Also available in: Español

Communiqué – September 17, 2016
AIDES (France) – COCQ-SIDA (Canada) – Coalition PLUS (International)

France no longer leading among European donors to Global Fund

Montreal, 17 September 2016 – While the “epidemic of indifference ” campaign (totaling 200 000 views) was urging him to increase France’s contribution to the global fight against AIDS, François Hollande refused to budge. On June 26 he had announced that France’s financial contribution would stay flat, disregarding a call by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon for all to increase their funding in order to end the pandemic for good.

French Secretary for International Development André Vallini reiterated the President’s decision as he represented France at an international summit gathering all financial contributors to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, hosted in Montreal.

By staying flat when everyone else is increasing,France has now lost its position as the largest European contributor to the Global Fund. It is now Britain who is leading the way (a remarkable fact in the post-Brexit era) with a 10% increase from its previous billion pound pledge. Even larger increases (between 20% and 35%) were announced by Germany, Italy and Canada, as well as by the United States with a $200 million top-up.

The stark contrast between France and its counterparts has prompted areaction by former Prime Minister Alain Juppe. In an opinion piece, the candidate to France’s right-wing presidential primaries criticized a “missed opportunity” and called on France to “increase its efforts” immediately against global AIDS.

SHOCKED REACTIONS

“We are shocked by this flatlining from France” reacts Professor Hakima Himmich of Morocco, Chairwoman of Coalition PLUS. “Until 2012, France had set an example to others, but under the presidency of Francois Hollande it has twice refused to do its part in accelerating the global response against AIDS. Yet President Hollande had pledged that France wants to end the AIDS pandemic and would allocate the means necessary.”

 “All other leaders have increased their contribution: Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, Theresa May, Matteo Renzi, Justin Trudeau, Jean-Claude Juncker, and so on. Who’s missing? Francois Hollande” pointed out Aurélien

Beaucamp, president of AIDES, member of Coalition PLUS.

“By refusing to do his part, the President is letting down the world and abandoning thousands of people with AIDS to their death.If we are to leave an AIDS-free world it’s right now that France should step up“

WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES

As an outcome of its financing summit, the Global Fund has obtained about $13 billion in donor government pledges for the years 2017-2019. This is an increase of less than $350m per year compared to the current period. This is well short of the annual $6.5 billion increase that, according to UN reports, needs to be mobilized in order to fund the end of AIDS.

Worried by the growing gap between the aims and the means allocated to achieve them, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon issued a call to heads of State last April, warning them against the resumption of the pandemic if the world should fail to accelerate against HIV : « Among high-income countries, only four invest a share of the total international resources available for AIDS that exceeds those countries’ proportion of world gross domestic product. […] We cannot end the AIDS epidemic without increasing and front-loading diversified resources. […] Despite remarkable progress, if we accept the status quo unchanged, the epidemic will rebound in several low-and middle-income countries.”

“We who are fighting AIDS on the frontlines are angry at the irresponsibility of our leaders”denounces Bintou Dembele, director of ARCAD-SIDA in Mali, member of Coalition PLUS. “They can find tens of billions to buy weapons or bail out banks but when it’s about ending one of the worst plagues man has ever faced they pretend they can’t find the money“.

“Our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, increased its international contribution and hosted the Global Fund summit. This is to his credit, but he should also put his own house in order, because the fight against AIDS in Canada leaves much room for improvement.”said Ken Monteith, Director of Quebec’s COCQ-SIDA, member of Coalition PLUS. “Now we call upon French President Francois Hollande, and other leaders who refuse to do their part, to join the rest in the indispensable acceleration against global AIDS”.

Khalil Elouardighi
Directeur du Plaidoyer
PLUS, Coalition Internationale Sida
www.coalitionplus.org