Honorable chair, distinguished delegates,
• Sustainable and flexible financing is critical to ensuring the world’s lead global health agency can address the complex challenges we face now and in the future.
• This lesson was clear in the co-creation of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which effectively mobilized thousands of donors to raise over 256 million USD for urgent response to the pandemic.
• In times of crisis, the ability to access and use flexible funds is a matter of life and death for millions.
• And in non-crisis times, flexible funds mean addressing all issues – including those that are underfunded - that affect each and every community in order to deliver health for all.
• We therefore call upon Member States to embrace the Investment Round as another pathway to ensuring that WHO will be able to fulfill its core functions and meet the evolving needs of its constituencies.
• We urge Member States to commit to a phased approach to providing greater flexible funding to WHO as part of its base budget.
• Other complementary initiatives, including the Lusaka Agenda, can be leveraged to encourage wider support for sustainable financing to global health in the years to come.
• UN Foundation remains committed to supporting the Investment Round and calls upon all stakeholders to join in this collective effort.
• Thank you.