CDC - 7 CG United States Pledging Statement

UNITED STATES PLEDGING STATEMENT
CAMBODIA CONSULTATIVE GROUP MEETINGS
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
DECEMBER 6-7, 2004

For more than a decade now, the United States has provided strong support for the rebuilding of Cambodia. We are pleased to affirm and to detail our continued commitment to that effort, both in 2004 and 2005.

Official US development assistance is channeled through several sources, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Departments of State, Agriculture and Labor, the Centers for Disease Control and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The United States provided approximately $65 million in foreign assistance to Cambodia during 2004 through these and related institutions. It should be noted that all of our assistance is in the form of grants. Much of the money provided in 2004 will actually be expended in 2005.

USAID alone provided more than $57 million in 2004, up considerably from the $40 million provided in 2003. The 2004 figure was also the highest level since 1993, when total USAID assistance to Cambodia exceeded $61 million. USAID channels its funding mainly through cooperative agreements or outright grants to a network of nongovernmental organizations, both international and Cambodian. In 2004, sectors of specific interest include health ($29 million), basic education ($3 million) and democracy and good governance ($25 million).

Additional U.S. departments and agencies fund many other activities. For example, the US Department of Labor is providing nearly $10 million for several multi-year initiatives focused on improving labor standards, fostering dispute resolution, combating child labor, combating trafficking and broadening HIV/AIDS education in the work place. These funds are channeled through NGOs or international institutions such as the International Labor Organization. Other areas receiving U.S. support and funding include cultural preservation, higher education, wildlife conservation and de-mining.

The level of official U.S. assistance for 2005 will depend on several factors. Among these are Cambodia’s own performance, U.S. Congressional approval and other funding decisions made in Washington. Preliminary USAID planning figures for our program in Cambodia indicate that assistance for 2005 will exceed $44 million, with at least $25 million for health, $17 million for democracy and good governance and $2 million for basic education. The potential funding levels for other US government departments and agencies active in Cambodia for 2005 are not yet available. It should be noted that as in the past, a considerable portion of the funding made available next year (2005) will actually be disbursed during the following year (2006).