During the United Nations General Assembly, President Biden spoke of Build Back Better World (B3W) – an infrastructure partnership he launched with G7 leaders in June – as a flagship initiative to address climate, health and technology needs of the developing world using a values-driven, high standards, transparent and catalytic approach to investing. This week, Deputy National Security Advisor for the International Economy Daleep Singh led an interagency delegation to Colombia, Ecuador and Panama to hear directly from a range of Latin American stakeholders to better understand the infrastructure needs in these countries and the region. Singh was accompanied by David Marchick, COO of the US International Development Finance Corporation, Ricardo Zúniga, Senior Assistant Deputy Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle, as well as officials from the US Agency for International Development. , the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of the Treasury and other ministries and agencies in the field.

In Colombia, Singh met with President Iván Duque Marquez and members of his cabinet and met with officials from the Ministry of Health to discuss the government’s efforts to expand vaccine production capacity. In Ecuador, Singh met with President Guillermo Lasso and key ministers. In Panama, Singh met with President Laurentino Cortizo and cabinet ministers. He also met with representatives of the Panama Canal Authority and leaders of the private sector. Throughout his trip, Singh met with representatives of the private sector as well as key environmental, labor and civil society leaders to solicit their views on how best to support local communities in a way that meets infrastructure needs and advances the highest standards. for transparency and the fight against corruption, financial sustainability, labor protection and environmental preservation.

This visit demonstrated President Biden’s commitment to strengthening our ties with Latin America and closing the huge global gaps in physical, digital and human infrastructure that have been driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. The President’s vision for B3W is to work with partners who share our democratic values ​​to finance and develop infrastructure in a manner that is transparent, sustainable, meets high standards and catalyzes the private sector wherever possible. Faced with the challenges of the 21st^st century, B3W focuses on strengthening infrastructure in the areas of climate, health and safety, digital connectivity, equity and gender equality, but recognizes that the infrastructure needs of countries are dynamic. As the United States continues to expand B3W, we will work in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders to promote transparency, sustainability and development impact, including those in other low and middle income countries. Latin America, the Caribbean and key regions. such as the Indo-Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

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