Archbishop Invests in Immunisation Bond Scheme
Tuesday 7th November 2006
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has become one of the first holders of an international finance bond designed to raise money to provide immunisation for up to 500 million of the world's poorest children.The bond has been issued by HM Treasury and is expected to raise $1 billion out of a total of $4 billion being raised over the next ten years.
The scheme has been organised by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Gordon Brown. As well as Dr Williams, others who will be among the first to purchase bonds are Pope Benedict VI, the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations, Sir Jonathan Sacks, the Muslim Council of Britain, the Hindu Forum of Britain and the Network of Sikh organisations.
Dr Williams, who joined with other faith leaders and their representatives to collect their bonds from Gordon Brown, said today that the fact the scheme had the support of faith leaders was important:
"No-one needs reminding that faith and the state can be at odds on occasion about certain issues of contemporary significance. This emphatically is not such an occasion; indeed quite the opposite. I am delighted to be here with other Church and faith leaders to endorse an initiative masterminded by the Chancellor, which we all hope will deliver something of uncommon good to millions of children - and by extension their parents - the great majority of whom are living in abject poverty at huge risk to their health and happiness. By buying a bond I make a small contribution to a much bigger effort to mobilise resources to relieve poverty and suffering and build hope for a better future."
Click link on the right for the International Finance Facility for Immunisation website.