Report on Countries That Are Candidates for Millennium Challenge Account Eligibility in Fiscal Year 2022 and Countries That Would Be Candidates But for Legal Prohibitions
| Published date | 13 September 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 50911 |
| Record Number | 2021-19694 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Millennium Challenge Corporation |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 174 (Monday, September 13, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 174 (Monday, September 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50911-50913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19694]
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MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
[MCC FR 21-08]
Report on Countries That Are Candidates for Millennium Challenge
Account Eligibility in Fiscal Year 2022 and Countries That Would Be
Candidates But for Legal Prohibitions
AGENCY: Millennium Challenge Corporation.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 requires the Millennium
Challenge Corporation to publish a report that identifies countries
that are ``candidate countries'' for Millennium Challenge Account
assistance during fiscal year 2022. The report is set forth in full
below.
(Authority: Section 608(a) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003,
as amended, 22 U.S.C. 7701, 7707(a))
Dated: September 8, 2021.
Thomas G. Hohenthaner,
Acting VP/General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.
Report on Countries That Are Candidates for Millennium Challenge
Compact Eligibility for Fiscal Year 2022 and Countries That Would Be
Candidates But for Legal Prohibitions
Summary
This report to Congress is provided in accordance with section
608(a) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, as amended, 22 U.S.C.
7701, 7707(a) (the Act).
The Act authorizes the provision of assistance for global
development through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for
countries that enter into a Millennium Challenge Compact with the
United States to support policies and programs that advance the
progress of such countries to achieve lasting economic growth and
poverty reduction. The Act requires MCC to take a number of steps in
selecting countries with which MCC will seek to enter into a compact,
including determining the countries that will be eligible countries for
fiscal year (FY) 2022 based on (a) a country's demonstrated commitment
to (i) just and democratic governance, (ii) economic freedom, and (iii)
investments in its people, (b) the opportunity to reduce poverty and
generate economic growth in the country, and (c) the availability of
funds to MCC. These steps include the submission to the congressional
committees specified in the Act and publication in the Federal Register
of reports on the following:
The countries that are ``candidate countries'' for FY 2022
based on their per capita income levels and their eligibility to
receive assistance under U.S. law and countries that would be candidate
countries but for specified legal prohibitions on assistance (section
608(a) of the Act);
The criteria and methodology that the MCC Board of
Directors (the Board) will use to measure and evaluate the relative
policy performance of the ``candidate countries'' consistent with the
requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of section 607 of the Act in
order to determine ``eligible countries'' from among the ``candidate
countries'' (section 608(b) of the Act); and
The list of countries determined by the Board to be
``eligible countries'' for FY 2022, identification of such countries
with which the Board will seek to enter into compacts, and a
justification for such eligibility determination and selection for
compact negotiation (section 608(d) of the Act).
This report is the first of three required reports listed above.
Candidate Countries for FY 2022
The Act requires the identification of all countries that are
candidate countries for FY 2022 and the identification of all countries
that would be candidate countries but for specified legal prohibitions
on assistance. Under sections 606(a) and (b) of the Act, candidate
countries must qualify as low income or lower middle income countries
as defined in the Act.
Specifically, a country will be a candidate country in the low
income category for FY 2022 if it
has a per capita income that is not greater than the World
Bank's lower middle income country threshold for such fiscal year
($4,095 gross national income per capita for FY 2022);
is among the 75 countries identified by the World Bank as
having the lowest per capita income; and
is not ineligible to receive United States economic
assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as
amended (the Foreign Assistance Act), by reason of the application of
the Foreign Assistance Act or any other provision of law.
A country will be a candidate country in the lower middle income
category for FY 2022 if it
has a per capita income that is not greater than the World
Bank's lower middle income country threshold for such fiscal year
($4,095 gross national income per capita for FY 2022);
is not among the 75 countries identified by the World Bank
as having the lowest per capita income; and
[[Page 50912]]
is not ineligible to receive United States economic
assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act by reason of the
application of the Foreign Assistance Act or any other provision of
law.
Under section 606(c) of the Act as applied for FY 2022, a country
with per capita income changes from FY 2021 to FY 2022 such that the
country would be reclassified from the low income category to the lower
middle income category or vice versa will retain its income status in
its former category for FY 2022 and two subsequent fiscal years (FY
2023 and FY 2024). A country that has transitioned to the upper middle
income category does not qualify as a candidate country.
Pursuant to section 606(d) of the Act, the Board identified the
following countries as candidate countries under the Act for FY 2022.
In so doing, the Board referred to the prohibitions on assistance to
countries for FY 2021 under the Department of State, Foreign
Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021 (Div. J.,
Pub. L. 116-94) (FY 2021 SFOAA).
