Obama to waive ban

The Barack Obama administration said it intends to lift the ban, which prohibits 17 countries from having access to the United States Economic Support Fund.



The fund, which has topped 3 billion dollars, supports US foreign policy objectives by providing economic assistance to allies, and countries in transition to democracy.



But funding was prohibited to countries that have joined the International Criminal Court or have signed an immunity agreement promising not to extradite US nationals to the court.



President Obama said he plans to exercise his presidential authority to waive the ban on the use of funds in Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago and 14 other developing nations.



These include Mexico, Bolivia and South Africa.