Media campaign in support of UN spreads to Europe

Today at 19h00 the Belgian TV presenter Goedele Liekens and American actress and film star Linda Gray will launch a media campaign on behalf of "34 Million Friends of UNFPA" to raise funds from civil society in Europe to help the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) make pregnancy and childbirth safer for women in over 140 developing countries.

Members of the European Parliament and EU officials will attend, together with several UNFPA Goodwill Ambassadors. European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Poul Nielson, currently in Iraq, will be represented by Jacobus Richelle, Director-General of DG Development.

The European Union has provided over €50 million to UNFPA over the past few years. The grassroots email campaign was launched last year in the US by two American women following the US Administration withdrawal of $34 million in funding to UNFPA in July 2002 following a report from an anti-choice group about UNFPA's work in China.

The fund-raising campaign aims at replacing the $34 million through private donations. It is estimated that the $34 million withdrawn would prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies per year, nearly 800,000 abortions and 4,700 maternal deaths. Over 100,000 Americans have already contributed over $1 million.

The launching will take place at the Résidence Palace Theatre at the International Press Center, Rue de la Loi 155/Wetstraat, 155, 1040 Brussels.

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• UE-NU: la Comisión invita a la UE a renovar su compromiso con el sistema de las NU y del multilateralismo (10/9/2003)