International cooperation has never been more needed, but the current system of “aid” is outdated and ineffective. How does it need to change? What could a better system look like?
The concept of Global Public Investment (GPI) is being co-created as a means of collectively financing sustainable development and securing global public goods. It provides a way for many affected communities to contribute to, benefit from and jointly manage public funding for global objectives: all benefit, all decide, all contribute. I was pleased to join the co-creation of GPI and to speak at the #CoCreatingGPI event today, alongside:
- Bard Vegar Solhjell, Director General of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)
- Jean-Paul Adam, Director for Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management in the UNECA
- Clara Bosco, Senior Advisor on Civil Society, CIVICUS Global Civil Society Alliance
- Alicia Ely Yamin, Senior Advisor on Human Rights, Partners in Health
- Dapo Oyewole, Special Adviser to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Government of Nigeria
- Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi, Executive Vice President, ACET
ITPC sits at the intersection of health and politics as we have been fighting for access for all to life-saving diagnostics and medicines…starting with HIV…for over 17 years. So, I bring the perspective of affected people to the table, communities, civil society in the simplest sense.
To be honest, the first time I heard about GPI, I laughed and thought this could never work. But then I grew to love this idea BECAUSE it is crazy and radical and RIGHT. The system does not work for everyone. The system really only works for some. And all the incentives in place are to keep it that way. However, the moment in history is now…nothing like a non-discriminating virus to remind us how artificial our boundaries are and more importantly …how interconnected we are.
Even in the face of this, we still see our true global colors: backdoor deals, hoarding, self-interest. We have to change the system…a better, reimagined playbook is better for everyone.
I’m excited about this consultation because we get to hear a vast array of perspectives and co-create this. We can’t ask for something different and build it the exact same way. So here we are walking the talk. We need to hear from everyone, the non-conventional partners…and design an engagement and creation method that flips the status quo on its head. Governments are not always a proxy for the people, we need to know the pulse of the community…FROM the community.
ITPC will be participating by tapping into its global activist network to get the view and input of advocates particularly in the health justice sector on how this can work, very concretely.
I am very excited about the future in the face of the growing crisis all around. It’s ripe with opportunity, if only we can seize it!
More on #CoCreatingGPI here
Twitter: @GlobalPubInvt / @invpublglobal
LinkedIn: /global-public-investment-gpi/
Facebook: @globalpublicinvestment