Franco-British partnership to combat AIDS

France and the UK have announced a much greater level of cooperation on innovative ways to raise money to fight disease and support basic education in poor countries.

Up to now there has been relatively little cooperation, with each government pushing its own approach. Today, however, in a renewed spirit of cooperation, the UK and France have each agreed on specific ways they will back each other's proposals. This and other steps on innovative financing were welcomed by Graca Machel and other African leaders.

Most significantly, the UK and France agreed to establish a working group to consider the implementation of an International Finance Facility (IFF) going to health and education and funded by an air ticket levy. They have promised to report on their progress in September 2006.

Global AIDS Alliance has advocated just such a Facility. GAA recently published a paper explaining why massive resources made available now are essential for confronting the AIDS crisis and addressing the lack of access to basic education.

Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance, stated: "This grand alliance between UK and France is welcome. They must exercise bold leadership, unite the world in financing the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, and swiftly end the holocaust."

"France and the UK are moving forward on an IFF going to health and education. This is a tremendously important development, and we need to see real results by September 2006. The IFF is essential because there is no other way to secure the necessary levels of frontloaded resources."

"Now we need Germany to join in. If Germany stays on the sidelines and fails to keep its promises, its status as a global leader will be badly set back."

"As UN Secretary Kofi Annan insisted today, these proposals must support reliable and effective mechanisms that already exist. There is no need to reinvent the wheel -- the Global Fund and the Fast Track Initiative are working, so let's give them full support."

"This agreement does not absolve France of its responsibility to help ensure the Global Fund can proceed, this year, with additional grantmaking. Without its active diplomacy, not only AIDS programs but also TB and malaria programs will be dramatically set back."