Monday, October 30, 2017

United States and Mexico Partner to Improve Central America

U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico

● The two countries will work together with Central American governments to improve trade, increase transparency, grow prosperity

United States Agency for International Development Administrator Mark Green met with officials from the government of Mexico to deepen their commitment to advance prosperity in Central America. Over the next six months, the two governments will conduct several projects with the governments of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala — known collectively as the Northern Triangle — to facilitate trade; increase effective governance; and grow prosperity, thereby helping to address the root drivers of insecurity and migration.

The agreement comes as a result of discussions between the United States and Mexico at the Conference on Security and Prosperity in Central America, co-hosted by the two governments in Miami in June 2017.

Through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Agencia Mexicana de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AMEXCID), assistance from the United States and Mexico will be directed to local priorities determined in conjunction with the respective governments of the Northern Triangle. For example, with the support of Mexican doctors and experts in forensic medicine, USAID and the federal Government of Mexico will work together with the Government of Honduras to build capacity in forensics knowledge and practices, thus encouraging more effective and transparent law enforcement practices and facilitating judicial proceedings.

In El Salvador, the two countries will work with the government to improve trade-related transparency, standardize documentation requirements and trade-related fees, streamline border procedures, and improve customs practices.

In Guatemala, USAID and the Government of Mexico will work with the Government of Guatemala to train and help to find employment for young people who are likely to migrate north in search of economic opportunity; the governments will also work together to help the Government of Guatemala to improve its tax collection and transparency in order to reduce opportunities for corruption.

Through the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America, a whole-of-government effort that provides an overarching framework for U.S. Government engagement with Central America, USAID is addressing the security, governance, and economic drivers of irregular migration to the United States. By combating crime and violence, addressing corruption and impunity, disrupting the activities of transnational criminal organizations, and providing greater economic opportunity, USAID helps to foster an environment where families can envision their futures.

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U.S. Mission to Mexico, 26 Oct. 2017, Mexico City

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