Panama: USAID Program Profile
|
Budget |
FY 2005
Actual
|
FY 2006
Current
|
FY 2007
Requested
|
|
Total Program Funds |
$8,101,000 |
$5,325,000 |
$3,180,000 |
The United States Agency for International Development’s
(USAID) bilateral program in Panama contributes directly to
the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives in the country
in the areas of Infrastructure Network Protection (the Canal),
Democracy, and Trade and Investment by advancing more responsive,
transparent governance and the growth of an open, diversified
economy. USAID regional programs provide additional assistance
in other areas.
Ruling Justly: Aims to assure civil society participation
in promoting judicial reforms and strengthening the rule of
law by improving the justice system and facilitating citizens’
access to justice; improve transparency and accountability
in government by supporting reform of the legal framework
for transparency, and developing Panamanian capacity to curtail,
investigate, and prosecute corruption cases; and strengthen
citizen watchdog groups, and promoting ethical values in public
and private institutions. Support to civil society organizations
fortifies their social audit/government monitoring functions
and catalyzes Panamanian focus on democracy and governance
issues. In FY 2005, civil society organizations strengthened
their advocacy for reforms of the judiciary and good governance.
USAID was the first donor to support the work by the Citizens’
Alliance for Justice, a coalition of 15 Panamanian civil society
organizations. This assistance resulted in a popular call
for immediate action by the Executive Branch to curb public
corruption and malfeasance. In quick order, the National Anti-corruption
Council was established, a State Pact for Justice was signed
by the President and prominent legal entities, and a Commission
on Justice Reforms produced an agenda for critical reforms.
Economic Freedom: Focuses on facilitating market-led
growth by supporting efforts by the Government of Panama and
private sector to aggressively promote economic freedom, and
increase the country’s productivity and competitiveness
in order to benefit from global trade opportunities, and on
improving the management and productivity of the Panama Canal
Watershed. Activities are designed to build sector-level capacity
in support of increased exports and firm competitiveness,
and support integrated sustainable management of critical
watersheds. USAID support facilitates policy and legal reforms,
best practices, and environmentally-sound approaches to watershed
and protected areas management that promote biodiversity and
the sustainability of water and other natural resource use
in the long term, including operation of the Panama Canal.
Improved Management and Conservation of Critical Watersheds:
Endeavors to consolidate improvements in environmental management,
land use and conservation through policy and legal reforms,
changed resource use and a participatory, practical approach
to resource management in the Panama Canal Watershed and protected
areas. The program supports improved protected area management
and environmentally-sound economic activities, including improved
environmental governance. In FY 2005, USAID support raised
the bar for environmental stewardship. The USAID watershed
program led to major policy reforms and adoption, institutional
strengthening, best practices in natural resource management
for improved farm incomes, conservation of biodiversity, local
stakeholder participation, and empowerment in strategic sub-watersheds
in the Panama Canal Watershed and protected areas. To contribute
to achieving U.S. national and strategic interests, USAID
continued to solidify its cooperation with the Panama Canal
Authority on managing the Canal watershed, and promoted integrated
management in the Panama Canal Watershed in impoverished areas.
Proceeds from two debt-for-nature swaps under the Tropical
Forest Conservation Act complemented USAID resources in the
conservation of biodiversity in two key protected areas. Also,
the physical facilities of the Peregrine Fund continued to
support breeding of harpy eagles in attempts to prevent the
extinction of the National Bird, while promoting conservation
of their tropical forest habitat and the biodiversity it supports.
Trade and Investment: Seeks to help Panama prepare
for, and later implement, a free trade agreement with the
United States in order for it to reap the benefits of trade
development in a global market. To this end, USAID’s
supports demand-led activities that enhance business development
and provide linkage support in key sectors with great potential
to compete in the global economy. In FY 2005, USAID support
helped forge public-private partnerships to analyze constraints
and identify opportunities for increasing rural and global
competitiveness. Support for trade competitiveness is helping
to prepare Panama to implement the anticipated bilateral free
trade agreement with the United States and identify sectors
that show promise for new investments and employment creation.
Community Strengthening Assistance in Darien: Empowers
indigenous communities and helps legitimize local government
authority in the economically-least-developed province of
the Darien, which borders Colombia. USAID built numerous social
and productive infrastructures while promoting community strengthening
and self-help activities. The benefits are helping to thwart
repeated forays and efforts to lure the Darien communities
into illicit activities. In FY 2005, an additional 21 social
infrastructure projects were completed, including public ground
transportation terminals, pedestrian bridges, landing docks
to spur eco-tourism, aqueducts, potable water systems, water
sanitation and waste disposal systems. A total of 37 productive
infrastructure projects were completed, including handicraft
production and marketing, rural road rehabilitation, improved
production and agro-processing of rice, bean, corn, yam, micro-enterprise
services, municipal market construction and maintenance, community-based
enterprises that generate a revenue stream from the sustainable
use and management of natural resources (including eco-tourism
and wood products) and tree crop production (i.e. coconut,
coffee, and cacao). Additionally, a number of small projects
completed by the implementing grantee's volunteers added value
to the development work undertaken in the targeted communities.
Program implementation ends in FY 2006. Funding totaled $6
million for the life of the program.
Regional Programs: Includes HIV/AIDS prevention and
strengthening Panama’s disaster monitoring and response
capabilities.
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