Interview of Delegate-General

Can you outline the history of GIP SPSI prior to its 2006 start up?

The idea has been around quite a while - since the early nineties in fact. The employment sector has had a similar type of GIP for over ten years now. The first landmark was the report by the General Inspectorate for Social Affairs on the Health Ministry’s international responsibilities. Then came the Evin report recommending the creation of an ad hoc structure to promote cooperation in the area of health and social protection. From 2000, the chairman, Jean-Marie Spaeth, was tasked by successive ministers to examine the creation of such a body. This demonstration of political will culminated in Article 90 of the Act of 4 March 2002, which provided for the creation of a GIP for health and social protection. It still remained to give the idea concrete form, prior to approval of the founding agreement by departmental order of 12 May 2005.

This gradual entrenchment of the idea can be explained by several factors. Health and social welfare have become major development issues, particularly with the fight against pandemics and disease. Health is thus the focus of four of the eight Millennium Development Goals. And in the circles of the international funding agencies, it’s now a given that social development and equity are crucial to economic development.

In France, we had a great deal to offer as our different institutions were already involved in cooperation activities. But the lack of coordination affected the clarity of our offering, particularly as regards calls for tenders and twinning initiatives. Faced with the risk of a “scissor” effect between international demand and what France was able to offer, the GIP SPSI idea was born: a small structure to coordinate and leverage French resources and provide a framework for vertical and horizontal information flows.

What is GIP SPSI’s programme?

Our areas of intervention are determined first and foremost by government priorities. At the last meeting of the CICID – the Inter-ministerial Committee for International Co-operation and Development chaired by the Prime Minister, the priority was assigned to Africa and the Mediterranean. On another front, the Minister of Health and Solidarity is seeking to develop relations with the new EU member states and candidate countries. And other countries – like in South America for example – have made ad hoc requests for cooperation.

For our first year of operation, no geographic area is ruled out. We thus have a programme with Morocco and Algeria concerning health insurance, collection of contributions and training. And scoping missions are underway in Poland, Ukraine and Croatia – but also in Peru. Apart from these first assignments, the GIP is concentrating on methods. What does a scoping mission comprise for instance? How should a country’s health care and social protection needs be assessed? Effective interfacing between the GIP and its members and partners is also crucial, as the latter must be empowered to take over and continue projects once they have been initiated.

How do you see the role of the GIP?

In the area of cooperation, it’s important to keep pace with changing expectations and requirements. The GIP will thus set up an intelligence system to track changing policies and needs. Take for example a study by the European Commission on the demographic crunch in the former Eastern block countries - which raises the crucial question of the role of social protection in a context of falling birth rates and longer life expectancy. The task will then be to – and this is the GIP’s interface role – relay this information back to our members and partners. We must also keep close track of calls for tenders and international funding opportunities. Once up to speed, the GIP must be able respond rapidly to requests for cooperation. But we also have high expectations of our members and partners – the GIP is above all the product of their drive and dedication.