U.S. POLICY & ISSUES

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The U.S. Government has been a friend and partner of Ecuador supporting its strategies and development projects since 1942. During the past 45 years, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported areas such as education; health and family planning; environment; agriculture; micro-enterprise; and others. Currently, the USAID program focuses on the following:

Peace and Security and Investing in People:

This program contributes to the economic and social development of borders populations. The objectives of the program are to generate job opportunities and licit income, strengthen local governments, and improve the production and marketing of local business clusters. By September 2007, 489,000 inhabitants of the southern border and 500,000 inhabitants of the northern border benefited from new bridges, water and sewerage systems, garbage recycling, irrigation, and roads. In addition, USAID trained 10 northern and 26 southern border local governments to strengthen their capacity to provide services to their citizens.

Governing Justly and Democratically:

This program supports local governments; enhances penal justice; broadens civil society participation in key democratic processes; and promotes transparent and inclusive elections. With USAID support, 39 local governments have implemented participatory planning processes and have improved their municipal management practices; more than 10,000 persons from vulnerable groups have had access to defense services and legal assistance in nine cities; improvements have been carried out in the application of criminal justice system in Cuenca; and more than 10,000 volunteers have actively participated in oversight of local and national elections.

Economic Growth: 

This program contributes to poverty reduction by promoting trade and competitiveness and encouraging civil society and the private sector to promote economic reforms. USAID supports productive clusters, with an emphasis on small and micro-enterprises, to improve their quality and promote access to new markets. Support for policy reform is linked to USAID’s creation of the Committee for Territorial Economic Development (CEDET), which gives small enterprises a voice in national and regional policies. Programs aim to create a network of trade promotional organizations that will advance reform even after the project has ended.

Biodiversity Conservation:

USAID efforts focus on the conservation of natural resources in Ecuador, particularly in the National System of Protected Areas, indigenous territories, and watersheds. The program also strengthens local capacities to carry out conservation actions and to promote sustainable tourism in protected areas, resulting in economic benefits for communities along these borders. In the Galapagos, USAID has provided support in the area of participative management, marine reserve zoning and sustainable tourism to benefit local communities.

Other Initiatives:

1) Combat Trafficking in Persons including prevention, protection of victims, and prosecution of traffickers; 2) Inclusive Development to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in economic activities and democratic processes; 3) Centers of Excellence for Teacher Training to improve teaching skills; 4) Disaster preparedness and response

For more information please visit http://ecuador.usaid.gov