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January 22, 2002 The President of the United
States of America Mr. George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 USA Dear Mr. President, Equilibres & Populations
is a non-governmental organization created by physicians and journalists to
advocate the more efficient use of development aid by mobilizing French,
European, and Francophone decision-makers and public opinion around activities
promoting health and education. Therefore, we were delighted
to see that the industrialized countries of the world beginning with the
United States have ratified the objectives of the Millennium Summit, making
health and education the basic instruments for fighting world poverty. We were also pleased to learn that the
United States Congress has increased the American contribution to the UNFPA for
2002, thus recognizing the essential role played by the United Nations Fund for
Population in the field of social development. Conversely, our
disappointment was great upon learning that your government has the intention
of opposing the vote of Congress, in the name of the Mexico City Policy.¹ Mr. President, we were among
those who expressed our solidarity with the American people the day after the
terrible attacks of September 11, 2001. And yet, as you well know, above and
beyond the indispensable military operations against terrorism, in the long
term, what will ensure the security of the planet is the eradication of this
poverty that plunges half of humanity into despair. Along with other democracies
of the world, the United States is today prepared to reconstruct an Afghanistan
that finally respects the dignity of women and children. How can you, at the same time, contemplate
withdrawing the means of action of the organization that works the most and
the most efficiently for the rights and empowerment of women? Convinced that all of this
is a simple misunderstanding, and that you will authorize as swiftly as possible
the American contribution to the UNFPA, helping improve the lives of poor
people and ultimately the stability of the world, I offer you my best regards,
Mr. President. Sincerely, Dr. Marie-Claude
Tesson-Millet President, Equilibres & Populations
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