Remarks by Adolfo Franco
Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean
Caribbean Central America Action (CCAA) 28th
Annual Conference on the Caribbean Basin
December 8, 2004
Miami, Florida
First, I would like to thank Prime Minister Manning for his
timely comments. I would also like to thank CCAA for inviting
me to address such a distinguished group of colleagues from
around our region.
When I was considering my remarks for this afternoon, I wanted
to focus on the theme of this year’s conference: “An
Integrated Third Border.” President Bush has time and
again reiterated his commitment to Latin America and the Caribbean,
and his recent visit to Chile and Colombia are tangible signs
of this support. With the President’s reelection, I
want to assure you that USAID, as part of the overall United
States Government engagement, will continue to pursue a wide
variety of activities in our region, from the President’s
vision for a Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, to increased
assistance for disaster preparedness.
As I look around the room and see so many leaders in so many
fields, I am struck by the fact that none of us can accomplish
our goals alone. Essential to achieving our vision for prosperity
in the Hemisphere is the notion of partnerships, and I wanted
to focus on three important partnerships USAID has pursued
and will continue to pursue in the coming years.
First, I would like to focus on our partnerships in pursuit
of the President’s free trade agenda. Second, I will
address USAID’s new partnerships with the business community
to combat the stigma of HIV/AIDS in the region. Finally, I
would like to tell you about USAID’s work to assist
the victims of natural disaster in the region.
The concept of partnerships and cooperation is central to
USAID. As assistant administrator of the Latin American and
Caribbean bureau, I am constantly seeking ways to implement
the vision of Administrator Andrew Natsios embodied in the
concept of the “global development alliance,”
or GDA. The GDA concept acknowledges that USAID can achieve
much more if it works with partners from the private and non-profit
sectors, as well as with sovereign governments. As a result
of the GDA concept, USAID has partnered with Microsoft to
bring computer training to disadvantaged youth in Brazil and
has created an alliance with businesses and tourism representatives
to protect the region’s fragile coral reefs.
I was pleased to see that many sessions at this conference
will be devoted to discussion of the U.S.-Central America
Free Trade Agreement. USAID played a pivotal role, along with
the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, in helping the
CAFTA countries plan their strategies for participating in
the CAFTA negotiations, and USAID will assist CAFTA countries
to develop regulations and the capacity to take advantage
of the agreement once it is ratified. USAID will commit $507
million to trade capacity building in 2005, of which $75.7
million will be used for programs in the Bureau for Latin
America and the Caribbean.
At the moment, USAID also plays an ongoing and vital role
with the United States Trade Representative and partners in
the Andean region in trade negotiations being conducted with
Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Our work related to CAFTA and
in the Andean region is expanding as we partner with different
governments, producers, associations, non-profit organizations,
think tanks and especially corporations to promote an enlivened
dialog about the role trade can play in stimulating economic
growth.
Increasingly under President Bush, USAID is seeking ways
to work with partners in the private sector and business community.
One of the exciting new developments I wanted to discuss with
you today is USAID’s recent engagement with the private
sector to combat HIV/AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Most of you are aware that HIV/AIDS is an explosion waiting
to occur in our region. The rate of HIV/AIDS infection in
the Caribbean is second only to that in Sub-Saharan Africa,
and the numbers are particularly alarming in countries like
Haiti and Brazil. We can not allow the Caribbean to become
the “sick bay” of the Americas, with all of the
resulting impact on the economies of the region, from tourism
to manufacturing to services.
President Bush has committed $15 billion over the next five
years to combat HIV/AIDS in countries from Botswana to Guyana
as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
In addition to this significant expenditure of resources,
I have sought to build partnerships with the private sector
in our region to combat HIV.
Starting last year, USAID began working with American Chambers
of Commerce in Mexico and Brazil, and is exploring the possibility
of expanding to Jamaica, to encourage employers to evaluate
and update their policies regarding HIV/AIDS in the workplace
and to make the necessary investments to educate employees
about the disease, with a particular emphasis on reducing
the stigma that hinders an effective response to the pandemic.
We have been particularly pleased to work with the AIDS Responsibility
Project, under the leadership of Abner Mason, the chair of
the international committee of President Bush’s advisory
council on HIV/AIDS. USAID’s work with the AIDS Responsibility
Project exemplifies the kind of partnership we are seeking
to build and maintain.
I am gratified that the response has been encouraging, especially
in Mexico, where a number of the largest employers in Mexico
have formed a National Business Council on HIV/AIDS. Last
week, I was in Brazil where I met with a similar group of
businesses committed to ending stigma and discrimination in
the workplace and educating their employees about the disease.
By supporting and encouraging this initiative, USAID can reach
many more people with a prevention message than if we worked
solely in cooperation with governments, or only through non-governmental
partners. I believe this initiative will have a long-lasting,
positive effect in reducing the harm caused by AIDS in our
region.
No discussion of partnerships would be complete without acknowledging
USAID’s many partners who joined with us to combat the
effects of this year’s hurricane season. Hurricanes
Charlie, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne left a legacy of destruction
and chaos in their wake—not only in the islands of the
Caribbean, but here in Florida, as well. Governor Bush deserves
great praise for marshalling Florida’s resources to
respond to the great challenges these hurricanes posed to
Florida.
As devastating as the hurricanes were here in Florida, they
caused much greater damage in places less prepared to respond.
The stories are familiar to all of us--ninety percent of the
housing stock in Grenada was leveled by Hurricane Ivan. From
Cuba to the Bahamas, from Trinidad and Tobago to the Dominican
Republic, this year’s hurricanes destroyed lives and
livelihoods across our region. In the tragic case of Haiti,
Tropical Storm Jeanne left more than 3000 dead in landslides
that buried much of the northern city of Gonaives.
Within hours, USAID mobilized all our resources and began
to disperse emergency relief. President Bush took personal
interest and with the United States Congress made available
more than $100 million for hurricane response in the Caribbean.
I was recently in Haiti where I signed a memorandum of understanding
with Prime Minister Gerard Latortue for $34 million for Gonaives,
and I visited our partners implementing relief efforts in
Gonaives.
In addition to Haiti, USAID will commit $42 million for medium-term
assistance, including housing and infrastructure reconstruction
in Grenada. USAID even contributed $50,000 to help the people
of Cuba after Hurricane Charley passed near Havana, although
Fidel Castro thumbed his nose at the generosity of the American
people and refused to allow us to do more to help victims
of the natural disasters on that prison island.
Let me conclude with one thought -- that USAID is dedicated
to the important goals we are discussing here this conference.
We cannot nor do we want to do it alone. We have partnered
with many of you already, and Administrator Natsios has instructed
me to be aggressive in seeking new opportunities and new partners
to help achieve our aims.
While much attention is focused on challenges in the Middle
East and elsewhere, let me reaffirm the President’s
commitment and that of Administrator Natsios and myself to
doing all we can to promote development and prevent disasters,
right here in our own Hemisphere. We have much work to do
and I look forward to continue to working with you to achieve
the goals we all share.
Thank you.
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