition that the effective implementation of the Programme of Action requires a commitment of increased financial resources. And third is the acknowledgement that full implementation of the Cairo Programme is essential to the attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and that this link must be stressed at the five-year-review of the Millennium Declaration. UN Photo/Mark Garten

World leaders add a second target under MDG 5: achieve universal access to reproductive health (MDG 5b). UNFPA/Francine Egberts

Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin of Nigeria becomes the fourth UNFPA Executive Director. UN Photo

31 October, the Day of Seven Billion is marked. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report (Cairo+20) substantiates the central premises of the ICPD and points to significant progress in some areas. However, it also finds that little has changed for the poorest and most marginalized, underscoring persistent inequalities in access to sexual and reproductive health and rights within and between countries. It draws attention to the high number of people displaced by conflict, climate change, or poverty in 2014, and calls for greater emphasis on social protection and opportunity for all persons. It relays to governments recommendations on how to realize the unfinished ICPD agenda. UN Photo/Mark Garten

25 September, the United Nations 193 Member States unanimously adopt the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which includes 17 goals to transform the world over the next 15 years, echoing many of the values of the ICPD. The transformative goal to “leave no one behind” places high demands on countries to identify and locate the vulnerable, demanding a data revolution to make that possible. Like the ICPD, the Agenda emphasizes the integrated nature of development, and places high demands for universality in access and opportunity, ushering in an era of development for all people, everywhere. UNFPA works closely with governments and other partners to tackle these goals – in particular Goal 3 on health, Goal 4 on education and Goal 5 on gender equality. UN Photo/Cia Pak

1 January, the sustainable development era begins, with critical roles for UNFPA and its mandate. For more: www.unfpa.org/sdg Caption: Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, talks about what role governments and civil society can play to help the world achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, which calls for good health and well-being, Photo/UNFPA

Dr. Osotimehin vigorously championed three major transformative goals of zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet demand for family planning and the elimination of harmful practices against women and girls.

As Executive Director, I will focus on pursuing UNFPA’s transformative goals, which are cemented in our new Strategic Plan 2018-2021: ending preventable maternal deaths, ending unintended pregnancies by meeting the demand for family planning, as well as ending gender-based violence and harmful practices, such as child marriage, by 2030.”