On November 18, 2012, President Obama and Prime Minister Yingluck announced that the United States Agency for International Development Agency (USAID) and Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on joint development assistance in the region.

This MOU will represent an important step forward in USAID’s relationship with the Government of Thailand as an emerging donor country. Through TICA, the Royal Thai Government provides development assistance to other countries with an overall emphasis on capacity building and human resources development.

The new partnership between USAID and TICA, working together as equals, will support development in developing countries and provide a basis for increased USAID/TICA donor collaboration in the future. While USAID and other U.S. agencies have previously worked with Thai ministries to provide assistance to third countries, this is the first comprehensive agreement and formal MOU between the USAID and TICA.

The first activities under this MOU will focus on a malaria control along the Thai-Burma border. Beyond that, USAID and TICA will focus on projects in priority sectors such as health, environment, agriculture and food security, trade, policy reforms, and capacity building. The partnership will strengthen both countries’ technical capacity by sharing skills through training activities. The two Agencies will also have the opportunity to use science and technology more effectively to improve development outcomes, and ensure that both Agencies’ activities are engaging and empowering women, not only as beneficiaries, but as leaders. We will also work with private sector partners to leverage resources and further increase both Agencies’ programs’ impact and sustainability.

USAID Regional Trilateral Collaboration with TICA Fact Sheet