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 it buy?

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

Why is it important?

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.
• The U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates international responses to humanitarian crises to better aid survivors.
• The U.N. 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 U.N. 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 three 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 (U.N. 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.

Why should Americans care?

• Organizations funded through the IO&P account 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.

What more could be done?

• Without reducing a contribution to any other organization or program within the IO&P account, an investment of $111 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), could support the U.S.’s multilateral fair share to fulfill the global unmet need for family planning funding. In developing regions, 214 million women and girls who want to avoid pregnancy for at least two years are not using modern contraceptive methods. Meeting the demand for family planning empowers women and girls to build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
• Without reducing a contribution to any other organization or program within the IO&P account additional funds for UNICEF could:
  • Immunize more children against preventable diseases including diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis, Haemophilus influenzae (Hib), and measles;
  • Deploy more bed nets to save children from deadly mosquito-borne diseases;
  • Test and treat children for disease including HIV and pneumonia; and
  • Deploy and support midwives.