The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has welcomed a new partner into its OPIC Partners Program: the Water Council.

OPIC is the official U.S. Government’s Development Finance Institution, and it is always trying to find ways to advance U.S. foreign policy. It does this through various ways, such as investing in sectors that will benefit the poor, or creating the “OPIC Partners Program” where it teams up with a company or organization, such as Global Midwest Alliance, LLC or the International Economic Development Council, to do even more for global development.

For the Water Council, referred to as “the global leader in freshwater access,” being an OPIC partner means it can use OPIC’s financial expertise to bring freshwater to more populations, as well as conduct more research to find ways to benefit the earth with water. The Water Council believes that exploring new, innovative water technology will benefit struggling economies in the long-run.

“We are excited to be joining OPIC’s Partners Program in an effort to present further opportunities for our members to foster economic development in overseas emerging markets,” said Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of the Water Council.

“Partnering with forward-thinking groups like The Water Council allows OPIC to better carry out our mission of catalyzing the private sector for life-improving global development impact,” said Elizabeth Littlefield, president and CEO of OPIC. “The Water Council’s promotion of the intrepid work in the U.S. clean water access sector aligns with OPIC’s goal to show what American business innovation can achieve when it turns its attention to global development. I look forward to the products of this partnership.”

To officially announce their partnership and discuss their plans for the future, OPIC and the Water Council hosted a seminar on April 28 at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee. Attendees were also able to learn more about how OPIC can help a business finance an overseas project. Perhaps one of the attendees of the seminar will be a future OPIC partner!

While both OPIC and the Water Council do well on their own, together they can make an even greater difference.

– Melissa Binns

Sources: OPIC, Water Tech Online
Photo: Flickr