UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman at UNGA
The following is attributable to Deputy Spokesperson Shejal Pulivarti:
This week, Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman traveled to New York City to attend meetings and events during the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). On Monday, she began her engagements by participating in a panel discussion on AI and the Future of Sustainable Development, hosted by OpenAI and the Center for Global Development. Four nonprofits presented their work with AI, and the panel discussed how the public sector can leverage AI to build a more prosperous and equitable future for all, while mitigating risks such as digital divide and information manipulation.
Deputy Administrator Coleman also participated in a ministerial roundtable chaired by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and co-hosted by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Inter-American Development Bank President Ilan Goldfajn, and World Economic Forum President Børge Brende. The meeting brought together key actors to galvanize energy and support for new approaches and partnerships to address forced displacement and advance sustainable development outcomes. Deputy Administrator Coleman emphasized the need to chart a new path forward that brings humanitarian, development, and peace actors together with the private sector and civil society to address the root causes of these trends, reduce humanitarian need, prioritize prevention, and advance and sustain development.
On Monday evening, the Deputy Administrator delivered remarks at a plenary session of the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting 2024, highlighting the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) initiative – a partnership launched by Vice President Kamala Harris in 2023 to bolster women’s economic security in green and blue sectors. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced more than $392 million in new WISE commitments, including several that advance USAID programs, bringing total WISE commitments to $1.85 billion. Deputy Administrator Coleman then announced that the Skoll Foundation joined USAID’s Climate Gender Equity Fund as the newest donor, and launched a new USAID public-private partnership, called Advancing Women for Resilient Agricultural Supply Chains, that integrates women’s empowerment into corporate sustainability approaches together with PepsiCo, Danone, McCormick & Co., Nespresso, and Unilever.
On Tuesday, Deputy Administrator Coleman attended the American Leaders Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) event, hosted by the UN Foundation and the Center for Sustainable Development. Deputy Administrator Coleman participated in a fireside chat about the U.S. government’s commitment to advancing the SDGs around the world.
The Deputy Administrator also met with Lolwah Rashid al-Khater, Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, to discuss ongoing humanitarian and recovery efforts in Yemen, Gaza, and Sudan.
Deputy Administrator Coleman also attended an investor roundtable discussion to highlight opportunities to partner with the U.S. government through Power Africa, Prosper Africa and the Millenium Challenge Corporation to invest in West African power generation.
On Wednesday, the Deputy Administrator participated in the launch of the Private-Sector Humanitarian Alliance, a new public-private initiative the Government of Albania proposed during its presidency of the UN Security Council in September 2023. During the launch, Deputy Administrator Coleman highlighted USAID’s approach in engaging the private sector on humanitarian assistance and applauded the Alliance’s role in pioneering private-sector engagement.
Deputy Administrator Coleman also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova Mihail Popșoi to reaffirm the United States’ continued commitment to Moldova’s democracy and EU accession path. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed USAID’s support for the growth of the Moldovan economy, as well as both governments’ efforts to expose and counteract ongoing Russian attempts to meddle in Moldova’s upcoming elections.
On Wednesday evening, the Deputy Administrator attended President Joe Biden’s Leaders Reception.
On Thursday, Deputy Administrator Coleman participated in a CEO-level roundtable hosted by Bank of America to discuss current challenges to and opportunities for investing in Ukraine. Deputy Administrator Coleman detailed USAID’s support to key sectors of the Ukrainian economy, including with respect to energy, agriculture, and transportation, and discussed with other panelists insurance availability and the investment landscape.
