UNGIS

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a United Nations development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

As part of the UN humanitarian system, UNFPA takes the lead in providing supplies and services to protect reproductive health, with an emphasis on the special needs and vulnerabilities of women and young people. The Fund supports various data collection activities, including censuses, to provide detailed information for planning and rapid health assessments to allow for appropriate, effective and efficient relief. It also assists stricken communities as they move beyond the acute crisis and enter the reconstruction phase.

Its work is guided by the Programme of Action, adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development, and the Millennium Development Goals. UNFPA places a strong emphasis on the human rights, including reproductive rights, of individual women and men.

The three core areas of UNFPA's work are:

• Reproductive health
• Gender equality
• Population and development strategies.

In all its work, UNFPA has three cross-cutting themes: mainstreaming young people's concerns, emergencies and humanitarian assistance, and special attention for marginalised and excluded populations. It works in partnership with governments, along with other UN agencies, communities, non-governmental organisations, foundations and the private sector to raise awareness and mobilise support and resources.