Ambassador Lisa Carty
U.S. Representative to ECOSOC
New York, New York
February 2, 2023
AS DELIVERED
Thank you very much madame president and thank you Executive Director Kanem for bringing these issues to us this morning in such a tangible and human way.
We thank UNFPA for its continued determination to elevate the health and wellbeing of women and girls in all their diversity. For more than 50 years, the United States has worked alongside UNFPA to help drive tremendous progress in improving sexual and reproductive health and maternal health outcomes around the world. In 2022, the U.S. collaboration with UNFPA reached new heights through our successful Partnership Consultation.
Last November, leading experts from the United States and UNFPA gathered to discuss ways to strengthen collaboration around addressing youth and adolescent health, maternal health, essential reproductive health supplies, gender equality, and gender-based violence. The discussion also focused on our significant efforts to improve population data, including through joint support to national censuses around the world.
At this exchange, we highlighted our new policy: Engagement Principles on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment within International Organizations. This initiative is enhanced by our dedicated support to UNFPA’s work in strengthening the PSEAH capacity of international organizations in humanitarian emergencies, including helping build a robust cadre of PSEA coordinators.
At the consultations, we previewed advances in the U.S. flagship humanitarian GBV prevention and response initiative – Safe from the Start Revisioned – and reaffirmed our strong support to UNFPA’s mandate on prevention of and response to GBV within humanitarian contexts. We also welcomed, as a major step forward, UNFPA’s leadership role on the sexual and reproductive health task force within the Global Health Cluster. UNFPA’s enhanced capacity in this cluster will better ensure humanitarian responses prioritize the lifesaving impact of sexual, reproductive, and maternal health services from the onset of an emergency. And, Madame Executive Director, we congratulate you on your efforts to support ever greater numbers of women-led organizations in delivering these essential services. We really hope this trend will continue.
At the International Conference on Family Planning held in Thailand in November, we joined with UNFPA to focus on the latest evidence demonstrating the critical linkages between sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality. We agreed that advancing SRHR is essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda and mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We welcome this momentum which paves the way for meaningful preparation and for the Thirtieth Anniversary of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD+30).
In 2023, and as we prepare for ICPD+30, the United States remains committed to strengthening our partnership with UNFPA and joining the global community to advance sexual and reproductive rights for all.
Thank you.
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