February 5, 2008

ACDI/VOCA Sponsors Kickoff for Asia Society's Development Series

On February 5 ACDI/VOCA, together with BearingPoint, sponsored the Asia Society Development Series kickoff luncheon at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. U.S. Agency for International Development Assistant Administrator Kent Hill, pinch-hitting as featured luncheon speaker for USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore who was unavailable due to illness, spoke on “Building Partnerships in Asia.”

He said the Global Development Alliance mechanism under which 600 public-private alliances have been formed to date has reversed a historic trend: so far, this program has received $2.1 million from USAID and $5.8 billion from partners.

Hill mentioned ACDI/VOCA's SUCCESS Alliance project in partnership with Mars, Inc., as an example of a good public-private partnership. Mars is a leader in the industry's global effort for cocoa sustainability, and ACDI/VOCA is expert in strengthening the smallholder link in the cocoa value chain in Ecuador, Indonesia, the Philippines, Liberia and Vietnam.

Vice President of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Charles Sethness provided an update on this relatively new program, which is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom and investments in people. Countries are selected to receive assistance under MCC based on their performance in these areas. Despite a slow start, he said, the program is starting to see positive results after its three and a half years of existence. Sethness said he anticipates a significant increase in the MCC's fiscal year 2009 budget.

ACDI/VOCA has so far won MCC awards in Honduras, Armenia and Madagascar.