US shines spotlight on Georgia’s Solidarity Fund support of cancer victims

Georgia’s Solidarity Fund and the vital support it offers young people living with cancer was accentuated at a high level event held alongside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 71st Session in New York, United States. 

At the special event yesterday, co-organised by the Georgian and French governments, Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili spoke of the importance of innovative funding and the difference it can make to society.

He spoke of the Solidarity Fund – the country’s largest public-private partnership (PPP) – and the difference it has made to thousands of cancer patients since its establishment in 2014. 

An initiative of Georgia’s ex-PM Irakli Garibashvili, the Solidarity Find had united "over 20 percent of civil servants and 27 percent of private companies” who had donated funds to finance vital medical treatment for children and young adults in Georgia suffering with cancer”.

Georgia's Prime Minister (L) thanked Ms. Mariam Jashi, head of the Solidarity Fund, for her efforts. Photo by the Solidarity Fund. 

Kvirikashvili said through this PPP, Georgia had joined a group of nations with innovative funding methods operating under the aegis of the Foreign Ministry of France, and had become actively engaged in global dialogue on innovative funding.

After talking about the Solidarity Fund, Kvirikashvili recalled an international forum on innovative funding held in Tbilisi [TISIFF 2015] and labeled it as "the first ever attempt to consolidate the global knowledge on solidarity and innovative funding”. 

TISIFF 2015 delegates have scrutinised the knowledge acquired in the area of global innovative funding, along with its prospects for future, national solidarity initiatives on the background of cases brought from France, Georgia, Mali and Tunisia,” adding the forum’s recommendations reflected a common vision on new, potential platforms and innovative funding sources by various categories and priorities. 

They will support us in bridging the gap in funding for measures required to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030. This shortfall totals $37.5 trillion ($2.5 trillion per annum), while the public funds and official support of development will not be sufficient to fill the gap,” Kvirikashvili said. 

Georgia’s top official said he believed innovative funding could play a significant role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, and encourage greater inflows of domestic financial resources, foreign direct investments and more.

In his final comments, Kvirikashvili thanked event participants and said he hoped the TISIFF 2015 recommendations would ultimately serve beneficial as a guiding document for other nations to take further measures towards innovative funding.

Georgia’s high official gave special thanks to ex-PM Garibashvili and head of the Solidarity Fund Mariam Jashi for their efforts in innovative funding and supporting youth in need in Georgia.