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UN Population Fund Seeks Help of Religious Groups - UN Finance - Global Policy Forum UN Population Fund Seeks Help
of Religious GroupsAgence France Presse
April 4, 2002The head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Thoraya Obaid, called Wednesday on religious groups to help promote understanding of the fund's more controversial programs.
"We are having a financial crisis because we are accused of promoting and supporting abortion policies in China as well as in other countries," Obaid said. "We are facing it because of the religious debate," she added. William Ryan, an information officer for UNFPA, said: "We are now facing a shortfall in funding of 50 million dollars, 34 million of that from the US."
Last month President George W. Bush suspended the United States contribution to the fund, saying that it promoted abortion.
Speaking at the release of a report entitled "Religion and Public Policy at the UN," Obaid said non-governmental organizations had "a moral responsibility" to ensure that critics of the Fund's activities were accurately informed.
The report identified the 1992 Earth summit in Rio and the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, held in Cairo, as "important milestones of increased religious NGO participation at the UN."
Out of some 2,000 NGOs accredited to the United Nations 18 months ago, 180 were religious organizations. Of those, 109 were Christian groups, but the report noted that the participation of other faiths was increasing.
Obaid emphasized several programs where the fund works hand in hand with local religious groups.
"For example, in Brazil we work with a religious group that does not accept the concept of family planning," she said.
"We know from our experience at UNFPA that a large proportion of the world's population derives their values from religious beliefs," Obaid, a Saudi citizen, went on.
"In the developing countries, and I come from a conservative religious country, it is very difficult sometimes to separate religious beliefs from practices," she said.
Obaid also cited Ethiopia and South Africa as countries where the fund works with local churches on population issues such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic and fertility rates.
"I have been in the UN for almost 30 years," said Obaid.
"You come to realize that the dialogue is not a dialogue in politics per se. It's a dialogue on culture, on cultural values and religious beliefs. In the work that we do I believe strongly that religion counts."
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