UNITED NATIONS POPULATION INFORMATION NETWORK (POPIN) UN Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with support from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA)

Closing Statment by Dr. N. Sadik, Exec. Dir., UNFPA

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AS WRITTEN





                        CLOSING STATEMENT BY

                                  

                          Dr. Nafis Sadik 

                         Executive Director 

                   United Nations Population Fund



                              to the



      Inter-Agency Symposium on Reproductive Health in Refugee Situations

                      Geneva, 28-30 June 1995





Representatives of the Permanent Missions,

Colleagues from the United Nations,

Colleagues from the NGOs,

Ladies and Gentlemen,





Let me first congratulate you on these three days of hard work and

the achievements made. 



The discussions that took place during these days will be essential

for guiding programme managers with regard to the implementation of

reproductive health for refugees and displaced persons. . UNFPA and

UNHCR have been the main actors to initiate this symposium with the

collaboration of WHO and UNICEF. However, the fact that 36 agencies

are present, shows the strong concern among all of you present here

for the issue of refugees and internally displaced persons. Further

collaboration between UNHCR and UNFPA will be concretised today by

the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.



As I indicated two days ago, UNFPA will work with other agencies

and organisations to make resources available to meet the

reproductive health needs of refugee and internally displaced

women, men and adolescents through support in the following areas:

training in reproductive health components, namely in prenatal and

postnatal care, including family planning technical and counselling

skills, safe delivery, prevention of abortion and management of the

consequences of unsafe abortion, prevention and management of

sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, and screening and

management of other reproductive health conditions including

cervical and breast cancers, where referral in the host country is

available. 



The necessary support, to the extent possible, to address sexual

violence and harmful practices against women, adolescents and

girls.



Necessary drugs, supplies and contraceptives to fulfill the

reproductive health needs of the refugees and the internally

displaced persons. In this regard, UNFPA has taken steps to

establish an emergency contraceptive supply and commodity facility. 



Funding of the foregoing activities will derive from the programmes

of assistance to the home country of the refugees and internally

displaced persons.



In the months ahead, we anticipate the finalization of the

practical tools, namely the manual and the reproductive health

kits. UNFPA will participate in the follow-up activities planned

under the forthcoming Inter-Agency follow-up Committee recommended

by the participants of the present Symposium.



Finally, I trust that in the next few years, reproductive health

will be systematically and comprehensively implemented and that

women in such vulnerable settings will no longer be penalised by

lack of appropriate reproductive health services that meet their

needs. 



I thank you all for your attendance at this Symposium.