About us

Our history

The agency began operating in 1969 as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, the same year the United Nations General Assembly declared “parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children.” While its name was changed to the United Nations Population Fund in 1987, the original acronym remains.

UNFPA strives to ensure sexual and reproductive rights and choices for all, especially women and young people, so that they can access high-quality sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality education.

All of our work is grounded in human rights and respect for culture.

December 1966 | UN adopts a resolution on population - The United Nations officially recognise the growing importance of population issues. Their groundbreaking resolution called for a nuanced approach, considering economic, social, cultural, psychological, and health factors before addressing population concerns. Notably, it affirmed the fundamental right of individuals to freely choose their family size, marking a significant shift in global family planning discourse.

01 July 1967 | UN Secretary General Announces Creation of UN Trust Fund for Population - 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.

22 April 1968 | International conference on population development is born - The foundations of the ICPD began at the International Conference on Human Rights held in Tehran, Iran. The conference adopted the Proclamation of Tehran, which affirmed for the first time in a global agreement, the basic right of parents, “to determine freely and responsibly the number and the spacing of their children.” This later became a cornerstone of the ICPD Programme of Action.

1978 - present | UNFPA issues the first State of World Population - For over four decades, "State of the World Population" has held a mirror to humanity's changing demographics.This annual flagship report spotlights critical issues in sexual and reproductive health and rights, from family planning to gender equality.

1983 | UN Population Award Created - 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.

1987 | First world population day - 11 July 1987 the world hits 5 billion people. As byproduct of the interest generated by the Day of Five Billion, World Population Day is later launched. The day shines a spotlight on the complex challenges and incredible potential embedded within our ever-growing global family. UN Photo/Kibae Park

25 September 2015 | SDG summit - 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. 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

1995 | The 4th World Conference on Women - The Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, resulted in the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, which assisted in strengthening the 'rights' component of the ICPD. The Declaration sets strategic objectives and actions for the advancement of women and the achievement of gender equality.

2022 | UNFPA ramps up humanitarian support - In the face of increased humanitarian disasters, UNFPA ramps up humanitarian support in 2022. Executive Director of UNFPA Natalia Kanem , visits a Ukrainian refugee family who has recently fled war in their country, March 10, 2022 at the Manej Stadium that was transformed overnight into a refugee shelter, in the capital Chisinau, Moldova.

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International conference on population development

The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, made women’s empowerment and autonomy a basis for sustainable economic and social progress. The ICPD Programme of Action adopted by 179 governments in Cairo and the 2019 Nairobi Statement, a recommitment to that programme within the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, has guided our work since. Our programmes, which operate in more than 150 countries and territories with 80 per cent of the world’s population, further the realization of sexual and reproductive rights and choices.

Our place within the UN System

UNFPA is entirely supported by voluntary contributions of donor governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector and foundations and individuals, not by the United Nations regular budget. UNFPA, a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly, reports to the UNDP/UNFPA Executive Board of 36 UN Member States and receives overall policy guidance from the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Fund collaborates with many other development and humanitarian agencies in the field, particularly WHO, UNICEF, UNDP and UNAIDS.