250 new commitments unveiled, valued at $8 billion to improve 158 million lives
New York, NY - This afternoon, former President Bill Clinton delivered the closing remarks at the Clinton Global Initiative's fourth Annual Meeting, highlighting new statistics on the widespread impact CGI's Commitments to Action will make worldwide.
"Each year, I am more impressed by our members' dedication to take action, think innovatively, and form partnerships to address the most critical global problems," said President Clinton. "CGI members have made nearly 1200 commitments to action valued at $46 billion that have already improved more than 200 million lives in 150 countries. New commitments unveiled this week will impact more than 158 million lives."
Examples of the potential impact some of this year's commitments will make once implemented include:
· 25 million children will have access to new or improved school feeding programs.
· 16 million children will participate in deworming programs.
· The emission of 44 million metric tons of CO2 will be avoided.
· Enough clean energy will be created to power the equivalent of 7 million homes in the United States.
· 75 million people will have first-time access to health care or access to improved health care.
· $375 million will be raised to develop new vaccines and conduct medical research.
· Over 1 billion liters of safe drinking water will be distributed.
· 50 million people will have access to mobile financial services.
· More than $400 million will be raised for investment and credit for small and medium sized enterprises in the developing world.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined President Clinton in addressing CGI members at the meeting's closing session. Brown's remarks included a call to action for the private sector to commit to addressing pressing world issues. In 2007, Prime Minister Brown made a "call to action" to governments, businesses, NGOs and faith-based groups to focus resources and effort on delivering the Millennium Goals by 2015. CGI is a founding member of Call to Action.
President Clinton also provided details about the continued growth of the Clinton Global Initiative, including its first meeting overseas at CGI Asia in Hong Kong this December and the second meeting of CGI U this February at the University of Texas at Austin.
This year President Clinton was joined by over 1,000 leaders from business, government, and non-governmental organizations who traveled to New York from six continents, including nearly 60 current and former heads of state and five Nobel Peace Prize winners. Visitors from 135 countries and territories have pledged over $6 million and 7,600 volunteer hours on MyCommitment.org.
All commitments and progress reports unveiled this week are available at www.clintonglobalinitative.org
Some of the commitments and progress reports announced today are attached.
The Global Network for Neglected and Tropical Disease Control presented a progress report on their commitments from 2006 and 2007. To date nearly 150 million of the world's poorest people received low cost Neglected and Tropical Disease (NTD) drugs. They are now working to eliminate the devastation tool of NTDs in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa during the next 7 years to meet Millennium development Goals.
A number of CGI Members heeded a call to action to help the victims of Haiti's recent natural disasters. Together they will help Haiti "build back better." The total value of these commitments is at least $130 million and they will do the following:
· Give 20,000 families food each month
· Supply 36,000 farmers with seeds, fertilizer, and training
· Provide 5 million liters of clean water
· Rebulid thousands of homes
· Improve education for more than 600,000 students
· Rebuild 2 bridges that were destroyed
· Provide Haitians with 100,000 pairs of shoes
· Rebuild 12 schools
United Nations Foundation, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, National Basketball Association, Women's National Basketball Association, and the Union for Reform Judaism committed $2 million over 4 years to engage a global audience of 25 million people through their Nothing But Nets program and work with partners to deliver bednets to a newly targeted refugee population.
American University in Dubai committed $26 million over 4 years to create scholarships for students from the Middle East to attend the Mohammed bin Rashid School for Communication.
Microsoft committed $50 million to expand the focus on teachers and work in the Innovative Teachers Program. Currently in 75 countries, over the next 5 years, Microsoft will expand their efforts in their teachers program to over 100 countries, allowing teachers to work together and help each other.
LeapFrog Investment with partners Ashoka, Quindiem, Microinsurance Center, Akin Gump, Wiley Rein, Attridge-Stirling Woloniecki, and consultants from around the world committed $100 million over 10 years to launch the world's largest microinsurance initiative that will enable 25 million low-income people to access affordable, quality insurance and financial services, 15 million of whom will be women and children.
The Wal-Mart Foundation committed to funding innovative, high-impact commitments that creates lasting and positive social change within CGI U's four main focus areas - energy & climate change, global health, human rights & peace, and poverty alleviation. Since the inaugural meeting in March, fourty-four students and two universities were awarded grants to fund projects which will benefit people and communities around the world.
Victor Pinchuk and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation announced the launch of the WorldWideStudies program to provide 500 Masters fellowships for Ukrainians to study abroad.
The Mother Child Education Foundation will develop and provide early education, parenting and female literacy programs throughout Turkey. 80,000 mothers, 80,000 children, 26,000 illiterate women, and 14,000 fathers will be direct beneficiaries of programs and over 200,000 more will be secondary beneficiaries.
The UN Foundation and partners will engage a global audience of 25 million people through their Nothing but Nets program and work with partners to deliver 2 million refugees with bednets to protect against Malaria.
Goldman Sachs committed to provide 300 Liberian women with a business education. This is part of their 10,000 Women commitment. They will also provide an additional 100 African women with a business education. With partners Vital Voices, Inter-America Development Bank, the World Bank Group, Exxon Mobil and the Club of Madrid, Goldman Sachs will develop a gender and diversity fund, convene a regional summit for emerging women leaders, and launch a training program to strengthen women's political leadership.
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