Elma Saiz se reúne con Guy Ryder, responsable de Políticas Sociales de la ONU, para presentarle el Fondo de Impacto Social español, el cuarto en el mundo
06/02/2025
Official trip to the United States
Elma Saiz meets with Guy Ryder, head of UN Social Policy, to present the Spanish Social Impact Fund, the fourth in the world
Topics:
- This financial instrument has an investment of 400 million euros and aims to promote projects with quantifiable, measurable social and/or environmental effects and a financial return
- The minister has also explained to the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations the axes of Spain’s migration policy, including the reform of the Regulation on Foreigners and the main points of the Plan of Integration and Intercultural Coexistence
- The Deputy Secretary-General of the UN has highlighted the global role of the Spanish Government by combining rising economic growth with the social policies needed to protect the most vulnerable part of the population
- Both leaders have set out to raise this formula at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development and to set an example for other countries in the world.
- “Our entire migration policy revolves around that axis: respect for human rights and the shared benefit that comes from living together and the contribution made by the people who come. If good inclusion policies are made, we all win,” the minister said.
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The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, has met with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Guy Ryder, in the context of her official visit to the United States. The central point of the conversation has been to present at the United Nations the Social Impact Fund (FIS), a financial instrument with which Spain becomes the fourth country in the world in initiatives of public collaboration – private of impact and social entrepreneurship.
This fund – approved by the Government last June – is one of the new financial instruments included in the addendum to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR) and is endowed with 400 million euros. Its objective is to promote investments that generate a positive and measurable social and/or environmental impact, as well as an economic return.
“The creation of the FIS is a milestone in Spain because it will allow us to meet social and environmental challenges not covered by the markets until now,” explained Elma Saiz, while highlighting the importance of public-private collaboration. “The Fund offers a new perspective on how the public and private sector can work together to address new global challenges and provide an effective response to critical issues such as the fight against poverty or inequality.”
The Fund aims to promote the reduction of inequalities, territorial cohesion, social entrepreneurship and face the demographic challenge, among others. Some of the areas in which it is expected to impact are the social and labor inclusion of people with disabilities and in a situation of homelessness or gender equality.
The FIS is highly flexible and can finance social impact operations by subscribing to fund shares, equity shares or debt instruments. In addition, one part will be aimed at providing technical assistance so that entities can strengthen their capacities to measure and manage the impact, thus supporting their professionalization.
It has already approved its first two investments in the IB Debt Impact Spain funds, FESE, and Q-Impact Fund II, FESE, to provide financial support to projects of SMEs committed to social and environmental challenges carried out in Spain.
For his part, Guy Ryder has congratulated the Government of Spain for betting on social investment as a factor of economic and sustainable growth. Also for demonstrating their solvency with objective data and evidence. “We are driving Europe, accounting for 40% of growth. We make of necessity, virtue. And President Pedro Sánchez is a great international leader who defends more than ever a united Europe,” the minister said.
Migration policy
Saiz and Ryder have also shared the latest advances in Spanish migration, such as the new Regulation on Foreigners, and the plans planned for the near future, fundamentally the Plan for Integration and Multicultural Coexistence and the Labour Mobility Strategy.
“Spain has set out to make the most of the wealth that migration brings,” said Elma Saiz. “Immigration is necessary for our prosperity and the diversity that accompanies the phenomenon enriches us, but we are aware of the challenge that cultural differences sometimes pose. Coexistence is the goal and that is what we are working on.”
Elma Saiz has announced that the Coexistence Plan will be articulated on the principles of equality and non-discrimination, citizenship, inclusion and interculturality.
“The principle of equality and non-discrimination implies equal rights, freedoms and obligations. From there, we must recognize the right of migrants to full civic, social, economic, cultural and political participation and their full inclusion. Interculturality is a positive feature of our societies that we must take care of, to improve coexistence and take advantage of its full potential, both cultural and economic.”
At their meeting, they agreed on the importance of fighting discrimination and hate speech, particularly in the area of migration.
“Our entire migration policy revolves around that axis: respect for human rights and the shared benefit that comes from living together and the contribution made by the people who come. If good inclusion policies are made, we win everyone, those who come to our countries in search of a vital project and the country that receives them.”