Today in Quito, Ecuador, Administrator Samantha Power launched Tu Municipio Responde, “Your Municipality Responds,” a five-year program to help municipal governments provide important public services as part of the United States’ global Partnership for Democratic Development initiative.
With an initial investment of $11.5 million, Tu Municipio Responde, or TuMUNI for short, will expand citizens' access to critical public services, including to water, sanitation, and hygiene, by strengthening the capacity of local governments to deliver such services effectively, transparently, and in response to citizens’ needs.
TuMUNI intends to demonstrate how democratic governance produces tangible results and, at the same time, catalyzes progress in other sectors such as economic growth, education, digital connectivity, and child nutrition.
The Partnership for Democratic Development (PDD) is a signature initiative under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal that emerged from the first Summit for Democracy. Ecuador is one of nine countries worldwide selected as part of PDD that were announced during the Second Summit for Democracy in March 2023. PDD represents a commitment over multiple years to support efforts by countries that demonstrate sustained democratic progress to address key development constraints. Partner countries will not only define, plan, and implement promised reforms, but also commit to working with a broad swath of stakeholders across government, the private sector, and civil society to expand locally led and inclusive democratic decision making processes.
Administrator Power Travels to Ecuador November 2023
