Participation and Transparency
The Global Fund was created based on values such as transparency, effectiveness, and inclusiveness of all groups of society. These values can only be attained by the active participation of civil society in the Global Fund processes at all levels including governance and implementation. Global Fund experience has shown that civil society organizations are strong implementers, with 83 percent of their grants rated very good or good.
Civil Society organizations have played a critically important role in the development and advocacy of the concepts that eventually led to the establishment of Debt2Health as an innovative financing mechanism for the Global Fund. The first feasibility study (Global Fund Debt Conversion, 2005), that described the opportunities for resource mobilization and for increased health investments from debt restructuring was largely financed and conducted by civil society organizations such as the Dorothy Ann Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Global AIDS Alliance and Advocacy International. Following the feasibility study, the Global Fund Secretariat -- in cooperation with partners in government and civil society -- developed the business model now under implementation (Financing the Fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, 2005). During this development phase, Erlassjahr.de, the German chapter of the global debt cancellation movement Jubilee, was instrumental in providing technical advice and in facilitating fruitful collaboration with many members of the Jubliee network throughout the world including Australia, Indonesia, Japan and Peru. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided financial support for the exploration and development phase of Debt2Health.
As the Debt2Health initiative entered implementation, a much wider network of civil society organizations became involved and associated with the initiative. Organizations such as Results, Make Poverty History Australia, Eurodad, the Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium (KANCO), the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), Coalition for Healthy Indonesia (KuIS ) as well as the independent Friends of the Global Fund organizations were consulted and participated in meetings about Debt2Health. At times, civil society partners presented critical views of Debt2Health, which brought to light the more challenging areas of the initiative such as the issue of additionality of Debt2Health resources to ODA commitments and the risks of conversions of so called “illegitimate debts”.
One of the highlights of the interaction and inclusion of civil society organizations was the first international workshop on Debt2Health for civil society held on 25 September 2007, ahead of the official launch of the initiative at the Replenishment of the Global Fund in Berlin. On the day of the launch of Debt2Health, 22 civil society leaders submitted an endorsement letter to the German government expressing their support for the initiative.
Civil Society members are regularly invited to participate in country visits and discussions with creditors and recipient governments. For example, during the presentation of Debt2Health to the government of Peru by Germany and the Global Fund, a number of civil society leaders as well as representatives of people affected by the diseases participated in the discussion. Moreover, briefings for and meetings with civil society organizations have become a regular feature during Debt2Health country visits. Finally, signed Debt2Health agreements are made available publicly to facilitate transparency.
The Role of the Global Fund in Debt2Health:
Identifying opportunities for individual Debt2Health swaps.
Facilitating the negotiations between creditors and beneficiaries.
Facilitating the participation of civil society in the process.
Ensuring high quality of funded activities through existing performance-based systems.
Monitoring proper use of funds and reporting on results achieved.