Candidate Countries: Low Income Category
1. Afghanistan
2. Angola
3. Bangladesh
4. Benin
5. Bhutan
6. Bolivia
7. Burkina Faso
8. Burundi
9. Cabo Verde
10. Cameroon
11. Central African Republic
12. Chad
13. Congo, Democratic Republic of the
14. Congo, Republic of the
15. C[ocirc]te d'Ivoire
16. Djibouti
17. Egypt
18. El Salvador
19. Eswatini
20. Gambia, The
21. Ghana
22. Guinea
23. Haiti
24. Honduras
25. India
26. Kenya
27. Kiribati
28. Kyrgyzstan
29. Laos
30. Lesotho
31. Liberia
32. Madagascar
33. Malawi
34. Mauritania
35. Mongolia
36. Morocco
37. Mozambique
38. Nepal
39. Niger
40. Nigeria
41. Pakistan
42. Papua New Guinea
43. Rwanda
44. Sao Tome and Principe
45. Senegal
46. Sierra Leone
47. Solomon Islands
48. Somalia
49. Tajikistan
50. Tanzania
51. Timor-Leste
52. Togo
53. Tunisia
54. Uganda
55. Ukraine
56. Uzbekistan
57. Vanuatu
58. Vietnam
59. Yemen
60. Zambia
Candidate Countries: Lower Middle Income Category
1. Algeria
2. Belize
3. Indonesia
4. Micronesia, Federated States of
5. Philippines
6. Samoa
Countries That Would Be Candidate Countries But for Legal Provisions
That Prohibit Assistance
Countries that would be considered candidate countries for FY 2022
but are ineligible to receive United States economic assistance under
part I of the Foreign Assistance Act by reason of the application of
any provision of the Foreign Assistance Act or any other provision of
law are listed below. This list is based on legal prohibitions against
economic assistance that apply as of July 27, 2021.
Prohibited Countries: Low Income Category
Burma is ineligible to receive foreign assistance,
including due to concerns relative to its record on human rights and
pursuant to the military coup restriction in section 7008 of the FY
2021 SFOAA.
Cambodia is ineligible to receive foreign assistance
pursuant to section 7043(b)(2) of the FY 2021 SFOAA, which restricts
(with limited exceptions) assistance to the Government of Cambodia
unless the Secretary of State certifies that the Government of Cambodia
is taking effective steps to strengthen regional security and stability
and respect the rights and responsibilities enshrined in the
Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Comoros is ineligible to receive foreign assistance due to
its status as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
Eritrea is ineligible to receive foreign assistance due to
its human rights record and its status as a Tier 3 country under the
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
Ethiopia is ineligible to receive foreign assistance due
to its human rights record.
Guinea-Bissau is ineligible to receive foreign assistance
due to its status as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
Iran is ineligible to receive foreign assistance,
including due to its status as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
Korea, North is ineligible to receive foreign assistance,
including due to its status as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
Mali is ineligible to receive foreign assistance pursuant
to the military coup restriction in section 7008 of the FY 2021 SFOAA.
Nicaragua is ineligible to receive foreign assistance,
including due to its status as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
South Sudan is ineligible to receive foreign assistance
pursuant to section 7042(i)(2) of the FY 2021 SFOAA due to its human
rights record.
Sudan is ineligible to receive foreign assistance
including due to the military coup restriction in section 7008 of the
FY 2021 SFOAA.
Syria is ineligible to receive foreign assistance due to
its status as a Tier 3 country under the Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).
Zimbabwe is ineligible to receive foreign assistance,
including pursuant to section 7042(k)(2) of the FY 2021 SFOAA, which
prohibits (with limited exceptions) assistance for the central
government of Zimbabwe unless the Secretary of State certifies and
reports to Congress that the rule of law has been restored, including
respect for ownership and title to property, and freedoms of
expression, association, and assembly.
Prohibited Countries: Lower Middle Income Category
Sri Lanka is ineligible to receive foreign assistance
pursuant to section 7044(e)(2) of the FY 2021 SFOAA,
[[Page 50913]]
which restricts (with limited exceptions) assistance for the central
government unless the Secretary makes certain certifications regarding
actions taken by the Government of Sri Lanka and reports to the
Committees on Appropriations.
Countries identified above as candidate countries, as well as
countries that would be considered candidate countries but for the
applicability of legal provisions that prohibit U.S. economic
assistance, may be the subject of future statutory restrictions or
determinations, or changed country circumstances, that affect their
legal eligibility for assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance
Act by reason of application of the Foreign Assistance Act or any other
provision of law for FY 2022.
[FR Doc. 2021-19694 Filed 9-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9211-03-P
