On the occasion of Spain joining the Global Equality Fund, the Governments of Spain and the United States issued the following joint statement, dated May 10:
The United States and Spain recognize that all human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love. Promoting and protecting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons is an important part of our shared foreign policy objectives.
Consistent with its commitment to these values, Spain formally announced it would join the Global Equality Fund as a donor Partner. Today, Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Albares participated in a signing ceremony to mark this commitment. The Global Equality Fund (GEF), a public-private partnership administered by the United States, is built on its Partners’ shared commitment to advancing freedom, equality, and dignity for all. With Spain’s announcement, the GEF Partnership now consists of 18 government donors and 10 private donors.
Through the Global Equality Fund, like-minded governments, foundations, and corporations provide support to civil society organizations working to promote inclusion and respect for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics.
The United States and Spain will continue to work to ensure that all people – including LGBTQI+ persons – can live in dignity, freedom, and equality.
Global Equality Fund Partners include the Governments of Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United States of America, and Uruguay, as well as the Arcus Foundation, the John D. Evans Foundation, the M•A•C AIDS Fund, Deloitte LLP, the Royal Bank of Canada, Hilton Worldwide, Bloomberg L.P., and Out Leadership.
Setting the stage
The signing ceremony for the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding covering the Global Equality Fund served as a ceremonial centerpiece for the bilateral discussions in Washington May 10 between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares. However, in the follow up joint press availability with both foreign ministers, media interest focused heavily on other topics, mainly Spain’s support for the war in Ukraine, migration issues, and global issues relating to Spain’s upcoming presidency of the European Council (July-December 2023).