Danes Announce New Funds for Population Program

For Immediate Release

Population Action International Applauds Denmark’s Plan to Address Global Demand for Contraception, Meet Development Goals, and Improve the Lives of Women and Communities

(Copenhagen) Population Action International (PAI) applauds today’s announcement by Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Ulla Tørnæs to fund family planning programs as part of strategies to address the impacts of climate change. The Danish government announced a commitment of $30 million DKK, approximately $5.9 million USD, to fund the UNFPA. PAI’s Climate Change spokesperson in Copenhagen, Kathleen Mogelgaard, stated:

“We applaud the Danish government for drawing attention to the critical connections between population growth, women’s health and well-being, and the effects of climate change—and putting money on the table here at the climate negotiations. Fulfilling the global demand for contraception, along with reproductive health and rights, should be part of global efforts to address climate change. Contraception and family planning stand out as an opportunity to improve the health of women and children while increasing resilience to climate change.

This plan builds on political momentum by others, including Secretary Clinton who said in New Delhi, India, on July 19, 2009: ‘ …it's rather odd to talk about climate change and what we must do to stop and prevent the ill effects without talking about population and family planning.’

The U.S. government needs to show global leadership by providing adequate and predictable funding for adaptation that reflects its ‘fair share.’  Fast-start financing is needed in addition to long-term financing and should be additional, not duplicative of existing development allocations.

The world needs to take action now to address climate change, and world leaders need to craft an agreement that is fair, ambitious and binding. Poor and vulnerable populations around the world, those who have contributed the least to climate change, are already suffering its effects.”

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Draft excerpt of Danish Minister to Development’s speech in Copenhagen, December 16, 2009:
 “The combination of climate change and high population growth adds to the pressure on resources in many developing countries.
Population growth puts tremendous pressure on a sustainable management of natural resources, which indicates an indirect link between climate change and women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.
More than 200 million women in developing countries want to avoid pregnancy, but do not have access to modern contraception. It is crucial that we accelerate our efforts to meet these unmet needs. Denmark is a strong advocate for women’s rights.
Therefore I am pleased to announce today a new support of 30 million DKK to the important work UNFPA is doing on sexual and reproductive health services in emergency settings.”

For more information, contact:
In Copenhagen: Kathleen Mogelgaard, Sr. Program Manager for Population and Climate, (202) 415-5287, kmogelgaard@popact.org
In Washington, DC: Caroline Behringer, Communications Coordinator, (443) 285-1928, cbehringer@popact.org