Prominent Republican Urges Funding for UN Population Fund

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Former Congressman, World Bank President Barber Conable calls for engagement with UNFPA, China

March 13 - Barber Conable, who served in the US House of Representatives (R-NY) for 20 years and is a former President of the World Bank, has written a powerful column in the Boston Globe urging the Bush Administration to continue funding the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

Conable, the former Chair and current Board member of the National Committee on US-China Relations, wrote that “we cannot expect China to reconstitute itself in the American image overnight. Instead, it is in our interest to engage with China in the search for deeper understanding…That is why the decision to freeze funding for the UN Population Fund is frustrating.”

Acknowledging forthrightly that China’s response to rapid population growth has been “disturbingly autocratic,” Conable argues that this is precisely why UNFPA should be active in China. “The UN Population Fund has attempted to encourage the Chinese to recognize the wisdom of voluntary family planning program…UNFPA’s efforts are helping to improve counseling services, expand the range of available contraceptive methods…and strengthen efforts to prevent and treat sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS.”

Noting that UNFPA “efforts in China have been dogged by American politics” for 20 years, Conable suggests that US Presidents have for 30 years risen above domestic political noise to demonstrate “their appreciation for the US-Chinese relationship.” “The case for the UN Population Fund’s engagement in China is similar to the case for continued US engagement in China,” Conable wrote. Since no US funds have been allowed to be used in China for the past decade, Conable urges that President Bush “ continue funding for the UN Population Fund’s efforts around the world to provide voluntary family planning, improve health, and encourage development.”

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