Deputy Secretary-General hails exhibition celebrating work of UN Population Fund

The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Louise Fréchette, today opened an exhibition in New York on the work of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), hailing the agency for its tireless efforts in promoting reproductive rights.

"The photos in 'Family of Woman' speak more eloquently than I ever could about the - literally - vital work of the United Nations Population Fund around the world," Ms. Fréchette told participants, voicing hope that "as this exhibition makes its way around the United States, that message will resound loud and clear among all those who come to see it."

In July, the United States Government decided not to grant the agency $34 million that had been appropriated by Congress - a move which UNFPA warned would cost thousands of women and children their lives.

In her remarks, the Deputy Secretary-General underscored the importance of UNFPA's mission to ensure "that every child is a wanted child, that every pregnancy and birth is healthy, that every woman and young person can remain HIV-free, that the rights and freedoms of every girl and woman are respected, and that every family has the hope of a strong and stable future."

Ms. Fréchette also praised the partnership between the agency and the US Committee for the United Nations Population Fund, which produced the exhibit, saying it was an example of the kind of collaboration needed to meet the Millennium Development Goals set by world leaders attending a UN Summit in New York in 2000.