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The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a financial
instrument, not an implementing entity. The purpose of the Fund
is to attract, manage and disburse additional resources through
a new public-private partnership that will make a significant contribution
to combating these three deadly diseases and mitigating their impact
in developing countries which have been especially hard hit. A Secretariat
based in Geneva and headed by an Executive Director, manages the
Fund on a day-to-day basis. The work of the fund is overseen by
a Board of Directors comprised of an equal number of donor and developing
countries with seven seats each. The Board also includes two private
sector donor and two NGO seats.
Brief History of the Fund
The concept of an international fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis,
and malaria was first proposed at the July 2000 G-8 Summit in Okinawa.
On May 11, 2001, President Bush announced a U.S. pledge of $200
million to support such a global fund, the first pledge by a government.
In June 2001, at the urging of United Nations Secretary-General
Annan and many national leaders, the UN General
| As
of June 2002, governments, corporations, foundations, and individuals
had pledged approximately $2 billion to the Global Fund. The
United States government is the largest contributor and has
thus far pledged $500 million. |
Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS unanimously endorsed the concept
of a Global Fund, and by the time of their meeting in Genoa a month
later, G-8 leaders had pledged $1.3 billion in support.
Establishing the Fund: In the course of three meetings from October
to December 2001, a Transitional Working Group, consisting of more
than 40 representatives of developing and donor countries, non-governmental
organizations, the private sector, and the UN, established the basic
structure for the Fund, including its legal status, management structure,
financial and program accountability framework, and general eligibility
criteria. Utilizing the entrepreneurial spirit of non-governmental
organizations, community-based organizations, foundations, and the
private sector will be critical to the Fund s success. In January
2002, the Fund was formed as a charitable Swiss foundation, with
headquarters in Geneva. The Board held its first meeting in Geneva
in January and issued the first call for proposals.
Purpose: The Fund is intended "to attract, manage,
and disburse additional resources through a new public-private partnership
that will make a sustainable and significant contribution to the
reduction of infections, illness and death, thereby mitigating the
impact caused by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in countries
in need, and contributing to poverty reduction as part of the development
goals contained in the Millennium Declarations." The Fund is
intended to complement bilateral and multilateral assistance programs
already underway, not be duplicative or replace existing funding.
Resources: As of June 2002, governments, corporations,
foundations, and individuals had pledged approximately $2 billion
to the Global Fund. Many of the pledges are multi-year; $700-$800
million is available for the calendar year 2002. The United States
has pledged $500 million to the Global Fund; $300 million of that
is available in calendar year 2002. The US is the largest contributor
and the only one to have made a second pledge.
Governance: The Global Fund is an independent legal entity,
formed under Swiss Law as a charitable foundation. The Fund's Board
of Directors acts as its ultimate decision making body. The 23-member
Board is composed of both voting and non-voting members. Its 18
voting members are composed of two groups: nine donors, including
seven governments, a foundation representative, and a representative
of the for-profit private sector, and nine recipients, including
seven governments and two non-governmental organizations, one from
the developing world and one from the developed world. The five
non-voting members include representatives from the World Health
Organization, UNAIDS, the World Bank, a representative of people
living with the diseases, and a Swiss citizen, as required by Swiss
law. Governance procedures will evolve, and the goal is to have
a flexible and innovative management structure. The Board has contemplated
convening a "Partnership Forum" every two years, which
would be a gathering of stakeholders to consider overall Fund policy.
The Forum would be advisory in nature and would not have any formal
decision-making role in the Fund.
A Secretariat, headed by an Executive Director, manages the Fund
on a
day-to-day basis. A Technical Review Panel (TRP) is charged with
reviewing all proposals to ensure that they are scientifically and
technically sound. The Panel is composed of an independent group
of 17
experts in the three diseases, and in the fields of prevention,
clinical care, health education, and health economics.
Grants: In April 2002, the Fund approved its first round
of grants, funding 40 programs in 31 countries at a total cost of
$378 million over two years. In addition, the Board granted conditional
approval to an additional 18 proposals from 12 countries in the
amount of $238 million over two years, requiring that they be further
modified prior to final approval. The Board stipulated that no funds
for any projects would be disbursed until satisfactory financial,
monitoring, and evaluation controls have been agreed upon for each
program.
Proposals are submitted through an inclusive, broad-based partnership
in each country, referred to as a Country Coordination Mechanism
(CCM),
which brings together national and local governments, NGOs, and
the
private sector. In countries where a CCM either does not exist,
or does
not function adequately due to unusual circumstances (such as conflict,
natural disaster, or questions of government legitimacy), NGOs can
submit proposals directly to the Fund.
All proposals must be technically and developmentally sound, must
demonstrate that added resources will bring results, and must meet
high
programmatic and financial accountability standards. The Technical
Review Panel reviews all proposals and makes funding recommendations
to
the Board. The Board makes all final decisions on grant awards.
Priority for funding is given to proposals from countries and regions
with the greatest need, including the highest burden of disease
and
poverty, and those at high risk for disease emergence.
Internet
www.globalfundatm.org
Address
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Interim Secretariat
9, Rue de Varembe
1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 791 9461
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