United States Delegation Statement by Reva Gupta, Program Officer in bureau of PRM, on UNFPA Draft Country Programme for Nicaragua, 2013-2017, UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board Meeting Second Regular Session

Reva Gupta, program officer, in the bureau of Population, Refugees & Migration

New York, NY

September 4, 2012

AS DELIVERED

Mr. President, the United States would like to thank UNFPA for the opportunity to comment on the Draft Country Programme Document for Nicaragua.

We are pleased with the focus of this draft programme on mainstreaming human rights, gender equality, generational perspectives, and intercultural diversity. We also fully support the inclusion of evidence-based programming that seeks to elaborate and implement public policies, as well as the use of results-based management and integration of all country office resources to enhance programme delivery. The US further supports the recognition of adolescent pregnancy prevention as a high priority for UNFPA in Nicaragua.

We note that Nicaragua has made impressive strides in financing contraceptive commodities, but recognize that it will be important to ensure their financial sustainability in the future. Therefore, we hope that UNFPA will continue to support the contraceptive security committee (DAIA). We also urge UNFPA to consider the important role that the social security institute (INSS) plays in the provision of family planning services, as family planning services provided through INSS help balance the service delivery within the public sector.

Thank you again for the opportunity to comment.

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