At the Washington Call to Action, you announced that India will remain in the forefront of the global efforts against child mortality, acknowledging India’s potential to greatly reduce preventable child deaths. Today’s summit proves the commitment of India’s leaders to both the global community and the children of India. The U.S. Government is proud to be a part of this initiative, and we look forward to working with the Government of India on addressing critical child survival issues.
USAID is proud to be part of this new Commercial Farm Services Program, one of many projects we have here in Ethiopia that form part of the U.S. President’s Feed the Future Initiative. I am very pleased to see this group here today working together to achieve our common goals: to provide smallholder farmers with the tools that enable them to earn a decent livelihood and contribute to the development of their country.
I am pleased to represent the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the American people today at the 2nd Annual Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) - Cooperatives Forum, supported by USAID’s Agribusiness Market Development (AMDe) activity.
Over three intense days we have seen how countries who have committed to reducing child mortality face great challenges and achieve progress by using proven cost–effective and high impact interventions, building health care delivery systems, working directly with and on the community level, investing in the education of girls and women, and by forging political will and determination. These improvements in maternal, infant, and child health are critical for overall development of nations.
Since the Legislative Research Program began more than a year ago, USAID has worked with the to strengthen the capacity to provide National Assembly members and staff with greater in-depth information and analysis on critical laws and policies.
The U.S. Government launched the EC-LEDS initiative more than two years ago to support developing country-led efforts to accelerate their economic growth, achieve their development goals, and address climate change. Vietnam was one of our first partners and we are privileged to work with you in this endeavor.
Haleh described my official title as Deputy Administrator, and that’s what it says on the website. I help provide overall direction and management for the Agency, with an emphasis on the Middle East and Africa, oversee implementation of USAID Forward and advancement of presidential initiatives such as food security, global health, climate change, and democracy and governance. But in this small intimate environment –webcast throughout the world—I’m going to let you in on a little secret.
My real day job is to ensure that all our development efforts are implemented in an inclusive manner, in particular drawing on the contributions of previously marginalized and disempowered groups, whether that is women, people with disabilities, indigenous groups, youth, the LGBT community, and religious and ethnic minorities. They must be at the center of our work, and they must be planners, implementers and beneficiaries of all of our development efforts. We have a watchword we use at USAID, “Nothing about them without them.”
USAID is proud to be a partner with the GVN in these important efforts to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Since 1989, the U.S. Government has provided over $54 million in assistance to people with disabilities, regardless of cause. In collaboration with the GVN and partners such as the Vietnam Assistance to the Handicapped, we have been able to contribute to the development of Vietnam's National Law on Disability, Accessibility Codes and Standards for public transportation, public construction and access to information. In addition, we have been contributing to the establishment of the Blue Ribbon Employer Council that promotes employment for PWDs, the establishment of the National Coordinating Council on Disabilities and the Vietnam Disability Federation to promote enforcement of the disability law and policies.
It is my pleasure to represent the United States Government and the American people at this grant signing ceremony for the Sustaining Malaria Reduction Interventions in Ethiopia program. First, I would like to begin by congratulating Dr. Kesetebirhan, on his promotion to Minister of Health and thank him for his long-standing commitment and contribution to public health and especially to malaria control efforts in Ethiopia.
Today’s action plan is an unprecedented approach to coordinate the efforts of more than 30 government offices within seven agencies in 100 countries and to unite them with a common purpose, with three core objectives: Every child survives and gets healthy food, Every child grows up in the protective and nurturing embrace of a family, and Every child is safe from violence and exploitation.
We’ve always known that achieving these goals is within our power, but today—for the first time—we have a real, evidence-based, results-oriented plan to get us there. It is a plan that doesn’t just describe our aspirations, but outlines specific and achievable outcomes we must deliver. And it is a plan that doesn’t just describe the challenges we face, but cites specific scientific studies that underpin our learning and inform our new approaches.
Pages
Last updated: September 26, 2016
Comment
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.