The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has concluded an intense week of discussions with world leaders and international partners at the UN General Assembly in New York with a series of pledges to tackle the current food crisis, aggravated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the urgent climate and nature crisis and to improve global health. Speaking at the Global Citizen Festival in New York, President von der Leyen has reiterated EU’s commitment to help our most vulnerable partners deal with the social and economic fallout of Russia’s unlawful actions and boost sustainable investments under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
President von der Leyen pledged €715 million for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, which brings the total Team Europe (EU and Member States) contribution to more than €4.3 billion. She also announced the allocation of the €600 million in additional funds for addressing the global food security crisis in the most vulnerable partner countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific. In addition, the President announced a new contribution of €45 million over six years to support sexual and reproductive health and rights – and women’s rights – worldwide.
And she announced that the doubling of the Commission’s funding to global biodiversity would result in €7 billion invested to protect biodiversity around the world. In addition, the President announced that the European Union is preparing forest partnerships with five countries – Uganda, Zambia, Congo, Mongolia and Guyana.
The European Commission has redirected €600 million from the 10th and 11th European Development Funds to finance immediate humanitarian aid and to support sustainable food production and resilience of food systems in the most vulnerable partner countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific.
The President’s announcement of a €7 billion investment in biodiversity protection worldwide is a concrete follow up to the commitment she made last year to double biodiversity financing for 2021-2027, especially for the most vulnerable countries.
Source: European Commission
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