When the UN Fund for Population Activities was introduced as a trust fund on 11 July 1967 (it actually began operations in 1969), its administration was entrusted to UNDP.  

1971: the General Assembly acknowledged that UNFPA should play a leading role within the UN system in promoting population programmes.

1972: in recognition of the growth in its resources and scope of operations, UNFPA was placed under the General Assembly's authority and the UNDP Governing Council was named as its governing body, subject to ECOSOC's overall policy guidance.

1979:  the General Assembly affirmed that UNFPA was one of its subsidiary organs.  

1980: it became part of the executive coordinating body, now called Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB).

1987: the name of UNFPA was changed to the United Nations Population Fund, but its official abbreviation, UNFPA, remained the same.

1993: the General Assembly transformed the governing councils of UNICEF and UNDP/UNFPA into executive boards, subject to the authority of ECOSOC.