Itself far from public eye, UNFPA looks towards the future.

At the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), we are in a paradoxical situation. In population, though we - and all our colleagues in 150 countries, the United Nations system and so many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) - have had great success, the public in general does not know what UNFPA is and what we do. Our issues are complex, sensitive and not easy to communicate in a few words. Population will slow down only when people choose to have fewer children. And that in turn depends on a number of things, such as whether reproductive health/family planning is available, whether women can make their own choices, and whether education is freely available to girls. Hardly the stuff to hit headlines!

Out of the public eye, we have been highly successful over the last 30 years. For this, we owe a debt of gratitude to our partners who have worked along with us - the members of civil society, including NGOs and Governments themselves. During the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), and in the follow-up activities, NGOs played a vital and essential role. Recognizing their flexibility, to act in areas where Governments are not able or willing to act because of political sensitivity or logistical obstacles, and reflecting a growing international recognition of governments' limitations, the ICPD Programme of Action stressed the involvement of civil society groups in population and development activities.

With the ICPD's adoption of a broad reproductive health agenda and its goal of universal access to reproductive health care, there are possibilities for broader involvement of non-governmental groups in service delivery. Chapter 15 of the ICPD Programme of Action spells out the basis for stronger partnerships with NGOs and the private sector. NGO involvement, it states, should complement Governments' "responsibility to provide full, safe and accessible reproductive health services, including family planning and sexual health services".

This Chapter further notes that "non-governmental groups are already rightly recognized for their comparative advantage in relation to government agencies, because of innovative, flexible and responsive programme design and implementation, including grass-roots participation, and because quite often they are rooted in and interact with constituencies that are poorly served and hard to reach through government channels", and recognizes that "youth organizations are increasingly becoming effective partners in developing programmes to educate young people on reproductive health, gender and environmental issues". All these groups can help address key but sometimes sensitive issues, such as adolescent reproductive health, prevention of HIV/AIDS, and women's empowerment.

How does UNFPA work with NGOs and civil society?

There is no single agreed definition of civil society. Different societies have varied understandings on the relationship between the State and the people, and on the scope and roles of non-governmental groups and community leaders and their relationship with the State. Civil society groups and individuals cherish their autonomy and independence.

Often, it is this very autonomy and independence that give value to our partnerships with NGOs - community institutions, religious leaders, business associations, professional groups, wade unions, media, and various activist groups and individuals.

For our part, UNFPA has been working with groups in civil society, especially NGOs, for more than 15 years. We have found common ground among many of these organizations; many of them have become our allies and co-workers. And UNFPA is channeling an important part of its programmes to NGOs.

UNFPA has accepted 132 NGOs as potential executing agencies for UNFPA-funded interregional or regional projects. At the country level, this number increases substantially. In Nepal, for example, 600 NGOs are accredited for country-level projects.

In Africa, expenditures for NGO-executed programmes have nearly doubled since 1989, when they were $7.3 million, to $14 million in 1997. This seems like a lot, but we would like to have more of UNFPA's programmes implemented by NGOs.

ICPD+5

Five years after the 1994 ICPD, UNFPA and its partners in the United Nations system are planning a review of progress in implementing the Programme of Action. The review will culminate in a special session of the United Nations General Assembly in June and July 1999. In preparation for the special session, UNFPA will hold an international forum in The Hague in early February. There, representatives from 120 countries will assess progress, review obstacles and formulate plans to move the process forward. Preceeding the forum, NGOs, youth groups and parliamentarians will meet from 4 to 7 February, and their deliberations will provide valuable input to the forum itself.

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To build viable partnerships, the parties first need to overcome any mistrust. Governments are sometimes suspicious of activist groups, because of their potential for opposition and disruption; such groups, on the other hand, are sometimes strident in their criticism, alienating potential partners. What we need are dialogue, cooperation and synergy.

In addition, at this time of scare resources, civil society groups can strive for greater financial independence; this requires them to diversify funding sources and, wherever possible, introduce cost-recovery schemes.

At the recent roundtables in Dhaka and Uganda, participants from NGOs, research institutions and other sectors of civil society in more than 30 countries proposed several recommendations, among them:

* Devote more resources to advocacy and make their messages more accessible to broaden support for their agenda;

* Allot more resources to advocacy for social mobilization and train staff to work with the media;

* Encourage Governments to repeal laws that are restrictive, discriminatory and punitive to women and girls;

* Supporters of the ICPD can engage their adversaries in dialogue with and be prepared to challenge opponents and counter misinformation with facts, but also bearing in mind that assumptions about adversaries need to be carefully examined, for a presumed opponent may be a potential ally; and

* Whenever possible, ICPD supporters should seek to avoid confrontation and seek common ground.

While there may be pressures to deemphasize social development programmes in the present climate of economic and financial crisis, doing so at this critical juncture will squander a marvellous opportunity.

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Some examples of how NGOs in Africa put their energies to valuable use:

In Senegal, an NGO cooperative of women executes an informational project on health, family planning, environmental protection and hygiene, using popular theatre and informal discussions.

In Brazzaville,Congo, the Congolese Red Cross is implementing a one-year project aimed to improve the quality of reproductive health services in referral centres and to train NGO personnel.

In rural Mall Association de Soutien au Developpement des Activites de Population promotes training of community agents who visit households and organize discussions on family planning, STD/AIDS prevention, and pre- and post-natal care.

Influential figures, including lawmakers and religious leaders - even musicians - can make a difference! For example, in Kenya, UNFPA recently launched a compact disc entitled "I Need to Know", five versions of which were produced by a group of Kenya-based musicians to advocate for the right of all people to have access to knowledge on reproductive health. It has been particularly effective in the country, where the question of whether to introduce sex education in primary, schools has engaged parents, churches and the national Ministry, of Education.