Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09GENEVA111
2009-02-06 13:24:00
UNCLASSIFIED
US Mission Geneva
Cable title:  

CHARGE'S MEETING WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE

Tags:  EAID KHIV SOCI TBIO 
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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGV #0111 0371324
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061324Z FEB 09
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7968
INFO RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0031
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2935
UNCLAS GENEVA 000111 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR S/GAC, IO/T, OES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID KHIV SOCI TBIO
SUBJECT: CHARGE'S MEETING WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TB AND MALARIA

UNCLAS GENEVA 000111

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR S/GAC, IO/T, OES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID KHIV SOCI TBIO
SUBJECT: CHARGE'S MEETING WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TB AND MALARIA


1. Summary. Charge paid a courtesy call February 5, 2009,
on Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director of the Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). Noting
U.S. strong support for the Fund, Charge stressed the need
for more efficiency savings to finance the Fund's Round 8
proposals, urged continued collaboration between the Fund and
UNAIDS, and emphasized the importance of reports to the GFATM
Board by the Fund's Inspector General, particularly on
Zimbabwe. Kazatchkine, agreeing on the importance of these
points, said he would ask the U.S. to pledge a contribution
to the Fund of $2.7 billion in 2010, expressed the hope the
U.S, would attend the Fund's April pledging conference in
Spain at a high level, and said he would visit Washington
February 17-19, primarily for meetings with the Congress and
private sector partners. End summary.


2. In an effort to strengthen ties between the GFATM and
U.S. Mission Geneva, the Charge, accompanied by Mission's
Health Attache, met February 5 with GFATM Executive Director
Kazatchkine, who was accompanied by his Chief of Staff,
Enrico Mollica. Kazatchkine, expressing appreciation for the
strong support for the Fund from the United States, both
financially and by participation in the GFATM Board and its
committees, said he would visit Washington February 17-19 for
meetings with the Congress and private sector partners. He
expressed the hope to meet also with officials of the new
Administration responsible for issues related to the Fund,
but understood such officials may not yet be in place.


3. Responding to the Charge's reference to the efficiency
savings mandated by the GFATM Board to finance Round 8

proposals, Kazatchkine said he would seek such savings at the
level of 10% in grant negotiations in countries and would
seek similar savings at Headquarters related to hiring and
travel. Predicting Round 9 grant proposals at the same level
as Round 8, he foresaw a 2010 funding gap of $3-4 billion.


4. Turning to the GFATM pledging conference in April in
Spain, Kazatchkine, noting that Spanish Prime Minister
Zapatero had agreed to open the meeting, expressed the hope
the U.S. would be represented at a high level. Kazatchkine
said he would ask the U.S. to pledge a contribution of $2.7
billion for 2010, agreeing this was an ambitious target. He
said his request was based both on PEPFAR's anticipated shift
of more funding toward multilateral interventions and on the
"ethical mortgage" donors had undertaken with respect to
maintaining antiretroviral treatment regimens.


5. Kazatchkine agreed it was important for the Fund's
Inspector General to report regularly to the GFATM Board, and
said the IG was strengthening his office through increased
recruitment. He said the IG would report on regular audits
as well as on investigations such as the possible misuse of
resources in Zimbabwe. He also said the IG had established a
hotline to facilitate receiving information from
whistleblowers.


6. Noting the new Memorandum of Understanding between the
GFATM and UNAIDS, the Charge encouraged Kazatchkine to
collaborate more closely with UNAIDS, particularly in the
areas of technical assistance and monitoring and evaluation.
Stressing his close ties to Michel Sidibe, the new UNAIDS
Executive Director, Kazatchkine agreed such collaboration was
essential.
STORELLA