COPENHAGEN - H.R.H. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has become Patron of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, to support the agency’s work to promote maternal health and safer motherhood in more than 150 developing nations. This work is a UNFPA key priority because women have about 1 in 7 lifetime risk of maternal death in a few developing countries; compared to 1 in 17,800 in Denmark, according to the latest published United Nations estimates. “It is a great honour that H.R.H. Crown Princess Mary has chosen to become Patron of UNFPA,” said UNFPA’s Executive Director, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, who has previously met with the Crown Princess. “We at UNFPA appreciate the Crown Princess’ personal engagement in and knowledge of the situation women face in developing countries. Her help to UNFPA and its partners would shine more light on women’s urgent health needs and deaths in pregnancy and childbirth.”

Crown Princess Mary will attend Women Deliver, a global conference on maternal health, which takes place in Washington, D.C. from 7 to 9 June. UNFPA is one of the organizations behind the conference which will be attended by more than 3,400 ministers, experts and civil organizations’ representatives from 140 countries. At the conference, participants will pursue ways to ensure that all pregnancies are wanted and can be welcomed with joy rather than fear.

UNFPA is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equality. UNFPA works to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and that every young person is free of HIV/AIDS. UNFPA supports countries in using population data to plan for social infrastructure to reduce poverty.

For more information, please contact: Pernille Fenger, Chief, UNFPA Nordic Office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .