Standing firm: UNFPA builds momentum on health and rights, assessment finds

The Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN) launched its assessment of UNFPA’s work yesterday, finding that UNFPA is “a responsive, engaged and well-performing organisation.”

MOPAN, a network of 18 member countries, assesses the effectiveness of multilateral organizations that receive development and humanitarian funding. The assessments look at whether organizations are efficient, effective and sustainable, as well as evaluating a range of performance areas. 

This is the third assessment of UNFPA’s work by MOPAN. “The strengths identified in the 2014 assessment have been sustained and built on, thereby continuing the organisation’s positive performance trend first identified in the 2010 MOPAN assessment,” the report found.

In particular, the assessment found that UNFPA effectively works to meet the needs of real people around the world.

“Country programme alignment to national priorities is consistently clear, and advocacy and policy dialogues have led numerous countries to draft and implement sexual and reproductive health and youth-friendly policies and legislation,” say MOPAN’s key findings. 

“Its  staff  consist  of  committed  and  focused  development practitioners who stand firmly behind the organisation’s goal, working to mobilise partners and funds in  pursuit  of  universal  access  to  sexual  and  reproductive  health  and  rights.”

The release of the assessment comes at a critical moment for the organization, said UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem in her Management Response. The year 2019 marks 50 years since UNFPA began operations and 25 year since the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. On these occasions, UNFPA is taking stock of all that has been accomplished as well as the needs that remain unmet.

In November, UNFPA will co-convene – together with the Government of Kenya and the Government of Denmark – the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, a high-level conference to advance the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action. 

“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary since UNFPA’s creation and the 25th year of implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action, the MOPAN assessment report offers a great opportunity to engage in a constructive dialogue with all our partners, foster learning, improve our contribution to leave no one behind and achieve our three transformative results by 2030: ending the unmet need for family planning, ending preventable maternal deaths, and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices,” Dr. Kanem said.