During the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Annual Meeting, Administrator Samantha Power continued her focus on expanding USAID's partnerships with the private sector to address critical global challenges and issued a global call to action to eliminate toxic lead from consumer products.
On Wednesday, January 17, Administrator Power, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Tanzania's Minister of Labour, Economic Affairs, and Investment Mudrick Soragha, and McKinsey's Lucy Pérez discussed the path toward a lead free future. Lead poisoning, an invisible and often overlooked global health threat, kills more than 1.6 million people each year, but efforts to curtail lead poisoning in low- and middle-income countries only receive about $15 million each year.
Following the event, the Administrator and Prime Minister Garibashvili discussed USAID's long-standing support for Georgia and programs aimed at strengthening its democracy, economic growth, and Euro-Atlantic trajectory.
Administrator Power also met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to discuss the importance of sustainable and inclusive growth, civil society, and anti-corruption initiatives that are improving the lives of the Cambodian people. Also on Wednesday, Administrator Power met with Zambian Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane to discuss opportunities to strengthen the Zambian economy.
Administrator Power then convened agriculture executives for a discussion on how to increase recruitment of H-2A workers from Northern Central America. She concluded her day by raising awareness about the global threat of lead poisoning at a gathering of global and philanthropic leaders.
On Thursday, January 18, Administrator Power met with United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Cameron to discuss a range of areas that the United States and United Kingdom are deeply cooperating on, including the Middle East and Ukraine. The Administrator and the Foreign Secretary discussed the vital need to increase humanitarian assistance and commercial goods for the Palestinian people and the importance of protecting civilians in Gaza.
She then joined private sector leaders, including the CEOs of Unilever and EY, in a roundtable discussion on tackling the plastic pollution crisis, a key component of USAID's Save Our Seas Initiative. More than 12 million metric tons of plastic are dumped into the ocean each year.
On the margins of meetings at Davos, Administrator Power spoke with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan about the United States' strong support for the people of Armenia and the country's democracy. Additionally, Administrator Power met with Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, where USAID works directly with the people of Kosovo to strengthen regional stability and energy security. Administrator Power also spoke with Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean about the ongoing regional impacts of Russia's war against Ukraine and reiterated U.S. support for Moldova's integrity and independence.
On Thursday afternoon, Administrator Power hosted a roundtable with leading financial institutions to identify opportunities to de-risk private sector investments into African countries. She was joined by British Robinson, Coordinator for Prosper Africa, a U.S. Government initiative that stimulates trade and investment between the United States and African countries.
