"Democracy is Most at Risk when Corruption Happens with Impunity"
Thank you Mr. Krzalovski. Minister Jashari; Mr. Zrlevski, Ms. Janeva and Ms. Kovesi; ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
I’m pleased to participate in this important conference organized by the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation as part of USAID’s Anti-corruption project, and to see all of you in attendance here today.
We have shown that development is an endeavor backed by bipartisan commitment; we have shown that USAID can deliver. I have told members of Congress with whom I have met that I will be transparent and accountable – a pledge made easier by the hard work and rigor that the men and women of USAID bring to work every day. I have also said that I will not be shy about coming to Congress to ask for what we need.
I am delighted to be here this morning for the launch of this expansive vocational scholarship program. I thank all the partners who made this possible—KCB Foundation, civil society, the Government of Kenya, our colleagues in the private sector, USAID Nilinde. Most of all, I thank and commend the many young adults taking advantage of the opportunities this program will afford. It is your energy, your ingenuity, and your earnestness that inspires us and will underpin the future prosperity of Kenya.
During the course of implementation in 2015, the counties, AHADI and USAID have learnt key lessons that have informed our activities in 2016.
I hope that 50 years from now someone will look back on the projects we're supporting today and deliver a speech about perspectives. Maybe he or she will ask the audience to recall a time when people still had TB. Or when women and children were unable to reach their full potential because they did not have access to quality health care. Maybe he or she will reference a life-saving vaccine that was invented and patented in India in 2016? Or a game-changing program that eliminated preventable mother and child deaths.
President Obama's Asia-Pacific Rebalance policy recognizes that our future prosperity and security are inextricably tied to this region. At its core, the Rebalance is about strengthening our relationships with countries — but more specifically people — of the region to help them shape a future that is peaceful, prosperous and more just.
I thank the Kenya Wildlife Service, Narok county government, and all the other conservation champions here today for inviting me to participate in this great occasion. This is an extraordinary day because not only are we celebrating World Wildlife Day, but we are also celebrating Africa Environment Day and Wangari Maathai day.
Fifteen years ago when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were launched, there were 100 million primary school age kids out of school. MDG Goal 2 set out to change that and improvements in access to school happened, but unfortunately, for millions of children, "schooling" was not leading to "learning." So, with the strong support of members of Congress, and all of you, we issued our USAID Education Strategy and focused on just three goals. The Strategy set ambitious targets which will take a long time to reach, but which are crucial.
J’aurais bien souhaité être ici devant vous pour assister à l’annonce d’une nouvelle beaucoup plus joyeuse mais tel n’est peut-être pas le cas. En effet, nous sommes réunis aujourd’hui en ce lieu pour tirer la sonnette d’alarme et dire: « L’éléphant d’Afrique est en danger d’extinction à cause du commerce illicite de l’ivoire
The U.S. Mission and its Health Portfolio leadership stand with the Cabinet Secretary and his team to improve the health of the people of Kenya, through both service delivery and strengthening of Kenyan public health systems
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