About the 1% for Development 1% Fund
What is the 1% Fund?
An association of
staff of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations
who have chosen to allocate 1% or more of their salary to projects in
developing countries and those with economies in transition. The first 1% Fund
was set up in Geneva in 1976; others were established in Rome, New York, Vienna
and Paris. Though their objectives are the same, each 1% Fund operates
independently. The latest revision of the Fund statutes allows anybody, whether
working within the UN or outside the UN and the private, to join the 1% Fund.
Why 1%?
In Resolution 2626
(XXV) of 24 October 1970, the UN General Assembly set a target for official
development aid of 0.7% of the GNP of developed countries. Frustrated at the
inertia of most countries concerned (they now allocate on average 0.3% of their
GNP), a small group of international civil servants decided in 1976 to start
practicing what governments preached, by contributing 1% of their salary to
development projects.
