Maintaining Effectiveness in a Challenging Aid Environment
UNFPA surpassed funding targets for regular and other resources in 2009 and secured multi-year commitments from 52 countries. Nineteen donors made contributions exceeding $1 million. The global economic downturn continued to be challenging for resource mobilization, however, and total regular and other income in 2009 was $783.1 million, down from $845.3 million in 2008.
Income
Regular income totalled $486.4 million, an increase over the 2008 total of $469.5 million. The 2009 total includes $469.4 million in voluntary contributions from governments and private donors, $10.7 million in interest income and $6.3 million in other contributions. Regular resources, mostly comprising government pledges, provide reliable, flexible support for UNFPA programmes in developing countries. They are also used for programme administration and management. Other contributions in 2009 totalled $296.7 million, a drop from $375.8 million in 2008. The 2009 figure includes interest and other income of $7 million. Income from other resources is earmarked for specific activities and encompasses trust funds, cost-sharing programme arrangements and other restricted funds.
Expenditures
Project expenditures from regular resources in 2009 totalled $347.8, compared to $340.4 million in 2008. The 2009 figure included $304 for country and regional programmes, compared to $272.4 million in 2008; and $43.8 million for global and other programmes, compared to $68 million for 2008. UNFPA provided $160.9 million in assistance for reproductive health, $94.6 million for population and development, $46.3 million for gender equality and women’s empowerment and $46 million for programme coordination and assistance.
Regional Spending
In 2009, UNFPA provided support to 155 developing countries, areas and territories: 45 in sub-Saharan Africa, 14 in the Arab States, 20 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 40 in Latin America and the Caribbean, and 36 in Asia and the Pacific. Sub-Saharan Africa received the largest percentage of UNFPA regular resources at $136.2 million, followed by Asia and the Pacific at $87.8 million, Latin America and the Caribbean at $34.1 million, the Arab States at $31 million and Eastern Europe and Central Asia at $14.9 million.
Management
In 2009, UNFPA continued to improve its systems for results-based management, accountability and enhanced staff capacities in annual planning and budgeting exercises. By the end of 2009, three quarters of UNFPA country office staff had undertaken some form of results-based management training. More than 90 per cent of country offices reported that they had achieved at least 75 per cent of their 2009 output targets.
To bolster accountability, country offices file monthly accountability reports. Procurement procedures have been strengthened, and fraud risks have been reduced by outsourcing responsibility for vendor management. A comprehensive 2009 review of UNFPA’s internal controls helped strengthen accountability and harmonize UNFPA systems with those considered best practices at other United Nations agencies.
