This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Ambassador Harriet Babbitt, Deputy Administrator
Introductory Remarks to the US-Japan Common Agenda
Civil Society Workshop, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Washington, D.C., February 2, 1998
U.S. Agency for International Development
I am delighted to have the opportunity to welcome you all
here today. While this event serves as my formal introduction to
the Common Agenda, it is not the first time I have heard of the
Common Agenda's accomplishments. Let me thank our
distinguished colleagues -- Minister Haraguchi, Chairman
Hiraiwa, Ambassador Armacost, President Fuller, and
Ambassador Sherman -- who have done a great job articulating
those achievements.
I am struck by the Common Agenda's ability to bridge our
countries' physical distance and to create an effective
collaborative relationship. I commend you all for the hard work
that has gone into making the Common Agenda not only work,
but serve as an invaluable venue for pushing development
assistance objectives forward. Our cooperation is vital during
this, a time when almost all nations who have foreign assistance
programs have been practicing very tight budgeting.
Today, more than ever before we are faced with global
issues that require global actions. There are strategic, global
choices to be made on health, population and the environment.
Whether it be the avian flu, financial markets in Asia, global
warming or refugees in Africa, we have mutual interests in
addressing these challenges.
We, at USAID, have tried to respond to this new generation
of challenges by overhauling the management of USAID and
focusing our assistance in nations who are genuinely committed to
economic and political reform. We have also increasingly relied
on strong partnerships with international and national private
voluntary organizations (PVOs). I highlight USAID's experience
because I think it is a useful model for you to explore and to
consider at this roundtable today.
USAID currently provides one-third of its development
assistance through a wide array of domestic and foreign private
voluntary organizations. This is a new way of doing business for
USAID. In the mid-1960s, USAID's staff totalled about 23,000.
Today, our total staff, including contractors, is about 7,000
employees.
However, USAID has been able to effectively use PVOs,
and their strong ties with local non-governmental organizations in
the developing world, to serve as effective intermediaries.
During a recent trip to Africa, I saw first hand how some of
these PVO partnerships are working in the field. USAID is
supporting good work that is being implemented by
knowledgeable, experienced non-government organizations. In
Mozambique, World Vision is using a USAID grant to work with
indigenous organizations in Mozambique to increase farmer
incomes and improve access of women and children to health
care. I also observed how a team from the State University of
New York is supporting the multi-party assembly in
Mozambique.
USAID is also reaching out to the private, for-profit sector
to help us launch such things as a Vitamin A initiative. Not only
are they interested, but they are downright enthusiastic.
Japan's official development assistance, like USAID's, plays
a very significant role in the developing world. If Japan were to
consider making maximum utilization of carefully selected NGOs,
both domestic and foreign, with the professional capacity to be
partners, it might find that this is a cost-effective way to
supplement the efforts of the small corps of Japanese development
assistance officials.
In closing, let me say that the there is a lot of work to be
done and the more partners we can engage to get it done, the
more we will be able to accomplish. Your presence here today
to discuss one of the more positive trends in the developing
world, civil society, signals another step in the right direction.
I look forward to hearing about your progress here today.
And to working with you in my new capacity as USAID's Deputy
Administrator.
Thank you.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 18, 2001
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