11 July 2012: At the London Summit on Family Planning, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for enabling women to avoid unwanted pregnancies and choose how many children to have, and when, in order to save lives and improve health. Ban also promised the UN’s support for the Summit’s goal of “meeting the unmet needs of 120 million more women by 2020.”

The Family Planning Summit took place in London, UK, on 11 July 2012, hosted by the UK Government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and other partners. Ban also highlighted the work of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to improve the choices available to girls, women and couples.

On the occasion of the Summit, the World Health Organization (WHO) committed to: fast-track its assessment of new and existing contraceptives, increasing access for women in low and middle-income countries to safe and effective contraceptive products; and support countries to integrate family planning services into basic health care.

The London Summit aims “to mobilize global policy, financing, commodity, and service delivery commitments to support the rights of an additional 120 million women and girls in the world’s poorest countries to use contraceptive information, services and supplies, without coercion or discrimination, by 2020.” [Statement of UN Secretary-General] [UN Press Release] [WHO Press Release] [Summit Website] [Summit Press Release]