National Statement delivered by Ambassador Charlotta Schlyter at the Executive Board of UNFPA, 26 August 2024, New York
Mr. President, Madam Executive Director,
Sweden appreciates UNFPA’s hard work to ensure sexual and reproductive rights and choices for all. We trust UNFPA to push back against those who want to undermine the international commitments on human rights, gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights. We urge UNFPA to continue to push for these issues within the UN system and to make them a core part of the next Strategic Plan.
We commend UNFPA for having maintained a strong financial position and for meeting the commitments of the Funding Compact and thank UNFPA for the comprehensive report on the structured funding dialogue.
The current global context, with severe humanitarian crises in many parts of the world, has put financial pressure on the UN Development System, as well as on programme and donor countries.
UNFPA’s dependency on a few top donors is therefore a concern.
Sweden welcomes UNFPA’s ongoing efforts to increase and broaden the financing base by mobilizing domestic resources and by developing its collaboration with International Financial Institutions and the private sector. Sweden also welcomes UNFPA’s initiatives to enhance the visibility of flexible funding and make it an appealing choice of support.
To attract new partners and donors – public and private – it is central to raise awareness around UNFPA’s global work promoting SRHR as well as results at country level. Sweden underlines the importance of efficient and effective programme implementation, transparency, high quality results reporting and a broadened donor base, including with regards to flexible funding.
Sweden remains one of the top donors to UNFPA and provides flexible funding through core support, thematic support, support to joint programmes and non-earmarked country programme support.
Finally, let me also mention that Sweden welcomes the new country programmes to be adopted at this board meeting.
Support to Ukraine is a top priority for the Swedish Government, and our support to Ukraine includes support through UNFPA’s country programme and UNFPA’s humanitarian thematic fund. It is clear that your work on the ground in Ukraine makes a difference, as it does in many other countries.
Thank you.