Population Council

The Population Council, an international, nongovernmental organization, seeks to improve the well-being and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and to help achieve a humane, equitable, and sustainable balance between people and resources. Since 1952, the Population Council has been the premier international organization conducting biomedical, public health, and social science research on population issues. The Council has been instrumental in the design of health products, service-delivery programs, and public policies responsive to the needs of people living in the world's poorest countries.

We envision an equitable and sustainable world of health and well-being for current and future gener

Goal One: Ensure sexual and reproductive health, rights, and choices

Goal Two: Empower adolescents and young people to reach their full potential

Goal Three: Achieve gender equality and equity

We invest in a leadership and professional development program known as the Accelerated Talent Development Program (ATDP), launched in 2020. Participants of the program engage in group courses on leadership and related topics, take advantage of individualized learning and development opportunities, and are assigned a mentor to support their growth. Participants of the group are selected through a competitive application process and show potential to work cross-functionally to fulfill a range of current and future roles and are invested in shaping the organization's future.

The Population Council launched our Agenda for Change—a commitment to becoming an antiracist organization and addressing wider issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Driven by the ideas, energy, and dedication of our colleagues, key achievements of the past year include: • Accelerated efforts to be “location neutral” in our hiring (within the US and globally), enabling us to operate in an even more globally collaborative and inclusive way. • Selection of a second cohort of our Accelerated Talent Development Program, which was launched in early 2020 to cultivate and develop the next generation of Council leaders through mentorship, individual learning opportunities, and leadership development. • A revised statement on Trustees’ commitment to Board diversity <https://www.popcouncil.org/news/population-councils-board-of-trustees-commitment-to-board-diversity>, which includes targets for age, gender, and geographic representation and strengthens accountability. • A commitment to DEI in our two scholarly journals, Population and Development Review (PDR) and Studies in Family Planning (SFP), including actions to tackle biases that perpetuate injustices in scholarship. The appointments of new editors for PDR and new editorial committee members for both PDR and SFP. • A soon-to-be launched Strategic Plan 2030, the development of which was overseen by a representative group of staff, and includes refined vision, mission, and values that reflect who we are today and who we will be moving forward. • Joining BankFWD to accelerate the banking sector’s alignment with global climate goals – part of our efforts to support progressive changes in the wider world through means including leveraging our resources. • Recognition by Global Health 50/50—an initiative to advance action and accountability for gender equality in global health – as a "high performer" and a "fast riser" for the improvement the Council has made in recent years.