Top Tweets on #UNday!

On Oct. 24, we celebrated the 66th birthday of the United Nations, an important EngenderHealth partner and crucial supporter of lifesaving reproductive health programs worldwide. There was no cake (at least for EngenderHealth :)) but the conversation rocked! Check out our favorite tweets from #UNDay:

@StateDept
President Obama: The men and women who created @UN understood that peace is not simply the absence of war. http://go.usa.gov/XrT #UNDay

@WeCanEndPoverty
On Monday, UN Day, find out what you can do to help meet the Millennium Development Goals here: http://bit.ly/drl2ep #UN4U #7billion #MDGs

@UNfoundation
"The UN brings the world together to consider issues that affect all of the planet's human beings" - Sen. Wirth #UN4U

@AmbassadorRice
66 years after the #UN's founding Charter entered into force, it pays more than ever to share the burden of our common challenges. #UNDay

@USEmbassyAthens
On #UNDay, we join our 192 fellow member states in celebrating the founding ideals of the #UN Charter: http://go.usa.gov/XrT

@ICTYnews (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia)
The ICTY marks 2011 UN Day with no remaining fugitives and nearing successful completion of its mandate: http://ow.ly/786ON

@UNICLagos (United Nations Information Centre, Lagos)
On UN Day, Ban underlines need for unity to confront global challenges http://shar.es/bYAk4

@UNICEFLive
Happy #UN Day! Thanks for helping to build a better world where no one is left behind. http://bit.ly/psLyec #UN4U

@UNfoundation
Tomorrow is #UN Day! Check out this great interactive map with @unausa events happening around the country: http://ow.ly/76bp9

@EngenderHealth
Happy #UNday! Thnx to the entire #UN family for working to advance the welfare of #women and girls, esp in the field of #reprohealth. #MDG5

On the Hill: House Foreign Affairs Committee Votes to End Support for UNFPA

In a strict party-line vote, the Republican-led House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee voted 23-17 yesterday to prohibit United States financial support for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). President Barack Obama had requested $50 million for the group. In denying this request, Republicans cited UNFPA's work in China, where they believe funds could be used to coercively enforce that country's one-child policy. Democrats on the committee offered various amendments to allow U.S. money to UNFPA to be directed to specific programs, such as ending child marriage and female genital mutilation, preventing and repairing obstetric fistula, and providing safe birth kits to pregnant women following a natural disaster. Republicans uniformly voted against each one. We will continue to keep you updated on this and other policy developments.