Interview Of Chairman

Jean-Marie Spaeth Chairman of GIP SPSI

How did GIP SPSI come about?

Social protection is part of France’s heritage. It is concrete testimony to the importance of the human factor in economic development. It’s also one of the underpinnings of the social contract and of the balance between the different sections of society.

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the process of globalisation have opened up new horizons which have found expression in the Europe of 25. At the same time, France has come to reassess its relationship with its former colonies. All these changes have led France to reconsider the social dimension of its cooperation policy. Welfare and health are not just humanitarian issues. There is of course an obligation to fight poverty - but cooperation in this area also means regulating social protection systems, and particularly health care. The importance of social protection in economic development is becoming increasingly clear.

For a long time, France maintained a relatively low profile in the competition for tenders, not because of any lack of competence or know-how, but because of the need for a structure capable of meeting the requirements of the major international sponsors. It became clear that this situation needed to be addressed. The first step was to persuade all relevant players (and this stage isn’t over yet) that while the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to spearhead the cooperation process, the implementation of social protection systems at the technical and policy levels is the role of civil society players, who must accordingly have their place in cooperation policy. It should be remembered that since 1945, the management of French social welfare is delegated to funds run by the social partners… This first physical embodiment of this principle was the Agency for the Development and Coordination of International Relations (ADECRI), which brings together the different social security organisations. The state then became involved, first with the Evin report and then with the broader-scoped 2002 Act which founded GIP SPSI. The GIP must foster smooth coordination between the state as policy maker, and the health and welfare professionals.

How can you ensure a coordinated offering - one that gets its message across effectively?

Under no circumstances is the GIP saying that this or that player carries greater weight in the internationalisation process. On the contrary, the aim is to ensure that each welfare actor understands that it has a constructive role to play and has everything to gain by pooling experience, know-how and competencies in the area of cooperation. Each player has its place in the process, provided of course that that it is willing to share that place and pool its know-how. Priorities are debated by the GIP SPSI Steering Committee – a central pillar of the organisation - then voted on. Once adopted they become the priorities for all. It’s a new mindset that must be created ... a leveraging of know-how. This is at the very heart of GIP SPSI’s mission.

The GIP must also contribute to promoting that know-how. France’s social welfare culture and model – with their combination of technology and interpersonal relations and system of negotiated agreements - differ from their Anglo-Saxon counterparts. Through the partnerships we have forged abroad, we contribute to the development of a certain French culture and Francophony. And this cultural contribution is underpinned by an economic dimension, i.e. the services related to social welfare - services supported by technology (carte Vitale, actuarial valuation, training for professionals, etc.). It’s not about exporting the French health and social welfare system, but rather the French way of looking at these systems and the values that we attach to them.

What in your view are the thematic and geographic perspectives for cooperation in the area of health and welfare?

In geographic terms the focus for French cooperation in the area of health and social welfare, is first of all the Mediterranean area and the enlarged Europe up to the Ukraine – but also South America. Of course we can’t ignore what’s happening in India and China (where ADECRI has just won a major assistance contract incidentally), but I feel that given the enormous challenges posed by those countries and their size, cooperation in the area of social welfare will be best served within a European framework.

In terms of themes for cooperation, the question of access to health care and protection will clearly be a major issue in the coming years, particularly in the poorest countries. However, in the developing regions like North Africa and Ukraine, there is an aspiration for social welfare systems that extend beyond mere health care, to address issues such as retirement and unemployment. In these countries people are demanding that the benefits of economic growth translate into the creation of systems of social guarantees.

.

Imprimer