International Organizations & Programs

Description

The International Organizations and Programs account (IO&P) supports U.S. contributions to international organizations and specialized agencies across a broad spectrum of development, humanitarian, and scientific activities.

What Does This Buy?

Funds contributions to international organizations that provide immunizations, education, infrastructure, and programs to end violence against women.

Justification for the Request

Below are examples of the organizations and programs funded by the IO&P account:

• The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works to ensure the survival and well-being of children worldwide by eradicating polio and measles, immunizing children, promoting girls’ education, preventing mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission, improving nutrition, and protecting children from violence, abuse, and exploitation.
  • In 2017, UNICEF responded to 337 emergencies in 102 countries and supported basic education for 8.8
    million children. In 2016, UNICEF supplied 2.5 billion doses of vaccines for 95 countries, reaching 45% of the
    world’s children under 5 years of age.
• The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates international responses to humanitarian crises to better aid survivors.
• The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) supports activities in more than 150 countries. It provides voluntary family planning information and services, training and deployment of skilled birth attendants and midwives, and works to end child marriage and female genital mutilation.
  • Between 1990 and 2015, funds have helped reduce maternal deaths by 44%; however, 830 women around the globe still die during childbirth every day. UNFPA is the largest global provider of maternal and child health care in humanitarian emergencies.
• The UN Development Program (UNDP) works in about 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities and exclusion. It helps countries maintain development results by developing policies, leadership skills, institutional capabilities, and building resilience. Between 2014 and 2017, UNDP created 3 million jobs (41% for women) in 101 countries and registered 170 million new voters in 52 countries.
• The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) undertakes programs, policies, and campaigns to end violence against women, promotes women’s economic empowerment and political participation, supports women and girls in humanitarian crises and conflict, and advances good governance. In 2017, it supported 121,000 crisis affected women and girls in 31 countries.

U.S. Interest

These organizations advance U.S. strategic goals across a broad spectrum of critical development, humanitarian, and scientific activities. They amplify U.S. bilateral foreign assistance programs by leveraging contributions from other countries and donors.

Bold Vision

A total investment of $417.5 million could allow the U.S. government to provide $111 million to UNFPA, supporting its fair share to UNFPA’s efforts to fill unmet needs for voluntary family planning. In developing regions, 214 million women and girls who want to avoid pregnancy for at least two years are not using modern contraceptive methods for reasons including lack of access to accurate information or services and lack of support from their partners or communities. Meeting the demand for family planning empowers women and girls to be able build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities and helps save the lives of women, girls, and children.

Impact of Cuts

• Cuts undermine global efforts and information capacity concerning children, humanitarian action, and other issues.
• Cuts affect the ability to maintain operations, including important and lifesaving programs, and hurt the ability to partner with the U.S. on important global programs that serve U.S. national interests.