Remarks

Ambassador Dennise Mathieu Remarks
Namibia Millennium Challenge Compact Entry Into Force
Safari Court Hotel
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Good morning.

Today heralds a new era in the partnership between the United States and Namibia as we mark the Entry into Force of the Namibia Millennium Challenge Compact, and it’s an honor for me to participate in this very important occasion. 

When President Barack Obama made his historic visit to Ghana a few months ago, he said, “I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world— as partners with America on behalf of the future we want for all our children.”

The United States-Namibia partnership is proof of America’s shared destiny with the people of Africa, and our shared vision for a better world for ourselves and our children.   Part of that vision is the Compact that enters into force today.  

The $304 million American dollar Compact will reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth -- by improving the skills and productivity of the Namibian workforce;  by growing Namibia’s tourism industry;  and by increasing the total value-added from livestock in the Northern Communal areas.

By law, MCC compacts have a term of no more than 5 years, and that term begins the day a compact legally “Enters into Force” through an official exchange of letters.  For Namibia, that 5-year clock starts ticking today.  Five years is a relatively short period of time, so it’s important that a country use the time following compact signing, and before Entry into Force -- to fully prepare for program implementation. 

I’d like to highlight some of the key work that Penny Akwenye and her team at MCA Namibia have completed, from July 2008 when the compact was signed, until today, so that the full implementation of the compact can proceed effectively and expeditiously. 

They’ve already hired a team of 30 professionals to staff MCA Namibia through open and competitive processes;  they’ve drafted a detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Plan that will allow MCC, MCA Namibia, and all stakeholders to monitor the implementation of the 3 compact projects, assess results, and evaluate their impact;  they’ve contracted a consortium of Namibian firms to design and supervise the rehabilitation and expansion of 47 schools;  they’ve contracted a firm to develop a new website for the Namibia Tourism Board;  and they’ve contracted a firm to work with the Ministry of Education to accurately count  textbooks in schools  as a first step to purchasing sufficient English, science, and math books to ensure that all students have books to learn. 

Let me emphasize that all the tenders just mentioned were offered through an open and competitive process that will ensure the best value for our money.

This is truly a fantastic jumpstart to the program, and I applaud the excellent work of MCA Namibia and the leadership of the MCA-Board, under the chairmanship of Professor Peter Katjavivi.  The United States Government is working with Namibia to further its economic development in many ways, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation--MCC -- a new and innovative foreign assistance program -- is designed to complement the work of our other development agencies.  

MCC’s mandate is to reduce poverty through economic growth in a sustainable way – and that’s our goal in every compact with every partner country.  MCC draws on some of the most valuable lessons learned about development over the past 50 years. 

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who also chairs MCC’s Board of Directors, said during her trip to Africa last month:

“In Africa and elsewhere, we seek more agile, effective, and creative partnerships.  We will focus on country-driven solutions that give responsible governments more information, capacity, and control as they tailor strategies to meet their needs. 

This will require greater coordination within our own government and with the donor community.  And it will also require a broader use of measurements to assess whether we are achieving results.”

To create such partnerships, MCC works, first and foremost, with countries committed to sound policy performance.  MCC uses 17 policy indicators to determine a country’s commitment to ruling justly, investing in their people, and encouraging economic freedom.  

As you know, Namibia became eligible for compact assistance by performing relatively well in each of these 3 policy areas, and on the control of corruption indicator.  Second, the partnerships we forge require countries to lead their own development—what we call country ownership.  We believe that locally-determined development plans supported by a broad range of stakeholders, and for which countries have primary responsibility, are more likely to succeed. 

The Namibia compact, that begins implementation today, is the product of a Namibian proposal and will be implemented by the highly competent Namibian Government team --  MCA Namibia.   This compact is by the people and for the people of Namibia.  And, for the compact to succeed, the focus must be on results.

MCC requires  that programs include clearly defined results—and monitoring and evaluation are integrated into the design of each activity to boost effectiveness, accountability, and transparency with regard to how taxpayer resources are used.  Both the Namibian people and the American taxpayer deserve nothing less than results and financial accountability from this investment set into action today.   

The MCC model of assistance -- based on good policies, country ownership, and results that matter -- also reflects what President Obama said in Ghana, “The true sign of success is not whether we are a source of perpetual aid that helps peoples scrape by—it’s whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change.”

With Namibia, we’re partnering for transformational change through the MCC Compact that enters into force today.  I’d like to commend Namibia’s success in meeting MCC’s eligibility criteria, your dedication in completing this process, and for your commitment through your Policy Improvement Plan to improving Namibia’s scores on indicators where performance is lower than its peers, such as immunization rates, girls primary education completion rates, Natural resource management, land rights and access, and days to start a business.

Namibia’s compact proposal was designed to support Vision 2030, and improved policy performance is vital to this process.  In conclusion, I refer again to President Obama’s speech in Ghana when he said, “With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams.” 

The dream of Namibia’s MCC Compact must now realize its full promise as it enters into force and begins its implementation.  I have no doubt that the dedicated staff at MCA Namibia, our partner Ministries of Education, Agriculture, Environment & Tourism, and Lands and Resettlement, working closely with their counterparts at MCC, and with the communities whose lives will be improved by these important projects, will achieve success for the benefit of Namibians today and for generations to come.

Thank You.