United States of America
Partnership overview
The United States of America (USA) became a member of the African Development Fund (ADF) in 1976 and of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1983. The USA supported the 2010 General Capital Increase VI and ADF -XII replenishment of the African Development Bank Group. The USA pledged a total of US $585 million, representing a 24 per cent increase from the country’s ADF-XI contribution. The US burden share represents 9.31 per cent of ADF-XII.
The USA focuses on sustainable development outcomes based on economic growth, democratic governance, and sustainable systems for meeting basic human needs and food security. It emphasizes the critical role good governance plays in development. The USA has also put forward a budget in line with its intent to double foreign assistance by 2015. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has recently echoed its desire to spend greater amounts of aid in recipient countries rather than on US-based contractors. In January 2012, USAID launched a major effort to move 30 per cent of its funding to the private sector, entrepreneurs and local civil society organizations in Africa to promote private sector-led-development and to form innovative and high-impact public private partnerships.
Joint initiatives
The US Government’s bilateral cooperation with the AfDB has been strengthened through two cooperation agreements. In 2008, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with USAID to launch a five-year partnership in support of African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The thrust of this MoU is to accelerate investment in African SMEs. It also provides co-financing arrangements for a shared contribution of 40 per cent for AfDB, 10 per cent for USAID and 50 per cent for other partnering Banks. Another MoU was concluded with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in October 2010 to collaborate in infrastructure (transportation, water and sanitation), agriculture, environment, and health, as well as gender integration.
Contact
Mr. Shingo Kikuchi
Senior Cooperation Officer
Partnerships and Cooperation Unit (ORRU)
Tel: (216) 71 10 1714
