In August 2010—three months before a new executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was announced—CGD formed a Working Group to examine UNFPA’s evolving role in sexual and reproductive health, reproductive rights, and the integration of population dynamics into development. As the Working Group deliberated and considered “what’s next” for UNFPA, we invited a few scholars to provide background information to help inform our recommendations. In addition, we held consultative meetings, conducted one-on-one interviews, participated in expert-panel deliberation, and conducted literature reviews.
With 76 percent of its staff based outside of headquarters, understanding UNFPA’s role and performance in the field is essential to understanding UNFPA. With this in mind, we commissioned one regional and four country case studies to represent the diversity of country conditions in two of UNFPA’s most important regions: Asia and Africa.
Background Papers
- UNFPA in Context: An Institutional History
- Resource Flows for International Population Assistance and UNFPA
Case Studies