|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
  |
 |
  |
Asia and the Near East
Regional Activities
>> Regional Overview >> ANE Regional Activities Overview
Summary Tables
Program Summary
USAID Search: ANE Regional Activities
Previous Years' Activities
2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997Last updated: 56
Introduction
ANE regional programs respond to crucial elements of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs goals, including fostering a comprehensive peace in the Middle East; ameliorating the Asian financial crisis; promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law; and addressing poverty, regional instability, and climate change in South Asia. Regional program resources engage a broad range of partners in implementation, including private voluntary and local nongovernmental organizations (PVOs and NGOs), international organizations, other U.S. Government agencies, regional institutions, and other donors.
Development Challenge
ANE subregions face greater challenges and opportunities today than at any time in the past 20 years, including-
- Encouraging and maintaining peace and security, particularly in the Middle East, but increasingly in East and South Asia;
- Fostering and restoring economic growth through free trade and investment;
- Promoting democracy, human rights, and rule of law; and
- Combating problems that affect global security, stability, and economic development, i.e., environmental degradation, growing water scarcity, greenhouse gas emissions, HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases, population growth, and food insecurity.
Other Donors
Many multilateral and bilateral donors provide development assistance to the Asia and Near East region; principal donors include the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, and Japan. USAID coordinates donor development efforts at the bilateral and regional levels as well as through USAID/Washington.
The World Bank assists Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand to recover from the Asian financial crisis and helps improve conditions for trade in the Maghreb countries of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. It also assists national and regional water sector development in the Middle East; helps mitigate groundwater contamination in South Asia; and works on energy development in South Asia. Other World Bank-funded programs include HIV/AIDS prevention and mitigation, democracy and government issues, and child labor and anti-trafficking programs.
The Asian Development Bank also assists East Asian countries with recovery from the financial crisis. It works in environmental management in Asia; in the energy sector in South Asia; and on child labor and anti-trafficking issues. The European Union works to improve trade conditions in the Maghreb, and on HIV/AIDS and democracy and governance issues. Japan's development programs include national and regional water sector development in the Middle East; East Asian environmental problems, HIV/AIDS; and anti-trafficking and women's empowerment programs.
A number of United Nations agencies are active in the region, including the United Nations Development Program; the U.N. Joint Program on HIV/AIDS; the United Nations Children's Fund; and the United Nations Development Fund for Women. Other multilateral organizations working in Asia and the Middle East include the International Monetary Fund; the World Health Organization; and the International Labor Office. In addition to Japan, bilateral donors include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Private sector partners include the Ford, MacArthur, and Packard foundations.
FY 2002 Program
USAID's ANE regional programs will support programmatic needs across the three subregions. The programs will help build capacity and commitment among Asian and Middle Eastern partners in the public and private sectors to address critical development issues cooperatively. The FY 2002 program will place increased emphasis on encouraging institutions like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Organization, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and other regional networks to establish programs that broaden civil society participation, define and promote activities financed by USAID, and embrace and support the USAID development agenda.
HIV/AIDS priorities are to limit the spread of the HIV epidemic among high-risk groups, especially in mobile populations, and to minimize HIV rates in the general population. Infectious disease priorities are to expand subregional coordination of surveillance, monitor drug resistance, and prevent and treat tuberculosis and malaria. USAID will expand ongoing regional efforts to prevent infectious diseases in Asia through the HIV/AIDS and Infectious Diseases regional program, which will foster partnerships with other donors, private sector organizations and foundations. The HIV/AIDS and Infectious Diseases program will complement USAID's bilateral HIV and infectious disease activities by strengthening linkages among existing country-level programs, expanding local expertise through capacity building, and developing new cross-border approaches.
USAID's Accelerating Economic Recovery in Asia (AERA) initiative will work to improve and strengthen financial market governance and transparency, particularly in Thailand and Vietnam-although the economic crisis in Asia has stimulated countries in other subregions to undertake difficult economic reforms. The AERA initiative works with many partner organizations to strengthen the financial health, transparency, and governance of the public and private sectors. In the Middle East and North Africa, ANE regional resources will support the North Africa Regional Trade and Investment Initiative to address the legal, policy, and regulatory constraints to increased trade and investment among Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.
The South Asia Regional Initiative (SARI) Energy program will encourage cross-border investments in energy infrastructure promoting cleaner energy use and greater communication, transparency, and confidence-building between the region's governments and businesses. The SARI/Equity program will support efforts to implement laws, measures, and practices aimed at reducing human rights violations against vulnerable groups (specifically women and children), and will promote measures that provide greater opportunities for the participation of women and children in social, political, educational, and economic life.
The U.S.-Asia Environmental Partnership (USAEP) will continue to engage the strength of the U.S. Government and U.S. academic, business, and professional communities to address the environmental challenges of rapid industrial and urban growth in Asia. USAEP has demonstrated to U.S. and Asian partners that resource efficiency and environmental rigor are compatible with long-term economic growth and advanced prosperity. In addition to continuing the introduction of U.S.-developed technologies to Asian public and private entities, USAEP will emphasize support for Asian countries' efforts to reduce air pollution and invest in cleaner fuels and technologies. Continued economic reforms and political stability in Asia will provide valuable opportunities to expand U.S. trade and investment that is environmentally and economically sustainable. Through USAEP, Asian decision-makers will become more receptive to the idea that enhancing competitiveness and access to global markets requires improved environmental performance. This receptivity will bring increasing investment in cleaner production, embracing policy and regulatory reforms, and increasing benefits to U.S. business.
In the water sector, USAID plans to build upon the best practices of its highly effective water conflict resolution activity (Fostering Resolution of Water Resources Disputes) to address the growing number of transnational water issues across Asia and the Middle East. Finally, the East Asia and Pacific Environmental Initiative will continue to help East Asian governments focus on key regional environmental problems while promoting regional solutions and cooperation.
In addition to the preceding regional programs, USAID and the Department of State will coordinate closely in programming and managing regional democracy programs that promote the rule of law, and the adherence to democratic practices and respect for human rights. Regional democracy funds will support democratic processes, more open political systems, and representative and accountable government.
Activity Data Sheets
- 498-001 Accelerating Economic Recovery in Asia
- 498-002 Fostering Resolution of Water Resources Disputes
- 498-003 North Africa Regional Trade and Investment Initiative
- 498-007 Program Development and Learning
- 498-008 Asia and Near East Regional HIV/AIDS
- 498-009 United States-Asia Environmental Partnership
- 498-012 Middle East Regional Democracy Fund
- 498-013 South Asia Regional Environment Program
- 498-014 South Asia Democracy
- 498-015 East Asia and Pacific Environmental Initiative
- 498-016 East Asia Regional Democracy Fund
- 498-022 Stabilize Population Growth and Protect Human Health
- 498-023 Encourage Economic Growth
- 498-024 Environment Managed for Prosperity and Sustainability
- 498-029 Asia and the Near East Regional HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Program
- 498-031 South Asia Regional Initiative - Energy Program
- 498-036 Improved East Asia Regional Stability through Democracy and Human Rights
- 498-037 Improve South Asia Regional Stability through Democracy and Human Rights
 |
|||
Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
