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United States Agency for International Development Readout January 19, 2023 The following is attributable to USAID Spokesperson Jessica Jennings: On her last day at the World Economic Forum, Administrator Samantha Power met with government officials from Western Balkan countries and other European officials to discuss fostering stability in the region. The Administrator discussed USAID and the U.S. government’s ongoing work to strengthen Western Balkan economies and help leaders implement necessary democratic and economic reforms to continue their trajectory toward European Union accession. Administrator Power and Bayer AG CEO Werner Baumann hosted a private discussion with CEOs of major agriculture and agriculture-adjacent companies to mobilize contributions to AGRI-Ukraine, USAID’s flagship effort to support Ukrainian farmers and exports. The session, which also included Ukraine Deputy Minister of Economy-Trade Representative Taras Kachka, provided a platform for matchmaking between the needs of Ukraine’s agriculture sector and the business capabilities of companies that were present. During the roundtable, Bayer announced a new donation of high-quality vegetable seeds to Ukrainian farmers to help address the crisis created by Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Administrator Power concluded the day with a meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to discuss urgent humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa, where multiple areas are on the brink of famine, as well as opportunities to bolster Ukraine's agriculture sector. The Administrator then met with President of Ecuador Guillermo Lasso to discuss shared priorities, including Ecuador’s efforts to normalize the status of Venezuelan migrants and integrate them into the local economy. In a meeting with Parameswaran Iyer, the CEO of NITI Aayog, Administrator Power discussed efforts to work with the Government of India to advance India’s clean energy transition, spur digital development, and reduce administrative …

United States Agency for International Development Readout January 18, 2023 The following is attributable to USAID Spokesperson Jessica Jennings: During her second day at the World Economic Forum, Administrator Samantha Power focused attention on urgently needed support for Ukraine in the face of Putin’s brutal full-scale invasion. Administrator Power joined Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, and other dignitaries to discuss the importance of private sector support to address Ukraine’s urgent needs and how essential this support will be to winning the war. The Administrator emphasized the resilience of Ukraine’s economy, and announced the Administration's intent to work with Congress to provide an additional $125 million to support the resilience of Ukraine’s energy and utility infrastructure in the face of the Russian Federation’s relentless, systematic attacks. Administrator Power then participated in the public panel discussion, Unlocking Investment, Not Aid, for Frontier Markets to discuss development finance in frontier markets. During the event, the Administrator launched the EDGE Fund (Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment), a new $50 million USAID fund that will support private sector partnerships that mobilize the comparative advantages, operations, and supply chains of businesses in service of development objectives. Administrator Power met with Dr. Albert Bourla, Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer, to express appreciation for the strong partnership between Pfizer, the United States, and COVAX, resulting in the successful donation of hundreds of millions COVID-19 vaccine doses throughout the world, which accounts for the vast majority of the more than 680 million total COVID-19 vaccine doses the U.S. has donated globally. They also discussed opportunities to deepen the USAID-Pfizer collaboration around USAID’s Neglected Tropical Disease …

United States Agency for International Development Press Release January 17, 2023 The following is attributable to USAID Spokesperson Jessica Jennings: Administrator Samantha Power arrived today at the World Economic Forum to champion the role that the private sector can play in unlocking solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges. On her first day at the World Economic Forum, Administrator Power participated in the panel discussion, Democracy: The Way Forward, with government and civil society leaders. Administrator Power discussed the internal and external attacks democracies are facing, and highlighted ways the Biden-Harris Administration is working with partners around the world to address economic, social, and environmental challenges that jeopardize democratic progress. She discussed USAID’s approach to supporting democratic openings, from strengthening support to civil society and free press to approaches targeted at new anti-democratic tactics like helping journalists defend against lawsuits. She emphasized the need for governments to deliver economic dividends, underscoring USAID’s work to help political reformers demonstrate concrete results. She also stressed that governments must innovate to build trust in democracy by improving the way they engage with the people they serve, highlighting Ukraine’s Diia app for government e-services as an example of how countries can make progress on digital transformation. During the event, Administrator Power also announced new support for the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation to reduce trade barriers in burgeoning democracies. Administrator Power then met with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to discuss how to modernize and operationalize support for human rights through cutting-edge approaches in digital technology, behavior science, and data. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. Readout: Administrator Samantha Power …

United States Agency for International Development Media Advisory January 5, 2023 USAID Administrator Samantha Power will attend the World Economic Forum from January 17 to 19 in Davos, Switzerland. During her visit, the Administrator will emphasize the role and responsibility of the private sector in helping unlock solutions to critical global challenges. Through public events and bilateral meetings, the Administrator will focus on partnerships to help bolster democracies, combat the climate crisis and global food crisis, and support the Ukrainian people in the face of Putin’s brutal full-scale invasion. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. Administrator Samantha Power Travels to World Economic Forum Submission Details Author: Africa Media from . More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact Facebook: Twitter: …

Media Note Office of the Spokesperson December 3, 2022   U.S. Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice Desirée Cormier Smith will travel December 3-8 to Geneva for the first session of the UN Permanent Forum for People of African Descent. The Special Representative will address the Permanent Forum to underscore strong support for its mandate.  The United States has championed the Permanent Forum as a necessary space to promote the collective engagement of all people of African descent to build a better future globally and reaffirm U.S. readiness to partner in global efforts that address the issue of anti-Black racism. Special Representative Cormier Smith will also speak at a side event hosted by Howard University about student research on the Sustainable Development Goals and Black communities in the United States. The Special Representative will engage with senior representatives of other governments on forging joint approaches to promote racial equity and justice globally. To learn more about Special Representative Cormier Smith’s work, follow @US_SRREJ on Twitter.  For media inquiries, please contact DRL-Press@state.gov. CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za International/. U.S. Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice Desirée Cormier Smith’s Trip to Geneva for Historic Launch of the UN Permanent Forum for People of African Descent Submission Details Author: Africa Media from The Africa Regional Media Hub. More Info link: Images: For a high res version of THIS image please contact The Africa Regional Media Hub Facebook: Twitter: …