Introduction of UNFPA

Established in 1967, UNFPA is the largest internationally funded source of population assistance. Its purposes are as follows: 1.to build and develop the knowledge and the capability in the international community to respond to needs in population and family planning at national, regional, inter-regional and international levels. 2. to promote awareness in all countries of economic, social and environmental impact of population. 3. to assist developing countries, at their request, in dealing with their population problems in the forms and means best suited to the individual countries' needs, while respecting their sovereignty and social and cultural values. 4 to guide the activities relating to the promotion of population programmes of the United Nations system and to coordinate projects supported by the Fund. The headquarter of the Fund is in New York.

China's Relations with UNFPA

The relations between the China and UNFPA have developed step by step since China's legitimate rights were restored in the United Nations. In May 1978, China and the delegation of UNFPA signed the Memorandum of Understanding in Beijing. China sponsored the Conference of Asian Parliamentarians on Population and Development twice in October 1981 and September 1987 respectively in Beijing together with UNFPA. Mr. Natif Satik (from Pakistan), Executive Director of UNFPA, visited Beijing many times. By the end of September 1999, UNFPA had provided US$177 million of assistance to and carried out 123 projects in China. From 1979 to 1998, China contributed USD11.35 million and RMB2.1 million to UNFPA. The donation of China in 1998 amounted to USD820,000 and RMB300, 000. The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (Tel: 65197712) and the State Commission for Family Planning(Tel: 62046622-2403) are responsible for matters relating to UNFPA. The UNFPA representative office in Beijing was set up in 1980, concurrently headed by the UNDP representative. Its director was renamed as the UNFPA representative in accordance with the resolutions respectively adopted by the UNFPA annual session in June 1995 and the UN General Assembly in December of the same year, and thereafter is on longer held concurrently by the UNDP representative. Mr. Sven Burmester (from Denmark), the present UNFPA representative, assumed office in January 1998.

Address of UNFPA Representative Office in China:

No.2, Sanlitundongqijie, Beijing.

Tel: 65323730-65323739.