UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programmes. Since it began its operations in 1969, the Fund has provided nearly US$ 6 billion in assistance to developing countries.

UNFPA works with governments and non-governmental organizations in over 140 countries, at their request, and with the support of the international community. UNFPA is guided by the Programme of Action adopted by 179 governments at the International Conference on Population and Development – ICPD (Cairo, 1994), the recommendations of the ICPD+5 Special Session of the General Assembly (New York, 1999) as well as the various outcomes of the ICPD at 10 reviews.  

The ICPD objectives are consistent with the Millennium Development Goals –global targets set by the world leaders in 2000 to halve the extreme poverty by 2015.  The two sets of principles share the same vision for a better and safer world, and each is critical for the realization of the other.  

Together, these elements promote reproductive health - a state of complete physical, mental and social well being in all matters related to the reproductive system. Reproductive health is recognized as a human right, part of the right to health.

UNFPA also helps governments in the world's poorest countries, and in other countries in need, to formulate population policies and strategies in support of sustainable development.

All UNFPA-funded programmes promote women's equality.   UNFPA works to raise awareness of these needs among people everywhere and advocates for close attention to population problems and help to mobilize resources to solve them.

UNFPA Supported Country Programme in Lebanon

For the period 2002-2006 (extended to 2009), UNFPA and its national counterparts developed its programme within the framework of a human rights based approach.  The programme adopts a multi-faceted strategy in addressing population and reproductive health needs in support of the country’s rehabilitation and development process at the national and regional levels giving due attention to regional disparities.

The Country Programme in Lebanon supported by UNFPA is implemented with the participation of a wide range of partners such as line ministries (Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Social Affairs, and Ministry of Education and Higher Education), governmental administrations and commissions (Central Administration of Statistics, National Commission for Lebanese Women, National Population Commission), local authorities (i.e. municipalities), relevant Non Governmental Organizations, as well as key academic/research institutions. In addition to all these implementing partners, UNFPA ensures partnership with the National AIDS Control Programme, Council for Development and Reconstruction, United Nations Agencies, and others for maximizing coordination. National experts provide technical support for the implementation of selected activities and tasks.

In the area of Reproductive and Sexual Health, UNFPA focused on helping to improve services and information and information to men, women, and young people with special attention to the underserved areas particularly Baalbeck/Hermel, Akkar, Southern suburb of Beirut, and south Lebanon particularly in view of the July-August war in 2006 (refer to section on UNFPA’s humanitarian response to crisis and recovery). The interventions aimed to improve coverage, utilization and quality of integrated reproductive health services and information within a primary health care context mainly through capacity development, reviewing and updating the normative quality assurance tools, meeting the unmet needs of couples in family planning, and strengthening institutional capacities for delivering quality services. UNFPA also supported the development of a “Youth Friendly Service Package” within selected service delivery points. 

With respect to improving information and outreach, UNFPA supported the implementation of a national awareness and outreach strategy in reproductive and sexual health focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention through various behavior change communication initiatives with emphasis on youth and population most at risk.  These initiatives adopted a variety of approaches and methodologies to promote and disseminate culturally and gender sensitive messages such as entertainment education, youth to youth peer education, outreach, social franchising, media campaigns, to name but a few.  Developing capacities of implementing partners as well as different concerned stakeholders was fundamental to the achievement of this component.

In the area of Population and Development, UNFPA supported the governmental institutions in promoting the integration of population into development national and sectoral plans and strategies.  Specifically, support was provided in increasing the availability of population-related data disaggregated by sex and region and in enhancing government effectiveness in the area of population and development through institutional capacity building and integration of population and gender dimensions into sectoral planning and programming.   With regards to data collection and analysis, UNFPA supported the undertaking of national and sectoral research and surveys (i.e. Pan Arab Survey for Family Heath, operational and behavioral research) aiming at identifying national, sectoral, and thematic priority issues and concerns for programme development and monitoring as well as elaboration/adaptation of interventions.

In the area of Gender Equality, UNFPA aimed at promoting women empowerment as well as Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention and protection while ensuring the various initiatives feed into mainstreaming gender equality in development and sectoral strategies, plans, and programmes. Special emphasis was placed on addressing women empowerment within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (Women, Peace, and Security).

Throughout all its work, advocacy actions were intended to ensure a supportive environment, and informing policy and programme decisions, public perceptions of social norms, funding determinations, and community support and involvement for promoting, among others, reproductive and sexual health, HIV/AIDS prevention, integration of population concerns in development and national plans, mainstreaming gender in development, addressing and fighting gender based violence, among others.

