<p class="bodytext"> <b>Johannesburg</b> -- Reproductive health and women's rights are critical to alleviating poverty and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) should say so, speakers at a summit panel discussion stressed today.</p>

<p class="bodytext"> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b> - To close the funding gap created by the United States withholding of $34 million from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), American citizens have sprung into action with two independent grass-roots campaigns.</p>

<p class="bodytext"> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b> —The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will open an office in Tokyo on 1 September.</p>

<p> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b> - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today expressed outrage over false allegations made by the Population Research Institute (PRI) that the United Nations is funding "abortion campaigns" among Afghan refugees.</p>

<p class="bodytext"> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b> – A 72-bed Danish Emergency Mobile Hospital, equipped with two operating theatres to deal with all obstetric emergencies, will open in northern Kabul next week with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).</p>

<p class="bodytext"> <b>UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK</b> - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today welcomed the strong expression of support from the 133-member "Group of 77" developing countries, which sent a statement to the United States, urging it to restore its contributions to the Fund. The United States announced its decision in July to withhold $34 million appropriated for UNFPA by Congress.</p>

<p class="bodytext"> <b>UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK</b> - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today welcomed the expression of support from the more than 50 African countries in the United Nations, which jointly wrote the United States Administration, urging it to restore its contributions to the Fund.</p>

<p class="bodytext"> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b> - In order to clarify any misunderstandings based on old and often rejected allegations attempting to link the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to reports of forced sterilization in Peru, the Fund finds it necessary to reiterate that it did not support coercion in Peru or anywhere else.</p>

<p class="bodytext"> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b> - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) welcomes the announcement made today by the European Commission to strengthen its support for sexual and reproductive health in 22 developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.</p>

<p class="bodytext">UNITED NATIONS, New York — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today said a decision by President Bush not to grant it the $34 million dollars appropriated by Congress for 2002 will cost thousands of women and children their lives.</p>

<p class="bodytext"> <b>UNITED NATIONS, New York</b> - People uprooted by conflict, living in extreme poverty or caught in disaster's wake face a much greater risk of being infected with HIV, UN and NGO experts told a meeting here on Monday.</p>

<p> <b>BARCELONA</b>—Much more must be done to enable young people and women to protect themselves against HIV infection, Suman Mehta, HIV/AIDS Coordinator for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said at the XIV International AIDS Conference here.</p>