Statements & speeches
Statement
Statement by the Executive Director on Impending Famine in Gaza
27 March 2024
The threat of famine is looming over Gaza. Hunger and malnutrition, driven wholly by manmade causes and by a lack of humanitarian access, have spread through Gaza at frightening speed, causing…
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Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on International Women’s Day 2024
04 March 2024
A peaceful and prosperous future depends on the empowerment of women and girls. Thirty years ago, at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, 179 countries agreed that this was the right thing to do and the necessary path forward for sustainable global development.
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Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr Natalia Kanem
29 February 2024
I note with deep concern the Parliament of Ghana’s passage of the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill''. If the bill becomes law, it will expose many individuals to the risk of arrest…
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Joint statement by OHCHR, UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNOPS on the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive
26 February 2024
The Brussels Offices of OHCHR, UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UNOPS welcome the European Union’s initiative to introduce the proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The adoption of the Directive would represent a significant advance in the global efforts to respect, protect, and fulfill children’s rights and human rights, support gender equality and address environmental challenges, as well as boost efforts to create a level playing field for businesses.
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Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee - Civilians in Gaza in extreme peril while the world watches on: Ten requirements to avoid an even worse catastrophe
21 February 2024
NEW YORK/GENEVA/ROME, 21 February 2024 – In the less than five months that followed the brutal 7 October attacks and the ensuing escalation, tens of thousands of Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed and injured in the Gaza Strip.
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Speech by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem at the Black Feminism Forum
06 February 2024
Keynote Remarks by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem at the Black Feminism Forum in Bridgetown,Barbados.
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Putting survivors at the forefront of the global movement to end female genital mutilation
06 February 2024
NEW YORK, 6 February 2024 – “Today, on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, we reaffirm our dedication to the girls and women who have been subjected to this grave violation of human rights. Every survivor's voice is a call to action, and every choice they make in reclaiming their lives contributes to the global movement to end this harmful practice.
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Statement by Dr. Natalia Kanem Executive Director, UNFPA at the First Regular Session of the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS 2024
01 February 2024
Mr. President, Distinguished Members of the Executive Board, Dear colleagues, dear friends, Happy new year! May 2024 be filled with health, hope, and, above all, peace – peace in our homes, in our communities, and in our world.
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We cannot abandon the people of Gaza
31 January 2024
NEW YORK/GENEVA/ROME, 30 January 2024 – The allegations of involvement of several UNRWA staff in the heinous attacks on Israel on 7 October are horrifying. As the Secretary-General has said, any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable.
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UNFPA calls for scale-up of humanitarian aid and improved access to sexual and reproductive health care for the women and girls of Gaza
20 January 2024
After more than 100 days of conflict, Gaza is unrecognizable. The numbers tell a shocking story, with an unprecedented 2.2 million people in need of aid, and 1.9 million people displaced. Over 24,000 civilians have been killed, 70% of whom are women and children. Many thousands more have been injured, and many are still unaccounted for under the rubble. Of those who have survived, disease, hunger and dehydration threaten whatever little hope they have. The health system is on life support.
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Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, One in five people in the Central Sahel needs humanitarian aid: Now is the time to turn words into action
12 January 2024
NEW YORK/GENEVA/ROME, 12 January 2024 – The crises gripping the Central Sahel are exacerbating humanitarian and protection needs and threatening to reverse development gains. In 2024, some 17 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger need humanitarian assistance and protection – or about one fifth of the population. This crisis also disproportionately affects women and girls, worsening gender inequalities in the region.
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Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem
22 December 2023
As we reflect on the challenging year that has passed, we are reminded of the peace that is missing in our world – the fervent wish of the millions of women and girls UNFPA serves. In 2023, conflicts…
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