A letter to Chair of the Independent Resource Allocation Commission (IRAC)

Jovana Ríos Cisnero – see original letter here
Chair of the IPPF/WHR Board of Directors

Dear Dr. Greer,

On behalf of the International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region (IPPF/ WHR), I would like to thank you for your dedication and hard work chairing IPPF’s Independent Resource Allocation Commission (IRAC). IPPF/WHR has been part of the Federation for over 60
years, and we fully support the need for radical reform and are committed to doing our part to ensure the process is successful.

As the Board Chair of IPPF/WHR, along with the WHR Board, we have eagerly followed the Commission’s work and initial report. As IPPF continues to undergo its reform process, we want to
ensure that our perspectives are incorporated into the Commission’s recommendations and the overall reforms.

To that end, we request the IRAC to give ample consideration to the increasingly challenging and competitive funding environment faced by our MAs. In recent years we have seen donors’ priorities shift from core support to project-based support and an overall reduction in funding flowing to the region. This trend must be integral to resource allocation reforms. The focus on funding MAs for core support is only viable if there are resources coming with no strings attached, which is increasingly less common.

Furthermore, the effects of large projects such as WISH must also be taken into account when analyzing core funding to MAs. Under the current proposal, an MA that received significant flexible funding resulting from this initiative would also be eligible for core support from IPPF. We encourage the Commission to consider a structure where those MAs would not be eligible to receive IPPF core funding during a large project like WISH, and that those funds would be put into a funding pool to
be used once the initiative is over. This is a model that could be helpful to equalize donor priorities and ensure stability across the network.

Furthermore, the realities on the ground in middle-income countries across the globe must be duly considered when analyzing the flow of resources.

Latin America & Caribbean is considered the most unequal region in the world, despite the fact that several countries have moved to middle-income status in recent decades. The fact that more than 24 million women still lack access to modern contraception clearly shows the tyranny of averages that hide the needs of vulnerable and poor populations, young, indigenous and black women who suffer from intersecting forms of discrimination.

It is critical that this reality be taken into account if we truly want to realize our mission of sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.

Thank you again for your hard work, thoughtful proposals and dedication to the mission of IPPF.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you would like to discuss any of these issues in more detail.

Sincerely,
Jovana Ríos Cisnero
Chair of the IPPF/WHR Board of Directors