Read brief

When analysing recent data on European donor support for family planning (FP) and reproductive health (RH), Countdown 2015 Europe partners would like to draw the attention to the following four major trends in Europe:

1. European donors remain committed to FP/RH, even within a tense economic climate and with most governments having shifted to a new political (mostly centre-right) orientation after elections in the past two years.  At the same time, there has been an increasing focus on achieving results and demonstrating impact of official development assistance.
2. Four very interesting recent initiatives in support of FP/RH are worth being supported and followed closely:  The 2010 Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health; the UN Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health; the West African Family Planning conference held in Ougadougou (early 2011); and the planned FP Summit organised by the UK government with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for July 2012, focused on mobilizing resources and support for family planning.
3. European donor core funding to UNFPA increased by 10% between 2009 and 2010.  Due to the relative ease of measuring this figure, it often becomes a proxy indicator for donors’ financial commitment to FP/RH.
4. General lack of transparency on specific funding for FP/RH, especially through bilateral support, remains a major challenge.

These trend analyses were based on policy and funding data from the Countdown 2015 Europe database.  The data collected on the website provides added complementary value to the data already collected on aid flows to reproductive health and family planning

One of the core functions of the Countdown 2015 Europe partners is to collect financial data on their government’s official development assistance (ODA) to reproductive health and family planning. The database is not available to the public – please enter your username and password below to access it.

However, an overview of how the UK is funding Reproductive Health and Family Planning in developing countries is now available online!

For more overviews of European donor funding for RH/ FP, please click here.

Key paragraphs  in terms of recognizing reproductive rights and access to family planning include:

-       Recognition that human rights include reproductive rights, (PP15);

-       Recognition that women living with HIV have a large unmet need (PP17);

-       Governments to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms, regardless of age and marital status (OP7)

-       Access to sexual and reproductive health services for young people based on the right of adolescents to privacy, confidentiality, respect and informed consent (OP25);

-       Young people’s access to comprehensive education on human sexuality (OP26);

-       Access to modern contraception, including male and female condoms (OP28);

-       The need for additional resources to fund the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action

Ten European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, the Netherlands, UK and Sweden) formed a “likeminded group” after the EU block split a week before the negotiations started. The likeminded group operated as one voice throughout the session, proposing strong language on reproductive rights, comprehensive sexuality education, gender equality, youth-friendly services, access to family planning and modern contraception. The likeminded group was supported by other forces in the room and often the groups came out with one voice. Norway, USA, New Zealand and Switzerland proposed very similar language and Norway also pushed for the gender diversity and sexual orientation. Southern countries were crucial in pushing for SRHR of adolescents and youth: South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, Peru, Israel, Brazil, Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Philippines, Thailand, Bolivia, Dominican Republic and Paraguay.

Countdown 2015 Europe members played an active role in strengthening the European voice in this UN CPD process. Five Countdown 2015 Europe members were part of their official delegations as advisors and EPF supported two MPs from Belgium and Finland to attend and contribute to the session. Countdown 2015 Europe members have extensive experience in working with European governments in population and development issues and sexual and reproductive health and rights in particular. European governments have expressed their appreciation towards Countdown 2015 members as reliable partners in international decision making processes like the CPD sessions.

For more overviews of European donor funding for RH/ FP, please click here.

However, an overview of how Portugal  is funding Reproductive Health and Family Planning in developing countries is now available online!

For more overviews of European donor funding for RH/ FP, please click here.

One of the core functions of the Countdown 2015 Europe partners is to collect financial data on their government’s official development assistance (ODA) to reproductive health and family planning. The database is not available to the public – please enter your username and password below to access it.

However, an overview of how Denmark is funding Reproductive Health and Family Planning in developing countries is now available online!

For more overviews of European donor funding for RH/ FP, please click here.

Development Minister Niebel said: “Family planning is a de­ci­sive lever for bringing about a significant re­duc­tion of maternal and child mortality in developing countries. It thus also plays an im­por­tant role for the achievement of further Mil­len­nium De­vel­op­ment Goals, especially gender equality and the em­power­ment of women. The BMZ has adopted an Ini­tia­tive on Rights-based Family Planning and Maternal Health, thus setting clear prio­ri­ties, and it has more than doubled its bilateral commit­ments in 2011 over 2008 levels, bringing the total to nearly 100 million euros.”

However, an overview of how Switzerland is funding Reproductive Health and Family Planning in developing countries is now available online!

For more overviews of European donor funding for RH/ FP, please click here.