UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND

June 19, 2003

To: Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

From: Kay J. Maxwell, President

Re: UNFPA Funding

The League of Women Voters urges you to support funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) when the House of Representatives considers H.R. 1950, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act. The League supports an amendment introduced by Representative Joseph Crowley (D NY) and passed by the House International Relations Committee to restore funding for the UNFPA.

For over fifty years, the League of Women Voters has supported the work of the United Nations in developing countries. We strongly support the central role of the United Nations in addressing the social, economic and humanitarian needs of all people.

The United Nations Population Fund, which was founded in 1969, is the largest internationally funded source of population assistance to developing countries. It provides support to 142 developing nations. UNFPA assists these countries in providing responsible and voluntary reproductive health and family planning services, including programs to improve child and maternal health, combat sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS and provide access to education.

Restoring U.S. funding to UNFPA will help it to prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 induced abortions, 77,000 infant and child deaths, and 4,700 maternal deaths. UNFPA follows a policy of not supporting abortion or coercive family planning practices. It is our understanding that the Crowley amendment not only restores funding for UNFPA, but clarifies that UNFPA does not engage in any coercion or support of abortion or sterilization policies in China.

Now more than ever, the work of UNFPA is needed by women and families in developing nations around the globe. We urge you to support the Crowley amendment and to fund the United Nations Population Fund.

Kay J. Maxwell, President, League of Women Voters of the United States