Speeches

Speeches Shim

Friday, January 15, 2021

Good morning everyone. I’m excited to be here with you all today to launch our newly revised policy on Counter-Trafficking in Persons.

Human trafficking — a form of modern day slavery — still exists in the shadows today. It’s the second largest criminal industry on earth, with more than 25 million people enslaved. And the vast majority of those victims are women and girls.

Human trafficking is a pervasive and heinous crime. It is taking place in many places around the world, from countries with rampant organized crime like Libya and Nigeria to alleged state-sponsored trafficking in Cuba.

It undermines global security, corrupts international trade, and attacks the core of human dignity, which lies at the heart of everything we do at USAID

This is also an issue that is personal for me. When I was at DHS, I oversaw the Blue Campaign, which raised awareness on the dangers of human trafficking. I was super proud of the work they did on this. And I’m glad that USAID has made the global fight against human trafficking a priority. Since 2001, our Agency has committed more than $340 million to fight this insidious threat. But we are ready to do more.

Thursday, January 14, 2021 - 4:30pm

USAID has a long-standing commitment to address legacies of the Vietnam War. While our colleagues in the Department of State focus on UXO demining, USAID works to assist people with disabilities and clean up sites contaminated by Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. 

Thursday, January 14, 2021 - 10:00am

The world is experiencing an unprecedented shift in the global economic landscape. With global supply chains disrupted by the pandemic, e-commerce and digital platforms have become even more important for small and medium enterprises in the countries where we work.

Wednesday, January 13, 2021 - 11:30am

The United States and the Caribbean are a community, with many shared values and interests. What affects one of us affects all of us — we are neighbors, partners, and friends.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - 5:00pm

Together, USAID and DHS are reinforcing our commitment to assist countries as they protect their coastal communities and natural resources. We are helping them build the foundation for stronger penalties against the illegal fishing done by foreign actors through distant water fleets.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 - 5:00pm

We know that wild fisheries are integral to a variety of development goals, and the sustainable management of these fisheries has serious implications for human well-being in many countries where we work. With weak management and illegal harvesting practices, the sustainability and benefits of wild fisheries are increasingly at risk. And these threats undermine both food security and legal economic opportunities.

Thursday, December 17, 2020 - 5:30am

It is a great honor for me to be here with you at the signing of this memorandum of understanding for the Emerging Farmers Partnership project between USAID, Corteva Agriscience, John Deere, and Global Communities.  This MOU represents some of USAID’s most important values: economic resilience, private-sector engagement, and self-reliance.  

Tuesday, December 15, 2020 - 8:30am

I am delighted to be here today on behalf of the U.S. government to join the Ministry of General Education in distributing of more than two million books and five thousand tablets for the benefit of the students and teachers of Zambia.  These teaching and learning materials are yet another indication of the U.S. government’s continued partnership and commitment in support of Zambia’s Primary Literacy Program.  These teaching and learning materials will open minds, expand horizons, and introduce millions of primary school children across Zambia to new worlds and opportunities.

Monday, December 14, 2020 - 11:15am

At USAID, we have taken major steps to elevate nutrition across the Agency, starting with internal structural changes for us to engage all sectors on our nutrition strategy. This effort is led by our cross-bureau Nutrition Leadership Council, which is chaired by our first ever chief nutritionist. These structural changes allow us to provide Agency-wide guidance on nutrition in the context of COVID-19.

Wednesday, December 9, 2020 - 3:45pm

The U.S. and Qatar continue to coordinate closely on a wide range of regional and global issues — and the strategic partnership between our two countries could not be stronger. Today, I am honored to sign this Memorandum of Understanding between USAID and the Qatar Fund for Development, which will expand our cooperation in the development and humanitarian spheres.

Wednesday, December 9, 2020 - 9:00am

On behalf of the US Agency for International Development, it is my pleasure to join you for this Safe Motherhood 360+ end-of-project event. I want to begin by acknowledging the team for their hard work and commitment over the past five years to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare for mothers and children in Zambia. Improving the health of women and children is a core priority for USAID, including a focus on reducing preventable maternal and perinatal illness and death. In partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zambia and other stakeholders, we support evidence-based, high-impact interventions that save lives and make them better, and contribute up to $13 million every year to support better health for women, newborns, and children.

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