Harris Meeting with CEOs

Eugene Daniels II11min

Unknown Speaker

00:01

for businesses to invest in Central America, six months ago, well, people were around this table. Today we have 77 partners who are here and virtually here with 1300 More businesses, civil society leaders who are watching this conversation and this convening. Six months ago, we had a commitment of $750 million. Today we have a commitment of over 1.2 billion. We've seen great progress with a commitment to do much more. Thank everyone at this table virtually at the table for all that you also want to thank the State Department and the United States Chamber of Commerce, for working with my team to convene this event and a special thank you to Andre Vonda and Blanca Trevino of the Partnership for Central America for your leadership. It is with us and verite included last minute we had some family obligations of an essential stuff to everyone

Unknown Speaker

01:09

the people of El Salvador and Guatemala and Honduras, We have talked many times during our meetings about who they are. They are not unlike people all over the world. When they leave their home country, the place of their birth. A place where their grandmother might still live. They usually leave for one of two reasons not because they want to. But either they are fleeing some harm or because they simply cannot satisfy the basic need for themselves or their families if they stay.

Unknown Speaker

01:44

the work of this group of leaders in this call and do the work with addressing one of the main reasons that they leave. And that is the lack of economic opportunities they stay at home. Not because they don't have talent, or skills or a work ethic or desire, but simply because the natural resources or their timing may not accommodate opportunities for them to satisfy those needs or to achieve any type of success. So this group of this group of extraordinary private sector private enterprise leaders, has agreed to come to this table countless times to address these challenges, but also understanding fueled by a sense of opportunity in terms of what we provide to the people in these countries. And so I thank you again for that. Thank you because we also acknowledge and understand that the environment in which we exist includes that often when folks leave these countries, they are forced to leave their home and undertake a very dangerous journey to arrive here. Sadly, just last Thursday, in Mexico, more than 60 guidelines done. They were in a tractor trailer accident after paying smugglers to take them to the board. And this of course, underscores the human hole that is associated with that flight as a neighbor in the Western Hemisphere I believe I think we all know the United States has an important role to play in addressing the root causes of migration. At the same time, our government cannot do its work alone. And again, that is where you have all stepped up in your roles as leaders, nationally and internationally to help us get the job done. private sector investment in the region of course has both the direct and indirect impact from job creation and financial inclusion to promote good governance and rule of law. Many of us have talked about the significance of your approach which is to adhere to international norms and standards. And what we can do to create positive incentives for new parents to law and adherence to international norms and standards. In May, I announced a call to action for businesses to invest in Central America since then, as I mentioned, with support more than $1.2 billion in commitments.

Speaker 1

04:26

And I'd like to mention a few of those who have stepped up against the thank you for to make clear the level of commitment that you have made as far as some Microsoft MasterCard joined the call to action in May and are making progress after announcing further action today. Several new companies are also committed to act. Parkfield Mills will invest $150 million in new facilities in Honduras. ESCO will invest at least $199 in regions infrastructure and manufacturing. Mariposa Guatemalan company will provide over 70,000 small business owners with access to private and digital services, which also some of the work that I don't master cards as well, hair, but humanitarian agencies will establish a $50 million dollar center focus on gender empathy. Another big issue in the region and our country and one that we will address through the work we do together. These commitments will make a significant difference in the region and give many people there an opportunity to find other parts of our root causes strategy, which we launched in July, include not only the call to action, but the significant progress that we have made and are committed to me not only working with the private sector, but working bilaterally and multilaterally, on security, corruption, human rights and economic opportunity. The United States government has sent 15 million vaccines to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. We have sent $310 million in humanitarian assistance. Half a million people in the wake of hurricanes will benefit from this type of approach and more. We have conducted extensive diplomatic engagement in the region toward needed reforms. For example, in Guatemala we have announced two important task force's one of human smuggling Task Force, which has led already to the former prosecutors by prosecutors of eight leaders in human smuggling organizations and seizure of at least $320,000 with more work to come. We also established an anti corruption Task Force where we have through the Department of training hundreds of judicial personnel. This work is ongoing and this work is having an impact we believe in Mexico. It partners less than I've had now, a number of meetings by telephone and in person with President Lopez Obrador. And we have talked about the partnership that Mexico was willing to extend to the United States to work with us in the region, understanding our mutual commitment, but also is just as important members of the Western Hemisphere. To that end, the Mexican government entered into a memorandum of understanding with the United States around development. And the first joint program we have launched was in Honduras. Providing job skills training. In my most recent meeting with the President of Mexico, we renewed our commitment to join forces to do this work, knowing how they can have a positive impact in the region. And of course, we stand ready to work with the new administration in Honduras. I spoke with President Castro last week to congratulate her on her election. We spoke rather extensively about her concerns and and desire for assistance and support from the United States on a number of issues that are about development and also about corruption. So we have also engaged with countries around the world through the United Nation, and address. I spoke, for example, with many heads of state and leaders, including the Republic of Korea, and they have doubled their foreign assistance to the region. As a result of those conversations. I spoke again with leaders in Israel, and they have agreed to provide 48 water catchment systems to Guatemala to improve sanitation and hygiene. And that the United Nations our ambassador to the United Nations was extraordinary and her leadership to help launch a humanitarian response plan at the United Nations for these three countries. And there's a commitment to raising $508 million by those countries that have participated 200 million has already been pledged.

Unknown Speaker

09:16

And finally, I will say I've also met with people in Central America. And in those conversations, these extraordinary people have expressed an incredible amount of optimism. I believe born out of their knowledge about the work that this group has been doing and the potential for collaboration and our partnership. They are aware of the root causes strategy and they see themselves in it they see their voices of leadership in it. And we are counting on them to lead. This is not about us coming in and telling anyone what they should do. It is about being partners and assisting and helping to facilitate the natural desire of the people in these nations. This is important work. This is good work. I think this reflects the best of who we are as the United States recognizing our responsibility as neighbors to these countries in the Western Hemisphere. And I'm very excited for not only everything that has happened thus far, but what we are planning to do going forward. It will have real impact and as we said from the beginning, this is not going to be addressed overnight, but I will tell you, given the time commitments that have been made at this table, but there's already been a lot back. And so again, I thank you and I look forward to our conversation and and the time that we have today and also the time we are committed to giving to this very important. Thank you. Thank you.

Unknown Speaker

11:13

Thank you

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