Government Partners

Australia

The Hon. Bob Loughman and the First Secretary of the Australian High Commission, join the launch of the Women’s Resilience to Disasters programme in Vanuatu along with representatives from civil society organizations, women’s groups, the Vanuatu Government and the UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office in December 2022. Photo: UN Women/Rachael Kong

For many years, the Government of Australia has been UN Women’s largest non-core funding partner in Asia and the Pacific. Australia’s support focuses primarily on the Pacific (including Papua New Guinea), Afghanistan, and Southeast Asia. Thematic focuses include ending violence against women, women peace, security and humanitarian action, leadership, women’s economic empowerment, and gender statistics. The Government of Australia is also a strong supporter of UN Women’s regional programmes in Asia and the Pacific.

Canada

Vicky Singmin, Chargée d’affaires of the Mission of Canada to ASEAN, speaks at the launch of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security in December 2022. Photo: UN Women/Yoomi Jun

Canada and UN Women enjoy a strong partnership in Asia and the Pacific. Canada’s current support for UN Women in the region focuses on ending violence against women, women’s economic empowerment, and women’s empowerment and resilient communities in Myanmar, Bangladesh and the Pacific.

Furthermore, Canada is a strong supporter of UN Women’s work in Cox’s Bazar. In addition to Canada’s support for UN Women’s programming in the region, Canada has also supported events such as the E.Quality talks organised by the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok in December 2018. In the past, Canada has also supported a regional programme focused on improving women’s rights in the ASEAN region.

The European Union

Sara Rezoagli, Chargée d’affaires, a.i., of the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand speaks at the 2022 edition of the Thailand Women’s Empowerment Principles Awards in November 2022. Photo: UN Women/Phakhawat Sriratana, Prasert Teerawankongsiri and Theerachai Pipopsophonchai

The European Commission (EC) is one of UN Women’s key funding partners in Asia and the Pacific. The EC’s support focuses geographically on Afghanistan, the Pacific (including Papua New Guinea), Pakistan, and Timor-Leste, and thematically on ending violence against women and women’s economic empowerment. The EC is also an important supporter of UN Women’s regional programmes in Asia and the Pacific.

Finland

The Government of Finland in Nepal and UN Women have partnered to advance gender equality for over ten years. This picture was taken following an engagement with elected women representatives from Dhangadi, Far Western Province in Nepal during their joint mission in December 2022. Photo: UN Women/Uma Bista

The Government of Finland is one of UN Women’s most consistent and steady supporters in the Asia-Pacific region. The majority of Finland’s support is at UN Women’s Strategic Note (SN) level. This opens up avenues for co-creation and innovation and offers funding for needs-based/new programming areas, to address emerging priorities. Finland’s support for UN Women is directed towards three countries in the region: Afghanistan, Nepal, and Myanmar.

Japan

Yoshiko Motoyama, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to ESCAP and Chief of International Organizations from the Embassy of Japan in Thailand, joins UN Women and partners in distributing essential life-saving kits to migrant communities affected by COVID-19 in Mae Sot, Thailand in January 2023. Photo: UN Women/Fahad Kaizer

The Government of Japan and UN Women enjoy a strong partnership in Asia and the Pacific. Japan’s support for UN Women in the region focuses on women, peace and security, women’s economic empowerment and COVID-19 response and recovery. Geographically, most of Japan’s support for UN Women Asia-Pacific goes to Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, as well as regional programmes.

New Zealand

New Zealand’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, Louisa Wall, visits women market vendors at Nausori Market in August 2022 as part of the Markets for Change project. Photo: UN Women/Iliesa Ravuci

The Government of New Zealand is a key funding partner of UN Women in the region. New Zealand’s support for UN Women Asia and the Pacific focuses geographically on Pacific Island Countries and Territories and Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, and the ASEAN region broadly and thematically on climate action and disaster risk reduction, ending violence against women, women’s economic empowerment, leadership and political participation.

Norway

Dr. Noor Khan, Deputy Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad, joins the Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) Conference in Islamabad in March 2023. The conference convened CSOs, government entities, financial institutions and private sector to accelerate progress on SDGs. Photo: UN Women/Aleena Khan

The Government of Norway is a consistent and steady supporter of UN Women in the Asia-Pacific region. The majority of Norway’s support for UN Women Asia-Pacific is at Strategic Note level. The remaining support focuses on women’s economic empowerment, and women, peace and security. Geographically, most of Norway’s support goes to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Myanmar..

Republic of Korea

Kim Hyunsook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, joins the opening celebration of the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality in Seoul, Republic of Korea in December 2022. Photo: UN Women/Jaeki Kim

The Government of the Republic of Korea and UN Women enjoy a strong partnership in Asia and the Pacific. Korea’s support for UN Women in the region focuses on ending violence against women, women, peace and security, and COVID-19 response and recovery in Timor-Leste, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and India. The Republic of Korea is also a strong supporter of UN Women’s regional programmes in Asia and the Pacific, as well as the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality in Seoul, the Republic of Korea.

Sweden

AnnaMaria Oltorp, Head of Regional Cooperation for Asia and the Pacific, Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok, joins the Regional Director a.i. of UN Women and Regional Director of UNEP in Asia and the Pacific in the signing ceremony for the second phase of EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies project in January 2023. Photo: UN Women/Trisha Albay

The Government of Sweden is one of UN Women’s key funding partners in Asia and the Pacific. Sweden’s support for UN Women Asia-Pacific focuses geographically on Bangladesh and Afghanistan, as well as regional programmes, and thematically on humanitarian action, disaster risk reduction and climate change, and leadership, political participation and access to justice. Sweden is also an important donor of Strategic Note level funding for UN Women in Asia and the Pacific.

United States of America

Islamabad High Court Judges pose for a group photo at the conclusion of a Deep Dive Session on Forensic Investigation Principles in November 2022 through the U.S. Department of State: Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Pakistan funded Tahaffuz programme. Photo: UN Women/Hassan Ali Abbasi

Over the past years, the Government of the United States has been one of UN Women’s largest non-core funding partners in Asia and the Pacific. Support from the United States focuses geographically primarily on Afghanistan and to a lesser extent on Pakistan. Thematically, support goes to ending violence against women, women’s economic empowerment, and women, peace and security.