The upcoming third programme cycle (2010-2014) supported by UNFPA is fully aligned with the UN Development Assistance Framework for the same period. The programme’s strategies and interventions under the three pillar areas will build on achievements and challenges of the previous programmes while taking into consideration emerging and priority dimensions articulated in various evaluation exercises, research studies, and development frameworks and plans among others.  Specifically, the proposed areas of interventions described below will adopt various strategies including capacity and institutional development, advocacy and policy dialogue, evidence based research, and strengthened coordination mechanisms including community mobilization and expanded partnerships. 

Reproductive Health and Rights:  The programme will continue strengthening access to and utilization of, high-quality services in underserved areas. Initiatives will be prioritized to focus on emergency obstetric and neonatal care as well as development of a maternal audit observatory for improving maternal health. Support will be provided for the development of logistics management information and procurement systems that would be essential building blocks for the development and implementation of a Reproductive Heath Commodity Security Strategy and plan.  Of particular importance is the development and operationalization of youth-friendly facilities within an integrated approach for providing various services including counseling. The programme will place great emphasis on innovative approaches and tools to maximize dissemination of information particularly to young people and most at risk groups for increasing their knowledge and hence contributing to improved perceptions and responsible behaviors. In this regard, the programme will continue supporting the Youth to Youth peer network (i.e. Y-PEER) given its successful approach and the generation of young people as agents of change.  Youth empowerment will also be promoted through fostering the role of youth in planning and programming as well as positioning them as key actors and influencers in national dialogues.  Operations research will provide evidence to further elaborate concretely interventions and strategic actions at various levels i.e. policy formulation, monitoring, improving services, targeting particular groups, etc.  Last but not least, the programme will focus on improving reproductive health in crisis and emergency situations.

Population and Development: This priority area aims at strengthening policy and institutional framework for developing and implementing strategies to reduce poverty and promote equitable economic development. The programme will support the development of an integrated information system to formulate, monitor and evaluate policies at national and sub-national levels, with attention to emergency settings. It will also enhance the capacity of new and existing mechanism to utilize data for integrating population dynamics, reproductive health and gender-equality concerns into development planning and monitoring processes, at national, sectoral and local levels.   Finally it will support national and sectoral development planning processes to reflect the linkages between gender, population and development, within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.

Gender Equality: The third pillar area will aim at integrating gender equality and the human rights of women and adolescent girls into national and sectoral laws, policies, strategies, plans and interventions; as well as improving at national level the prevention of, response to and protection for the victims of gender-based violence. UNFPA will support national institutions and civil society groups to upgrade, adapt and operationalize the national women’s strategy on the one hand, and a strategic planning process to initiate, sustain and monitor gender mainstreaming on the other. A situation analysis will clarify socio-cultural dimensions and legal issues to address gender inequalities and the rights of women and girls. The programme will initiate and support a national debate on identified priorities in the area of gender. On the other hand, the programme will increase awareness, evidence-based advocacy and policy dialogue to improve institutional and legal frameworks and systems that seek to prevent, protect the victims of and respond to gender-based violence. Lastly, support will be provided to upgrade and operationalize the multisectoral plans of action in relevant sectors, services and systems, and in related institutional mechanisms with particular emphasis on interventions in conflict and post-conflict situations.

UNFPA’s Humanitarian Response to Crisis and Recovery

At the onset of the war (July 12, 2006) until the cease fire followed by early and post recovery periods, UNFPA got engaged in responding to the needs of the affected population (displaced, returnees, under siege) in partnership with governmental institutions, civil society organizations and concerned UN sister agencies. UNFPA’s support consisted mainly of a) assessment of maternal and reproductive health needs particularly targeting women and girls, b) procurement of Reproductive Health emergency kits and drugs, medical equipment, family hygiene kits and baby kits, as well as two large hospital generators, c) developing capacities of service providers on reproductive health in emergency situations, and d) conducting a series of studies on the impact of war on vulnerable population i.e. pregnant women, young girls, elderly, people with special needs, female heads of households.  In addition, UNFPA supported recovery interventions within the framework of the principles and elements of UN Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1308 specifically related to women empowerment and conflict prevention as well as promoting a responsible behavior among peace keeping forces on HIV/AIDS respectively.      

UNFPA’s support to emergency relief also targeted the Palestinian refugees affected by the Nahr El Bared camp crisis in 2007 (May - August) through procurement and distribution of family hygiene kits.

For more information about UNFPA programme:
Ms. Asma Kurdahi
United Nations Population Fund
Beirut, Lebanon
P.O. Box: 11-3216
Telephone: (961) 70 111 652
e-mail: kurdahi@unfpa.org
www.unfpa.org.lb


Updated: June 2009

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