Sections & Offices

Management

The Management Section is responsible for the day to day internal operations of the Embassy and its constituent posts. Services cover the areas of Human Resources (including recruitment for staff), Budget and Finance, Information Technology, Travel & Accommodations, Community Liaison, and General Services (including staff housing, procurement, maintenance, motor vehicles, furniture & supplies).

General Services Office

For procurement of office supplies and services; tenders; solicitations; and correspondence relating to maintenance services for residential and commercial buildings:

Email: PraiaGSO@state.gov
Phone: +238 260 8900

Commercial Section

The Commercial Section at the U.S. Embassy in Praia offers a number of services to American and Cabo Verdean businesses to promote trade between the U.S. and Cabo Verde. The Embassy can facilitate contact between companies of the two countries, either for commercial ventures or investment projects.

The primary mission of the Commercial Section is to support U.S. commercial interests and help companies increase sales and market share in Cabo Verde. Its commitment is to:

Promote the export of U.S. goods and services
Protect and advocate for U.S. business interests in Cabo Verde
Assist U.S. firms in realizing their export potential by providing couseling and advice, information about the Cabo Verdean market, contacts, and trade promotion vehicles
Support the export promotion efforts of other public and private organizations, and creating, through partnership, a full-service export development infrastructure

Businesspersons should visit http://www.export.gov/ to find the latest market analyses, trade evetns, trade and investment climates, and trade leads for Cabo Verde. In the ‘Find Opportunities’ menu, select ‘Market Research’ and follow the link to the Research Library. Company registration is not required to view the Country Commercial Guide. Access to all other market data will require registration with the U.S. Commercial Service.

Services Provided by the Commercial Section

International Partner Search (IPS)

Helps identify for U.S. firms, prospective business agents/distributors/partner in Cabo Verde. Reports the willingness of qualified Cabo Verdean firms to represent U.S. products or services and offers some background on these firms.

Trade Lead Opportunity Program

The objective of the Trade and Opportunity Program is to help local firms identify American suppliers whose products and services are needed here. The Embassy forwards information on local needs electronically to the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, which automatically identifies appropriate American suppliers by computer. The same service is used to research potential American partners for investment projects.

International Buyers Program (IBP)

The International Buyers Program brings buying delegations from around the world to trade shows in the U.S. International business centers at these shows are staffed with expert trade professionals and interpreters to help American firms establish international contacts. The Embassy actively promotes the IBP shows in the Cabo Verdean business community.

Commercial Library

The commercial library has a selection of commercial documentation including directories of American manufacturers and exporters; U.S. Government-published catalogs and magazines that promote American products and services; and company/product catalogs. Legal firms, banks, management consultants, etc, are encouraged to place material in the library to expose company and product information to visitors to the Commercial Section of the Embassy.

Special Treaties/Programs between the U.S. and Cabo Verde

Millennium Challenge Account

Cabo Verde was one of eight African countries to qualify for the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) in 2004. On July 4, 2005, Cabo Verde became the third country to sign a compact with Millennium Challenge Corporation with the government of the United States. The country is expected to receive USD 110m over a five-year period. The funds are primarily allocated for projects in infrastructure improvement, namely the construction of new roads and the upgrade of ports in both Praia and Sal. Initiatives in water improvement and management are expected to spur growth in the agricultural sector. Financial sector reforms and improvements in the investment climate are also highly anticipated.
For more information on the MCA program in Cabo Verde click here.

The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)

Cabo Verde has been eligible to the AGOA program since May 2000 when the Trade and Development Act of 2000 was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law. AGOA establishes a new framework for U.S. trade, investment and development policy for sub-Saharan Africa. The Act offers Cabo Verde duty-free and quota-free U.S. market access for essentially all products through the Generalized System of Preferences. For more information on the opportunities provided by the AGOA visit the AGOA web site.

Cooperation on Air Transportation

One of Cabo Verde’s most important assets is its strategic location, a crossroads for passengers and goods crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The international airport on Sal Island has the capacity to become a regional airline hub. With that in mind, the government is emphasizing the development of airports, seaports and telecommunications facilities across all the islands.

On September 9, 2003, Cabo Verde became the first of the Safe Skies countries to meet ICAO safety standards and achieve FAA Category 1 as a result of the technical assistance provided under the Safe Skies Program. With respect to aviation security, Cabo Verde serves as a last point of departure for direct flights to the United States. FAA awarded Category 1 for safety for Cabo Verde’s regular scheduled air service to the United States from both Sal and Praia’s international airports. The first flight to the U.S. by Cabo Verde’s national carrier TACV took place on July 4, 2005.

The FAA has assisted Cape Verde in obtaining ETOPS qualification which allows Cabo Verdean Airlines to fly its Boeing aircraft directly from Praia and Sal Airports to the United States and Brazil. Achieving Category 1 and ETOPS qualifications have had a direct benefit on the country’s economy and represent an upgrade in the country’s safety and tourism capacities.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

On 23 July 2008, the WTO welcomed Cabo Verde as its 153rd member. Cabo Verde started its accession negotiations in 1999 and benefited from the United States’ technical assistance during accession negotiations as well as from strong support of the European Union.

