The below is attributable to Spokesperson Jessica Jennings:
Today, Administrator Samantha Power met with Jonathan Fantini-Porter, Executive Director of the Partnership for Central America (PCA), to discuss progress on Vice President Kamala Harris’s Call to Action to increase private sector investment in Central America. During the meeting, Administrator Power expressed her gratitude to PCA for their efforts to galvanize commitments to the Call to Action, as well as advance private sector engagement in support of the Central American Service Corps initiative announced at the Summit of the Americas.
The Administrator conveyed USAID’s ongoing commitment to its partnership with PCA to create high-quality jobs in northern Central America and address the root causes of migration. Administrator Power underscored the role that the private sector can play in fostering an improved investment climate and elevating the rule of law and labor standards in the region. She and Fantini-Porter discussed the importance of vetting companies to ensure investments in Central America meet high standards of integrity, transparency, and sustainability – consistent with the broader goals of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Strategy to Address the Root Causes of Migration in Central America.
Since it was announced in May 2021, the Call to Action has mobilized over $3.2 billion in investment from 40 entities, with USAID playing an instrumental role in bringing 13 of these commitments forward.