The World Population Foundation (WPF) was founded in 1987 in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

by Diana and

Roy W. Brown Roy W. Brown is a British-born engineer, humanism, humanist and human rights activist. He was president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) from 2003 to 2006 and was for a time its main representative at the United Nations, ...

. Their purpose was to create an organisation to draw attention to the effects of high

birth rate The birth rate for a given period is the total number of live human births per 1,000 population divided by the length of the period in years. The number of live births is normally taken from a universal registration system for births; populati ...

s and rapid

population growth Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to ...

maternal ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gestat ...

and

infant mortality Infant mortality is the death of young children under the age of 1. This death toll is measured by the infant mortality rate (IMR), which is the probability of deaths of children under one year of age per 1000 live births. The under-five morta ...

, communities and the environment, and to raise funds for population projects and programmes, with the ultimate aim of reducing world poverty and improving the quality of life of the world’s poorest people. From 1987 until 1994, WPF was a small organisation mainly supported by donations from the founders and by consultancy assignments. In 1994, the WPF played an important role in the Dutch delegation of the

International Conference on Population and Development The United Nations coordinated an International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt, on 5–13 September 1994. Its resulting Programme of Action is the steering document for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) ...

Cairo, Egypt Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...

. At this conference, the Cairo Programme of Action was adopted which still serves as a foundation for WPF’s work. WPF works to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and improve

sexual health Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a field of research, healthcare, and social activism that explores the health of an individual's reproductive system and sexual wellbeing during all stages of their life. The term can also be further de ...

and

reproductive rights Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows: Reproductive rights rest on t ...

. It acknowledges that attention for these themes and to the improvement of services will contribute to the struggle against

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...

worldwide. Therefore, WPF advocates the implementation of these themes in the UN's

Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 that had been established following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000, following the adoption of the United Nations Millenniu ...

. 2006-2009, the World Population Foundation's board members include

Nafis Sadik Nafis Sadik (18 August 1929 – 14 August 2022) was a Pakistani physician, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General with additional responsibilities as Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia, and former executive director of the United Nations Pop ...

, former Executive Director of

UNFPA The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies ...

. As of 1 January 2011, Rutgers Nisso Groep and World Population Foundation (WPF) have merged under the new name Rutgers WPF. Chair of Rutgers WPF is Bert Koenders, former minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands.

In developing countries

WPF mainly supports local organisations that provide young and underprivileged people with access to information and services concerning sexuality and reproduction. WPF works to strengthen the capacity of local organisations, assists in developing and implementing activities, and provides management training. WPF’s approach is based on Dutch policies on sexual and reproductive health, especially with regard to young people. As of 2006, WPF supported NGOs in nine countries. Currently WPF maintains field offices in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

( Rutgers WPF Indonesia).

Advocacy activities

WPF engages in advocacy with policy makers in the

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, and, at the international level, with the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

. Indirect advocacy includes public awareness creation through the Dutch media and with partner organizations in developing countries. WPF is an active member of Share-Net and EuroNGOs. In 2004 WPF was granted 'Special Consultative Status' by the

United Nations Economic and Social Council The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...

. WPF established a youth organization: CHOICE for youth and sexuality. CHOICE went on to initiate the Youth Coalition and YouAct, a European youth networkon sexual and reproductive health and rights. In the Netherlands WPF is campaigning under the MYBODY label, with the slogan My Life, My Choice, MYBODY.

References

External links

CHOICE for youth and sexualityYouth Coalition
{{Population Population concern organizations Population organizations Non-profit organisations based in the Netherlands

In developing countries

Advocacy activities

See also

References

External links