Contact

For additional information contact the US Embassy in Praia:
Email: econcommcv@state.gov
Phone: +(238) 260-8922
Fax: +(238) 260-1355

Public Diplomacy Section

The Office of Public Affairs is responsible for the Embassy’s media relations and educational and cultural exchange programs. The office works closely with Cabo-verdean professional, governmental, educational and cultural institutions and individuals to promote dialogue and sustained interchange between the U.S. and Cabo Verde through conferences, lectures, workshops and professional study and orientation visits. As part of this role, the Public Affairs Officer serve as the Embassy’s official press spokesperson.

The Public Diplomacy section maintains the Embassy website and all the Social Media pages.

We are located in the Embassy Annex building:

Av. Amilcar Cabral (predio BCN)
Phone: (238) 261 8962
Email: PASPraia@state.gov

Security Assistance Office

The United States and Cape Verde maintain active military contacts and cooperation in addition to humanitarian assistance.

This program is active in the following areas:

Assisting in the enhancement of its professional officer and Non-Commissioned Officer Corps, particularly at the middle management level
Promoting greater capabilities in ares of joint interest, including counter-terrorism, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, disaster preparedness, and the interdiction of narcotics which are shipped through Cape Verdean waters.
Helping to influence an increase in the inter-operability and engagement between U.S. and Cape Verde armed forces in the ares of training and disaster preparedness.
Assisting in developing a search and rescue training team capability within the Cape Verdean Coast Guard to facilitate the ability of their personnel to provide training at the Armed Forces Training Center. This facility could provide in-country training to broaden the knowledge of Search and Rescue techniques using U.S. Coast Guard standards.

Cape Verde’s Armed Forces

The Armed Forces of Cape Verde, recently underwent a realignment and adjustment of assigned missions. The primary mission of the Coast Guard includes the defense of its borders, coastal patrol, civil assistance, search and rescue operations, fisheries protection and the preservation of the marine environment. One new role of the Armed Forces is the deterrence and fight against terrorism both domesic and internationally. They have also approved a plan to develop a professional Military Police Unit. The mission of this unit is strictly enforcement of military security and enforcement of military law and discipline on military property.

Since Cape Verde achieved independence in 1975, there has been an unbroken tradition of military respect for civilian rule and subordination of military authorities to the civilian government.

U.S. Cooperation

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)

On July 4, 2005, the United States, through the MCC, signed a five-year Compact with the Republic of Cape Verde to support the country’s goal of poverty reduction through economic growth. The $ 110 million grant supports Cape Verde in achieving its national development goal of transforming its economy from aid-dependency to economically and socially sustainable growth. This funding by MCC makes the US one the largest donors in Cape Verde. MCC funds are being applied to improve the country’s infrastructure, improve access to micro-credit, and provide access to markets, and social services; improved water availability and management to improve agricultural productivity; as well as carry out key policy reforms for sustained development and economic growth. At the completion of the Compact, the program is expected to increase Cape Verde’s annual income by at least $10 million.

For further information, including requests for expression of interest for the provision of services and goods visit the MCA-Cape Verde website at www.mca.cv.

Peace Corps

The United States is supporting Cape Verde’s development, and enhancing relations among Cape Verdeans and Americans, by supplying Peace Corps Volunteers in two multi-sector programs. Some 50 Peace Corps Volunteers, spread over 7 of the 9 inhabited islands, are currently engaged in teaching English and teacher training, small enterprise and community development, and environmental education.

In September 2011 the latest group of 25 new Peace Corps Volunteers will participate in an official Swearing-in ceremony that begins their two-year service in Cape Verde, at a ceremony to be held in the Picos concelho. That region of Santiago Island hosts Volunteers in villages during their pre-service training, where they stay with local families to prepare for living and working in Cape Verde. Their training includes lessons in Crioulo and Portuguese languages and Cape Verdean culture, as well as work on projects with local schools and communities. After taking their oath of service, the Volunteers move to sites all over Cape Verde to work as English teachers, vocational and environmental educators, and teacher trainers, as well as in small enterprise and community development.

Peace Corps, established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to promote world peace and friendship, has been present in Cape Verde since 1988. Since then, some 500 Volunteers have served in Cape Verdean communities. Volunteers from the new group, which is the 22nd in Cape Verde, are placed as far north as Santo Antão and as far south as Fogo, working in secondary and technical schools, universities, youth centers, rural extension services, parks and protected areas and with local government and non-governmental institutions. They join more nearly 200,000 Americans who have served as Peace Corps Volunteers in 139 countries throughout the world since 1961.

For further information on Peace Corps, please visit the Peace Corps web site and the Peace Corps Cape Verde twitter site.  The Peace Corps celebrates its 50th anniversary throughout 2011. For more information about this important milestone, please refer to the 50th Anniversary web site.