U.S. Withholds $34 Million from the UN Population Fund

The United States this month announced it would withhold $34 million allocated to the United Nations Population Fund for the third year in a row.

Under the provisions that the UN Population Fund money is allocated, it cannot be given to the agency if the State Department determines that there is a direct link between the UNPF and China’s practice of coercive abortion as part of its one child policy.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said of the withheld funds,

These Chinese programs have penalties that amount to coercion. THerefore we feel, by funding these programs, we would be indirectly helping the Chinese to improve their management of programs that result in coercive abortion, and that’s prohibited by our law.

Sources:

US cuts UN funds in abortion row. Jill McGivering, The BBC, July 17, 2004.

U.S. Blocks Aid to U.N. Population Fund. Barry Schweid, Associated Press, July 16, 2004.

UN Population Fund Holds Forum on Europe’s Low Fertility Rates

The United Nations Population Fund recently held a forum in Europe to examine an odd topic — the extremely low fertility rates that most European countries are currently experiencing.

Over the last 25 years, European countries have seen an unprecedented, sustained drop in total fertility rates. As United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Executive Secretary Brigita Schmögnerová noted,

Europe is currently in a unique epoch in its population history. Europe is moving into a new demographic regime.

Since this has never happened to a human society that was not facing some sort of crisis, the implications for Europe’s future are still hotly debated. Europe is likely, for example, to soon become the society with the oldest average age ever — how will that affect it? How will Europe handle the decline in younger workers and the attendant increase in older people?

Sources:

UN’s European population forum to examine region’s low fertility. UN Wire, January 12, 2004.

Experts Examine Europe’s Population, Reproductive Health Concerns. Press Release, United Nations, January 12, 2004.