Paying their Fair Share - Donor Countries and International Population Assistance

DONOR NATIONS AND POPULATION ASSISTANCE

In 1994, at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo, Egypt, the international community recognized the enormous unmet reproductive health needs in the developing world and the importance of meeting these needs to improve individual well-being and achieve sustainable development. At the conference, 180 nations signed on to a plan to expand and improve reproductive health services and agreed that both developing and donor nations should significantly increase funding for these services. Almost five years after the Cairo conference, the international community is taking stock of progress in implementing conference recommendations and mobilizing the necessary funds.

This report evaluates the response by the major donor countries to the ICPD, as reflected in the financial and technical assistance they provide to population and reproductive health programs in poorer nations. The analysis examines recent funding trends, and progress towards and obstacles to fulfilling the financial goals agreed to in Cairo. It assesses current political commitment to population assistance, the adequacy of donor country contributions, and constraints to the more effective utilization and management of donor funds.

The report also includes individual profiles of the major donor nations, describing their respective population policies, program priorities and financial contributions, and rating each country’s performance as a population donor. The report updates an earlier analysis published by Population Action International in 1993, and complements the annual report on donor financial contributions published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).