Speeches Shim
Private sector engagement is essential to realizing USAID’s objectives of fostering sustainable solutions to the most vexing development challenges today. USAID proactively collaborates with the private sector across nearly every field sector and industry to find new solutions to global challenges. Our private sector engagement efforts may focus on achieving shared goals related to encouraging and supporting business growth in developing countries, increasing investment into areas sectors that are critical to development, or promoting adoption of sustainable and inclusive business practices. Ultimately, development needs to be enterprise-driven and align with the private sector as co-creators of market-oriented solutions.
Being LGBTI in Asia is a first-of-its-kind initiative to support Asia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. It works to bolster basic LGBTI rights across the region and in specific focus countries including China, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2014, the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok, through the section for Regional Development Cooperation, joined the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a lead funding partner, raising the profile of regional organizations and institutions in addressing LGBTI rights issues. Faith in Love Foundation (Hong Kong) and The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) became donor partners in July 2017 and August 2018, respectively. In September 2018, UNDP signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry for European Affairs and Equality (Malta) to share information and technical assistance on laws, policy documents and initiatives concerning LGBTI people. The program will be implemented through March 2020.
Youth in the Asia-Pacific region are affected disproportionately by poverty, conflict, violence, unemployment and exclusion. Yet, evidence shows that if countries in the region invest effectively in their integrated development and engage them as partners in these efforts, this generation can pay a demographic dividend allowing countries to stimulate greater economic growth, promote democracy and stability and reach the 2030 UN Global Goals.
As of May 7, Syrian Arab Republic Government (SARG) airstrikes, ground clashes, and shelling continued in Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-held southern areas of the capital city of Damascus, including the unofficial Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, international media report. As of late April, an estimated 3,500 Palestinian refugees had fled the Yarmouk camp due to the conflict, according to international media. Those remaining in the camp are sheltering in basements with limited access to food, medicine, and safe drinking water, as the UN has been unable to access the camp since 2015.
Gender equality is defined in USAID’s Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy as a state “in which both men and women have equal opportunity to benefit from and contribute to economic, social, cultural and political development; enjoy socially valued resources and rewards; and realize their human rights.” The U.S. Agency for International Development Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA) is committed to collaborating with partners to bridge gender inequality gaps in programming to advance inclusive growth by strengthening women’s economic empowerment and increasing women’s and girls’ voices in decision-making, leadership and science.
Through this project, USAID works to make youth the principal agents of social and political change in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Yobe State Commissioner for Health declared a cholera outbreak in Nigeria’s BadeLocal Government Area (LGA) in early April. Health actors recorded more than 340suspected cholera cases in the state, more than 95 percent of which were from Bade,between March 28 and April 16.
Smallholder farmers cultivate 90% of the arable land in Malawi and face many challenges including declining soil fertility, erratic rainfall, land constraints, and poor institutional support. With limited access to credit, inputs, and price information, the typical farmer struggles to support a family of six on only one hectare of land. Also, Malnutrition particularly is a major problem causing stunting for 47% of children under the age of 5.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue to report bureaucratic impediments, such as extra fees related to staff work permits and communications equipment, which restrict access to populations in need across South Sudan. Despite significant humanitarian access constraints, relief agencies—including USAID partners—continue to provide life-saving emergency assistance to populations in need throughout the country.
In Afghanistan, trafficking of men, women, and children remains a major national concern. Impoverished and marginalized youth are especially vulnerable to trafficking and face consistent abuse, violence, harassment, exploitation, and other human rights violations. Compounding the problem, these vulnerable populations lack awareness of their basic legal rights and often, they respond to harassment by yielding to requests for bribes and other solicitations. Consequently, patterns of exploitation, trafficking, and abuse persist unchallenged and tolerated by a community that lacks the tools to counter unlawful misconduct.
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