Last night, President Obama spoke at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship – the first summit to build off his promise of a “new beginning” from last year’s speech in Cairo. The Summit, co-hosted by the Departments of State and Commerce, is a step toward building closer ties between the U.S. and Muslim communities worldwide. In his remarks, President Obama noted recent efforts taken to strengthen partnership that include expanding educational exchanges, collaborating on global health issues with the Organization of Islamic Conference, and fostering innovation in science and technology. He also noted steps the U.S. has taken to improve relations:
MFAN Weighs In: Development Policy Debate Heats Up
April 26th, 2010
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post identified Patrick Cronin as a member of MFAN, which is incorrect.
Last week, the White House’s National Security Council convened its Deputies Committee, a gathering of high-level representatives from all the major agencies in government, to pave the way for the Presidential Study Directive on Global Development Policy (PSD) and the interim findings of the State Department’s Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) to be finalized. As Foreign Policy’s Josh Rogin reported, key issues have stalled action on the reviews. MFAN Member Paul O’Brien of Oxfam America was quoted on the importance of development:
Shah Testifies on FY11 Budget at Senate State Foreign Ops Hearing
April 22nd, 2010
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah testified earlier this week before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations on the FY2011 Budget request for USAID. In his opening remarks, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) expressed his appreciation for Shah’s leadership at the beleaguered agency, which he characterized as a “formidable task.” He continued, “USAID is in urgent need of reform… I don’t think USAID is living up to its potential.” He went on to say, “I think that USAID has to change its culture, change the way it does business if it wants the kind of money that you’re here legitimately asking for… in this committee, in the Senate, Republicans and Democrats, you will not find stronger supporters of your mission among the men and women on this committee anywhere else in the Senate. We want nothing more for you to tell us how you can change.”
Shah began his remarks by noting the “once-in-a-lifetime or a once-in-a-generation type of opportunity” we face on foreign assistance reform, saying, “the president, the secretary, members of this committee, yourself, members of Congress have all called for a more effective, a more transparent, and a more capable development enterprise.” Shah listed specific areas that need reform at the agency:
Senators Kerry, Durbin, Cardin Introduce Urban Development Bill
April 21st, 2010
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA), along with Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), yesterday introduced legislation to address the challenges of urbanization in developing countries and expand existing U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) efforts to craft better strategies for sustainable urban development.
The Sustainable Urban Development Act of 2010 (S. 3229) seeks to deal with unprecedented growth from enlarging slums, increasing levels of pollution, overburdened transport systems, and the lack of affordable housing. The bill would direct the USAID Administrator to: 1) develop a strategy to foster sustainable urban development; 2) consider establishing a senior advisor for urban development; and 3) establish a pilot urban strategies initiative that will help a select number of cities create a policy framework for future growth and development.
“We all recognize that the 21st century is the century of the city. There is an explosion of urban growth around the globe – already the majority of the world’s population lives in urban areas, with approximately one billion people residing in slums. The phenomenon of urbanization will be ignored at our own peril. Responsible citizens of the world must consciously harness their creativity and ingenuity to increase the livability, economic viability, and environmental sustainability of our cities,” said Chairman Kerry.
“For the first time in recorded history, the majority of the world’s population lives in cities,” said Senator Durbin. “Rural flight strains cities’ ability to provide clean water and sanitation, safe housing and basic infrastructure. This bill will put an emphasis on smart growth that will ensure that today’s cities not only meet the basic human needs of their residents, but also become the economic and cultural hubs of the future.”
“Half of all the world’s poor live in cities and town. To tackle the growing poverty at the root of this problem, we must pursue solutions that increase the sustainable capacity of local and national actors, boost cooperation between stakeholders and focus on the needs of those most affected, particularly women,” said Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations International Development and Foreign Assistance Subcommittee.
MFAN partners International Housing Coalition (IHC), Habitat for Humanity, and InterAction all hailed the introduction of the Sustainable Urban Development Act.
Peter Kimm, Chairman of the IHC Board, said, “This legislation represents a milestone in the thinking about current foreign assistance. This legislation would be an important first step toward ensuring access to basic shelter and affordable housing, particularly by residents of slums, informal settlements and impoverished urban areas.”
Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity, said, “This important and timely legislation will act as a crucial vehicle for supporting sustainable solutions to expand access to basic shelter and affordable housing. Additionally, the bill’s focus on security of tenure, access to basic services, and other essential programs will ensure a more holistic and effective approach to U.S. development assistance.”
Samuel A. Worthington, MFAN Principal and InterAction’s President and CEO, states, “Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) recognize the overall strategic importance of urban issues in the 21st century. We are particularly concerned about the plight of the urban poor and the rate at which urban poverty is accelerating. Meeting today’s urban challenges will require a focus on the causes and effects of poverty, including housing, governance and livelihoods, and the engagement of all stakeholders, including the urban poor, in order to achieve more equitable, inclusive and prosperous cities around the globe.”
Senate Confirms Former MFAN Principal Lael Brainard at Treasury
April 20th, 2010
After a nearly 12-month delay, the Senate has confirmed former MFAN Principal Lael Brainard as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs. In the position, Brainard will be the nation’s top financial diplomat, playing “a key role on issues such as the delicate negotiations with China over the level of the yuan, and seeking international cooperation on the restructuring of the financial sector’s regulatory framework” (via The Wall Street Journal).
Before taking her position at Treasury, Brainard was senior fellow and vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution. There, she was a leading voice on development issues, penning authoritative papers including The 9/11 Development Imperative, U.S. Foreign Assistance: Reform to Lead in the 21st-Century, and U.S. Foreign Assistance: Reinventing Aid for the 21st-Century.
One of Brainard’s most important contributions to the movement for foreign assistance reform was her creation of a chart cataloging the uncoordinated programs and overlapping authorities that are rife in the U.S. foreign assistance system.
