The 2023 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) has opened in New York City with the announcement of several new programs and commitments, including the launch of a humanitarian network as well as financial pledges in support of nonprofits working in Ukraine.

First established by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in 2005 and discontinued when Hillary Clinton was serving as U.S. secretary of state, CGI is a three-day meeting that convenes political, business, and philanthropic leaders—many of whom are in New York for the United Nations General Assembly—to address global issues of climate change, economic inclusion, and public health issues. In addition, Hillary Clinton announced that gender equality will be the fourth pillar of CGI’s activities.

This year, the event opened with the launch of the CGI Ukraine Action Network, which aims to mobilize existing CGI partners to make commitments to aid in Ukraine. Several other organizations made commitments in CGI’s focus areas, including Vital Strategies, which committed to scale its efforts to use innovative data analysis to create an early identification tool to recognize cases of gender-based violence, using data from the Brazilian public health systems. Chicago Beyond also announced a commitment to women with a $2 million investment into a new Black Maternal Health Fellows program.

The GitLab Foundation also announced a three-year, $10 million commitment to accelerate how emerging technology, such as AI, can create economic opportunity globally. The Missing Billion Initiative announced an effort centered on accelerating disability inclusion in health systems globally, alongside partners the McKinsey Health Institute, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), the International Disability Alliance, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) also announced a three-year, $30 million commitment to action to invest in local efforts to advance opportunities for Haitian children, families, and communities. In addition, several other funders—including the Digicel Foundation, Dunn Family Charitable Foundation, and Porticus—made commitments alongside WKKF, totaling another $20 million collectively for the Haiti initiative.

“After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, we saw incredible resources flow to the country,” said WKKF president and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron. “The needs were great, and there was a tremendous outpouring of generosity, but we knew that much of the response was short-term. A true catalyst for change would be a much deeper commitment to Haiti. In 2011, we decided to be a dedicated partner in Haiti for at least a generation. After working alongside Haitian organizations and leaders for more than a decade, we are asking other funders to strategically collaborate and support scaling the work of these local organizations. It is the bold, visionary work of local leaders and communities that brings hope for the future of Haiti.”

(Photo credit: Flickr/Clinton Global Initiative)