ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE, EASE 605, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
The US Department of State states the following
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Governments have a key role to play. At last December’s – excuse me – Summit for Democracy, President Biden announced the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal. We’ve committed about $425 million to follow through on the commitments that were made. About $55 million of that funding in the first year is going to USAID’s Partnerships for Democratic Development, which will provide flexible, multiyear support – and the multiyear support is important – for countries pursuing democratic openings, like the ones participating in today’s event.
But government is necessary, but it is not sufficient. We need others to step up with us, including the private sector, which has an abiding stake in fostering stronger democracies. Transparency, anticorruption, rule of law, all of these – you know this – create a more level playing field for businesses to compete. And countries that respect human rights and labor rights tend to be more stable and more reliable partners – especially in a crisis, as we’ve experienced through COVID-19.
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