The Population and Development Strategy of the UNFPA
Overview
Population and Development is one of the main thematic areas of the UNFPA. It links the issues of population and reproductive health to various development concerns such as poverty and hunger, environment, education, and women’s empowerment and rights, among others. It also seeks to contribute to an enhanced policy and programme environment for population and reproductive health in the country.
The component works along a three-pronged strategy of alliance-building for policy and programme advocacy, knowledge-building for evidence base, and capacity-building for PopDev-responsive local development planning in partnership with various government and civil society organizations.
UNFPA is supporting a number of projects under the Population and Development component. These projects are as follows:
- Capacity to Monitor the Programme of Action (PoA) of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (P103)
- Integrating with ICPD (P201)
- Linking Population, Reproductive Health and Gender to Poverty (P202)
- Research and Training in Population (P203)
- Support to Poverty Reduction (P204)
Projects are implemented by key government and civil society partners at the national and local levels.
The PDS Component works on advocacy and PopDev integration with the local government units (LGUs) as lead implementing partners (P201). The advocacy project, P202, primarily aims to mobilize wider support for population and reproductive health policies and programs. It focuses on networking and partnership building towards the passage of policy and program reforms in population, RH, and gender.
Project P203 aims to increase awareness and appreciation of population and development and seeks to integrate them into national and sectoral plans. Under P204, partners formulate a strategy towards integration of population and poverty reduction approaches in national and local development plans.
The project with the LGUs as lead implementing partners (P201) will focus on both advocacy and PopDev integration. The advocacy project, P202, primarily aims to mobilize wider support for population and reproductive health policies and programs. It focuses on networking and partnership building towards the passage of policy and program reforms in population, RH, and gender.
Meanwhile, Project P203 aims to increase awareness and appreciation of the population development and integrating the it into national and sectoral plans. Another initiative under P204 is the formulation of an operationalization strategy towards population and poverty reduction approaches by research, as well as by consultations among stakeholders.
UNFPA continues to support national efforts in achieving the government’s commitment to implement the Programme of Action (PoA) of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), particularly MDG 5 (Improving Maternal Health). In addition, more intensified efforts are needed in the following:
- Passage and implementation of population and RH policies at the national, regional (ARMM) and local levels
- Sustaining allocation and actual expenditure of national and local budgets for RH and FP services
- Strengthening and mobilizing national and local alliances and advocacy groups
- Complementing demand created from communication strategies (e.g. BCC) with services (i.e. supply)
- Localizing and sustaining ARH advocacy and expanding interventions in the community (OSY and parents)
- Adoption and institutionalization of POPDEV and poverty integration approach to planning at the municipal & barangay levels
- Completion of the CBMS and their utilization for planning and policy-making
- Strengthening advocacy for VAW especially at the local level
- Implementing BCC strategies to prevent HIV/AIDS










