Speeches Shim
We have seen great progress in our efforts to expand access to sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene over the years. We are proud of these results. And I had the chance to see some of this progress last November when I visited Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. I saw how that community is improving its sanitation through educational events that encourage good hygiene practices among all community members. It was terrific to watch some of the children demonstrate in a play what they had learned about handwashing directly from USAID programming.
The US. Agency for International Development – or USAID – works closely with the Ministry of Environment and other partners to protect Cambodia’s natural resources. We address the causes of deforestation, land encroachment, and biodiversity loss in the Eastern Plains landscape in Mondulkiri province and the Prey Lang Landscapes in Preah Vihear, Kampong Thom, Kratie, and Stung Treng provinces. Our work emphasizes the participation of communities, youth, students, civil society organizations, and government officials to effectively manage the country’s natural resources in a sustainable manner. Supporting this event is an important part of USAID’s environment strategy.
USAID has helped HPCs regulate health professions in Cambodia over the past seven years. The USAID ASSIST Project, for example, was established in partnership with the five HPCs and the Ministry of Health to strengthen health profession regulation in Cambodia between 2014 and 2018. That project also supported the development of the HPC National Strategic Plan 2015–2020.
USAID has gathered all of you together with the belief that your diverse perspectives will make for lively and productive dialogue that in turn will inform our own programs. As we wind down the summit, it’s time to take what you have heard and discussed this week and share your conclusions with us. As you provide your feedback, please bear in mind the 3Ps framework we’ve created to collect, distill, and integrate your inputs. The insights you provide will give us the evidence base we need to develop policy, practices, and principles to help USAID integrate strategic religious engagement more effectively into our work.
We are excited to announce that USAID, through the generosity of the Trump Administration, is contributing an additional $22.8 million to improve Egypt’s investment climate by supporting effective and transparent public institutions, increasing women’s participation in the labor force, and ensuring that all Egyptians benefit from essential services.
It is important to USAID to support local South African manufacturers in this way; and we are proud to do this with our colleagues from the British High Commission, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Western Cape Provincial Government. All of us share the belief that we can create sustainable growth and tap into South Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit to combat the harmful effects that COVID-19 can have on health and on livelihoods.
Sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment undermine the goals of international development and humanitarian assistance. These actions cause intolerable harm to victims, threaten our mission, and undermine the credibility of the entire development community.
We’ve seen huge failures when it comes to addressing egregious exploitation and abuse. Right now, we are beginning to come to terms with the recent allegations of widespread sexual exploitation and abuse from a number of international organizations and relief agencies. USAID, along with the international community, has expressed strong concern regarding these allegations. We urge the organizations and agencies involved to treat the allegations seriously and take the necessary and appropriate steps to address the situation in a survivor-centered manner. We also recognize that sexual exploitation and abuse often goes unreported, complicating response efforts further. As a community, we must do better. These crimes cannot continue within our ranks.
Land and resource rights are central to Zambia’s development trajectory and its movement forward on its journey to self-reliance. USAID has been collaborating with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Department of National Parks and Wildlife, House of Chiefs, Forestry Department and Ministry of Local Government across four main areas.
In addition to the $50 million that we have already committed to Kenya’s COVID-19 response, I am pleased to announce today that we are donating 200 state-of-the-art ventilators to support the Kenyan people. This donation marks an important milestone in the U.S. Government’s support for Kenya, as we fight the pandemic together. Like our decades-long support, the donation of these ventilators is based on a relationship of partnership and mutual respect.
The Trump Administration has made the protection and inclusion of religious and ethnic minorities a priority. As we continue with that emphasis, I find it extremely valuable to hear the perspectives of diverse religious leaders. Your connections to local communities usually mean that you have insights that I can’t hear anywhere else, so thank you again for being here today.
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Last updated: August 13, 2022
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