Rotary International in hock with notorious UNFPA

Along with a number of humanitarian projects, Rotary International also teams with the United Nations Population Fund to promote population-control programs in the developing world. In a press release issued in June 2001, Rotary announced that the two had signed "a memorandum of co-operation to work together on population and reproductive health issues and promote awareness worldwide of the social, economic and environmental implications of population growth." The press release also stated that, "UNFPA and Rotary will work together to identify local population and development needs, especially in health, and seek ways to collaborate on them … The organization encourages its members to further the goals of the UNFPA."

The association with the UNFPA has raised concerns among pro-life contributors to Rotary International, who wonder how the organization can associate with the UN agency, especially in light of the fact that the U.S. government has determined that the UNFPA supports forced abortion in China.

What is more, a Peruvian government report holds the UNFPA at least partially responsible for the forced sterilizations of close to 200,000 Peruvian women, stating thats "The United Nations Population Fund, known for its support of population control in developing countries, took charge. For that end, the United Nations Population Fund act[ed] as technical secretary."

Because of these issues, some contributors to Rotary requested that Congressman Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) seek clarification from the organization. When asked by Congressman Smith's office about Rotary's promotion of population control, a Rotary representative denied this, stating that, "Rotary is not involved in 'population control.' What they are about is having families have the number of children that they can feed, clothe, house and educate."

However, a number of projects on Rotary president Frank Devlyn's website explicitly describe Rotary funding for sterilization programs in order to further population control goals. For instance, Rotary International established a "Happy Family Centre" in Tamilnadu, South India. According to the website, "The centre will be equipped to carry out population control measures such as vasectomies, button hole tubecomies (sic), distribution of contraceptives, and advice (sic) mothers on the benefits of child spacing."

Devlyn has also stated, "One of the most pressing problems that we face today is the rapid growth of our world's population." In addition to such programs, members of Rotary International's Population and Development Vocational Fellowship work as consultants at the UNFPA.

Rotary International is an organization of business and professional leaders, with 1.2 million members in 160 countries worldwide. Its most important project seeks to eliminate polio globally by 2005. Rotary will spend $500 million on this project by 2005. Susan Ross, a spokesman for Rotary, told the Friday Fax that Rotary's association with the UNFPA accounts for only a "minuscule" portion of Rotary programs.