Statements and speeches
Speech
Opening Remarks by Ms. Diene Keita, UNFPA Executive Director, at the UNGA80 Side Event: The Role of the Private Sector in Advancing Women’s Health “Spotlight on Menopause”
24 September 2025
By 2030, more than one billion women will be postmenopausal. Their health and contributions will profoundly shape families, communities, and economies.
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Remarks by Ms. Diene Keita, UNFPA Executive Director, at the UNGA80 Side Event: Building Resilience for Women and Girls in the Face of Climate Change and Conflict
24 September 2025
As the mothers of your nations, you are in a unique and powerful position to influence national agendas, champion legal reforms, and mobilize public support for the protection and the empowerment of women, girls and young people.
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Opening Remarks by Ms. Diene Keita, UNFPA Executive Director, at the UNGA80 High-Level Meeting on Beijing+30
22 September 2025
Mr. Secretary-General, Madam President, Excellencies, esteemed colleagues, Thirty years ago in Beijing, the world pledged to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. One year earlier, at the…
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Opening Remarks by Ms. Diene Keita, UNFPA Executive Director, at the UNGA80 Side Event: Uniting Efforts on Non-Communicable Diseases and Maternal Health
22 September 2025
It is a privilege to welcome you to UNFPA, and to have so many distinguished guests join us on the eve of the General Debate and the High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases – seminal moments for global health.
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Attacks on Gaza City are destroying health and protection services for pregnant women and survivors of violence
15 September 2025
Intensified bombardment and ground operations in Gaza City are forcing families to flee yet again, with nowhere safe left to turn. Thousands of women and girls are being forced to risk their lives on unsafe roads at prohibitive cost, only to reach overcrowded areas with no food, healthcare, shelter, clean water or sanitation.
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Statement by Ms. Diene Keita Acting Executive Director, UNFPA at the Second Regular Session of the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS
26 August 2025
I thank the Board for your support and guidance and for the extensive consultations that have resulted in the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026-2029 and associated Integrated Budget before you this session.
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Gaza Famine a Catastrophe for Mothers and Infants
22 August 2025
In Gaza today, famine is no longer a dark threat – it has set in. For pregnant and breastfeeding women and their newborns, it is a possible death sentence.
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As health and aid workers face record attacks, leaders must act
14 August 2025
Humanitarian action has never been more important, nor more imperiled. Needs are overwhelming, humanitarian response woefully underfunded, and aid workers and vital infrastructure increasingly under attack.
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Diene Keita Designated Acting Executive Director of UNFPA
16 July 2025
Effective 16 July 2025, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has designated Ms. Diene Keita as Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
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Joint statement by OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS, UNRWA, WFP and WHO on fuel shortage in Gaza
12 July 2025
New York/ Geneva/ Rome/ Gaza, July 12, 2025 - The United Nations warns that the fuel shortage in Gaza has reached critical levels.
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Statement by Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, UNFPA Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) , Seville, Spain 2025
03 July 2025
Seville, Spain | 30 June – 3 July 2025 Excellencies, dear colleagues and friends, I greet you in peace – the noble purpose of the United Nations and the fervent wish of every woman and girl…
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Create choices, not barriers, for young people to thrive
02 July 2025
Our human population is the subject of growing interest – and intensifying anxiety. The concerns that draw most attention are declining fertility rates, ageing and workforce shortages, while many still argue that the greatest threat to the planet is overpopulation. The real fertility crisis, however, is lack of reproductive agency. Young people are too often unable to create the families they want, while at the same time being blamed for low fertility rates and saddled with the expectation of resolving them.
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