Vice Presidential Pool Reports of May 27, 2021

VP Pool Report #1 - Background information

Good afternoon,

I am your pooler for the Vice President's engagement this afternoon.
VP Harris is due to host a meeting with CEOs on the Northern Triangle at 4 pm in the Ceremonial Office.
Here is background on today's event, provided by the White House:

Background from a White House official

Today Vice President Kamala Harris will announce today a Call to Action for businesses and social enterprises to make new, significant commitments to address the root causes of migration by promoting economic opportunity. As part of this Call to Actionlaunch, 12 companies and organizations announced commitments to support inclusive economic development in the Northern Triangle, including: Accion, Bancolombia, Chobani, Davivienda, Duolingo, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Mastercard, Microsoft, Nespresso, Pro Mujer, the Tent Partnership for Refugees, and the World Economic Forum.

The Vice President and the administration's comprehensive strategy to address the root causes of migration will involve significant commitments of U.S. government resources to support the long-term development of the region, including efforts for economic opportunity, strengthening governance, combating corruption, and improving security. This approach will leverage commitments and resources from the governments in the Northern Triangle, and partnerships with private and social sectors to draw on their unique resources and expertise to support economic growth.

This Call to Action aims to generate new commitments in six focus areas with an emphasis on supporting vulnerable populations, including women and youth. These focus areas include:

• Reform Agenda: Commitments to support greater transparency, predictability, and stability.
• Digital and Financial Inclusion: Commitments to expand affordable internet access, participation in the digital economy and access to financial technologies and capital for small businesses.
• Food Security and Climate-smart Agriculture:Commitments to combat food shortages by increasing agricultural productivity and crop resilience.
• Climate Adaptation and Clean Energy:Commitments to support the region's resilience to climate change through adaptation and mitigation efforts and transition to clean energy.
• Education and Workforce Development:Commitments to expand job-training programs; expand access to technical and secondary education and create higher paying formal sector jobs.
• Public Health Access: Commitments to support regional governments in addressing the impact of COVID-19, support access to clean water and sanitation and ensure inclusive access to healthcare.

Attendees in person:

• Michael Schlein (CEO, Accion)
• Hamdi Ulukaya (CEO, Chobani & Founder of the non-profit Tent Partnership)
• Luis von Ahn (CEO, Duolingo)
• Ajay Banga (Chairman, Mastercard)
• Maria Cavalcanti (CEO, ProMujer)
• Luis Alberto Moreno (World Economic Forum)

Virtual attendees:
Juan Carlos Mora Uribe (CEO, Bancolombia)
Efrain E Forero Fonseca (CEO, Davivienda)
Michelle Williams (Dean, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
Brad Smith (President, Microsoft)
Guillaume Le Cunnf (CEO, Nespresso)

VP Pool Report #2 - Event begins

Pool entered the VP's Ceremonial Office at 4.06 pm. VP Harris was already sitting at the head of the table with

- Michael Schlein (CEO Accion)
- Hamdi Ulukaya (CEO Chobani & Founder of the non-profit Tent Partnership)
- Luis von Ahn (CEO, Duolingo)
- Ajay Banga (Chairman, Mastercard)
- Maria Cavalcanti (CEO, ProMujer)
- Luis Alberto Moreno (World Economic Forum)

Virtually attending were:

- Juan Carlos Mora Uribe (CEO, Bancolombia)
- Efrain E Forero Fonseca (CEO, Davivienda)
- Michelle Williams (Dean, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
- Brad Smith (President, Microsoft)
- Guillaume Le Cunnf (CEO, Nespresso)

More to come.

VP Pool Report #3 - Some quotes and color

VP Harris stressed that „nobody wants to leave their grandmother" and that „we have the capacity to help". She said the world is interconnected. VP launched the „Call to action for businesses to invest in the Northern Triangle". This engages civil society and private businesses. She mentioned commitments from companies like Microsoft and Nepresso.

None of the attendees at the table was wearing a mask. A TV on one side of the VP showed the virtual attendees.

Pool was lead out at 4.11 pm.

More to come. Please check quotes with the official transcript.

VP Pool Report #4 - more quotes

VP Harris spoke for around five minutes. She mentioned in the beginning that President Biden had asked her in March 24th „to lead the democratic effort as it relates to the Northern Triangle". She said „hope is on the way". The „Call to Action" includes „everything from digital inclusion to workforce". Private businesses had „a very significant role to play in creating jobs and promoting economic oppurtunity and creating long-term development".

She mentioned some of the companies that had already committed. MasterCard for example intented to bring five million people in the region into the digital economy and to support one million small businesses.
„Microsoft will work with local partners to expand broadband access to three million people in the next year." She also mentioned Nespresso's commitments wo plans to begin bying some of its coffee from El Salvador „with a minimum of 150 Dollar" investment in the three countries El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

(No news on Harris' first foreign trip to Mexico and Guatemala that is scheduled for next month.)

VP Pool Report #5 - fotos

Resending this email with a link to a foto I tweeted:

https://twitter.com/berlin_juliane/status/1398028897409769476?s=21

Your pooler tried to quickly capture the scene but I am sure there are better pictures.

Please check quotes with official transcript.

And with that, I conclude my first-ever pooler duties. Wishing you all a great rest of the day!