Press Release # 10 

San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 30, 2004. Women's Press Team in CEPAL/RIF-FIRE (Margarita Melgar) Translated by Claudia Anfossi

The Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) declared her support for the 1994 Program of Action of Cairo yesterday afternoon, in a speech at the 30th Session of the Economic Commission for Latin America.  And despite $35 million budget cut by the Bush Administration this year, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, says the UNFPA will continue its work towards human rights and against poverty in all forms related to problems of overpopulation. The UNFPA provides family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention services worldwide.

As part of the 10-year evaluation process of the Program of Action of Cairo, the UNFPA conducted a global survey. A total of 169 countries answered to the survey, including all those in the Latin America and Caribbean region. According to Director Obaid, this illustrates the strong commitment of all these countries to the original agenda of the Program of Cairo from 1994. 

Near the end of her speech at CEPAL, Obaid asked countries in the region in the future to build on the solid base that was established in the past decade since 1994 in Cairo. She pointed out the fact that this work benefits those who are most disadvantaged. Obaid also insisted that people should feel proud for what had been accomplished over the past 10 years, and the fact that we belong to the first generation to dare to imagine a world in which all human beings are able to enjoy their rights have taken action towards these goals.