NATIONAL STATEMENT – UNFPA STRATEGIC PLAN (2026-2029)
Agenda Item 7 | Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS | Second Regular Session
Statement by Danielle Sever, Director, Global Development Section, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
26 August 2025
Thank you, Mr President, and I thank the acting Executive Director for her remarks.
Australia welcomes the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2026-2029 and looks forward to endorsing it this week alongside fellow members of this Executive Board. We thank UNFPA for fostering substantive consultation and collaboration in shaping this Plan.
My statement today outlines five key points.
First, Australia reaffirms our unwavering support for UNFPA and the vital role it plays in advancing a safer, healthier and more equitable world for all.
UNFPA’s mandate is integral to achieving Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its Goals - our collective vision for a prosperous and resilient world, to which Australia remains firmly committed.
Second, we welcome the Strategic Plan’s continued prioritisation of human rights as a cornerstone to improved population health.
The Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development rightly sits at the heart of this Strategic Plan, serving as a shared compass for inclusive, rights-based development.
We commend the strong articulation of gender equality, bodily autonomy, comprehensive sexuality education, climate resilience and the integration of humanitarian responses - all transformative levers for improving lives.
Third, Australia strongly supports continued investment in data and evidence generation – the bedrock for informed and effective decision-making.
The facts are more vital than ever – we need robust, accurate data to guide population, demographic, and health policies, shape priorities, and to hold us all accountable.
Fourth, it is essential to allocate limited resources strategically to maximise impact. In this context Australia welcomes the ongoing work through the Business Model Review to make UNFPA a more fit-for-purpose enterprise.
As this work progresses, we underscore the importance of UNFPA retaining sufficient technical and human resources to respond to needs across all the world’s regions - without exception.
Fifth, and finally, the Strategic Plan rightly incorporates flexibility – a necessary response to the growing risks posed by a decline in funding quality.
In a time of profound upheaval across the multilateral system, the Strategic Plan positions UNFPA to deliver effectively and responsively. We urge all Member States to stand behind this Plan, through policy and funding commitments.
Thank you.