On the final day of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit yesterday, President Obama announced a new U.S. Global Development Policy. The global development community has been waiting for this policy for a long time, and it includes many of the elements that Global Washington and the rest of the development community have been pushing for over the past year. MFAN, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, has led this charge through its cadre of thought-leaders on international development policy.
Here are some elements of development reform that MFAN has pushed for over the past year:
- Elevating development as a central pillar of our national security policy, equal to diplomacy and defense;
- Making a long-term commitment to rebuilding USAID as the U.S. Government’s lead development agency, including “robust policy, budget, planning, and evaluation capabilities” and “leadership in the formulation of country and sector development strategies”;
- Institutionalizing a U.S. Global Development Strategy to be approved by the President every four years that will clarify our development goals and how to achieve them;
- Ensuring that development expertise is represented in the policy- and decision-making process by including the USAID Administrator in relevant NSC meetings;
- Establishing an Interagency Policy Committee on Global Development to set priorities and coordinate policy across the Executive Branch (it is also noteworthy that the White House specifies that the NSC staff will stay involved to coordinate the implementation of the policy directive on development);
- Creating a U.S. Global Development Council representing the private sector and civil society to provide high-level input; and
- Committing to a close working partnership with Congress in establishing a shared vision on global development.
In its blog, MFAN has compiled links to news articles and opinion pieces about the new development policy. Also check out Larry Nowels’ article about the policy on the ONE blog, President Obama delivers at the UN. Now he needs to deliver in Africa. And read USGLC’s analysis of the new policy.
White House fact sheet on the new policy.
Watch President Obama’s speech announcing the new U.S. Global Development Policy at the UN MDG Summit.
Watch the webcast of President Obama and First Lady at the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting.