Solidarity Fund of Georgia, conceptualized as the largest national platform of public-private partnership of innovative funding, was a key topic of discussion at a high-ranking event held jointly by Georgia and France in parallel with 71st General Assembly of the United Nations.
H.E. Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia addressed the audience. He spoke about the main aims and goals of the Solidarity Fund, noting that over 20 per cent of civil servants and 27 private companies have been united around different initiatives of the innovative funding. As a result, a gap has been bridged in financing of the vital medical treatment of children and youth suffering of cancer in Georgia.
In addition, as Prime Minister of Georgia noted, country has joined a group of nations with innovative funding operating under the aegis of the Foreign Ministry of France and became actively engaged in the global dialogue on innovative funding.
Head of Government of Georgia recalled an international forum on innovative funding held in Tbilisi (TISIFF 2015) and labeled it as the first ever attempt to consolidate the global knowledge on solidarity and innovative funding.
“TISIFF 2015 delegates have scrutinized the knowledge acquired in the area of global innovative funding, along with its prospects for future, national solidarity initiatives on the background of cases brought from France, Georgia, Mali and Tunisia. It was our great privilege to host Mr. Douste-Blazy, global champion of innovative funding along with Mr. Glemarecin Tbilisi, who visited our country to attend the key-note event together with other high-ranking guest speakers and special attendees. Today we are pleased to present the recommendations of the Tbilisi Forum, which are based on the discussions held between the event delegates and wide spectrum of key international conferences that manifested in Monterey 2002, Doha 2008 and Addis Ababa 2015 Declarations. TISIFF recommendations reflect a common vision on new, potential platforms and innovative funding sources by various categories and priorities. They will support us in bridging the gap in funding for measures required to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030. This shortfall totals $37.5 trillion ($2.5 trillion per annum), while the public funds and official support of development will not be sufficient to fill the gap” noted the Prime Minister of Georgia.
In his opinion, innovative funding should play a significant role in achieving the sustainable development goals along with the inflows of domestic financial resources, foreign direct investments and official support of development agenda within this context.
As Prime Minister of Georgia stated, country is proud to present its Action Plan, which elaborates on the methods to deepen the advocacy and partnership solicited for global, regional and national innovative funding.
“We believe that an increased focus on the innovative funding may play a decisive role in achieving the specific goals of fundraising and sustainable development. Success of the innovative funding causes no doubts as evidenced by such initiatives as UNITAID, Product (Red) and GAVI, which have contributed to the attainment of such millennium development goals as fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, along with a respective coverage of immunization and vaccination. We sincerely hope that international community will deploy new and successful platforms and sources of innovative funding to achieve more ambitious goals of sustainable development over the next 14 years” stated the Prime Minister of Georgia.
Head of Government of Georgia thanked the event participants for their expressed interest and wished the recommendations of the international forum held on innovative funding in Tbilisi to ultimately serve beneficial as a guiding document for taking further measures worldwide towards the innovative funding.
Prime Minister of Georgia appreciated the contribution made by Ms. Mariam Jashi in the development of the innovative funding scheme in Georgia, which has led to very significant results and expressed his gratitude towards all her efforts.
PM Kvirikashvili also commented on the importance of Former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s role in providing the first high level support in establishing the Solidarity Fund.
Joint event of the French and Georgian Governments in partnership with the lead countries of innovative funding, UN Women and Solidarity Fund of Georgia were attended by Mr. Phillipe Douste-Blazy, Deputy General Secretary of the United Nations; Mr. Yannick Glemarec, Assistant General Secretary of the United Nations; government officials of France, Mali and other countries.