Statements and speeches
Statement
UN humanitarian leaders urge Security Council to preserve cross-border aid lifeline to north-west Syria
02 January 2023
United Nations Security Council resolution 2642 – which allows for life-saving humanitarian aid to be delivered to north-west Syria from across the Turkish border – is set to expire in eight days. If the Council fails to extend it, the consequences will be catastrophic for 4.1 million people in non-Government-controlled areas. Most of them are women and children who need assistance just to survive at the peak of winter and amidst a serious cholera outbreak.
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Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee on Afghanistan, Women’s participation in aid delivery must continue
28 December 2022
The decision by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to ban women from working in humanitarian non-governmental organizations is a major blow for vulnerable communities, for women, for…
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Taliban banning women from higher education and from working with humanitarian organizations
26 December 2022
Statement by Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA
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Remarks by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem at the Launch of UNFPA Humanitarian Action Overview 2023
13 December 2022
Remarks by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem delivered at the Launch of UNFPA Humanitarian Action Overview, Tuesday 13 December 2022 at 10:00 am EST.
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Remarks by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem at the Arria Formula Meeting of the Security Council on the Implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda
12 December 2022
Remarks by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem delivered at the Arria Formula Meeting of the Security Council on the Implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, Monday 12 December 2022 at 1:15 pm EST.
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Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on Human Rights Day 2022
08 December 2022
As we mark this year’s Human Rights Day, we call on people everywhere to #StandUp4HumanRights. All 8 billion people alive today should enjoy all human rights, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as other international agreements and national laws. This year, we at UNFPA applaud the strides that many countries are making in enacting laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
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Remarks by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem at 'The Virtual is Real', hosted by UNFPA and Grace Farms Foundation
07 December 2022
Remarks delivered by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem at 'The Virtual is Real', hosted by UNFPA and Grace Farms Foundation in New Canaan, Connecticut on 7 December 2022.
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First Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
05 December 2022
Remarks by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem at the First Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.
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Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022
01 December 2022
For the 1 billion people in the world with disabilities, bodily autonomy is a right but not always a reality. Too often, persons with disabilities go unprotected from violence or are prevented from making decisions about their own bodies and lives.
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Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on World AIDS Day 2022
29 November 2022
Equal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights is crucial for all 8 billion people in our world today. The urgent call to dismantle discriminatory barriers to rights and choices is nowhere more important than in the response to HIV, which is under unprecedented pressure amid multiple global crises.
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Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2022
23 November 2022
With the global population recently reaching 8 billion, we can celebrate many signs of human progress. Better health and longer lives brought us to this point. Yet a sobering reality is how uneven progress has been, and how systematically violence against women and girls still robs so many of dignity, well-being and the right to peace.
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Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on the crisis in Somalia
11 November 2022
“A catastrophe is unfolding in Somalia. The country has been blighted by the longest and most severe drought in recent history, which is expected to continue well into 2023. Entire communities are bearing the brunt of the worsening food crisis, but as is often the case women and girls are paying an unacceptably high price.
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