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Noteworthy News – 4.9

April 9th, 2010
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This weekly posting includes key news stories and opinion pieces related to foreign assistance reform and the larger development community.

  • Interview: Raymond A. Joseph (ForeignPolicy.com-Elizabeth Dickinson, April 2)The money should not be sent to NGOs because NGOs cannot develop the country: NGOs cannot take care of the infrastructure, they cannot build the roads, and they cannot have electric plants. It has been said that Haiti is a republic of NGOs.
  • Rebuilding Haiti: A Global Response to a Global Crisis (Huffington Post-Esther Brimmer, April 7) To that end, as Haiti’s leaders assume responsibility for their nation’s reconstruction, the UN and international cooperation with the Government of Haiti must be closely coordinated, their action plan sustainable, accountable and inclusive of all Haitians. We must also continue to focus on the immediate humanitarian assistance in Haiti – that will help provide a stable environment for Haitians and allow for long-term rebuilding efforts.
  • State Opens New Office to Combat Global Hunger (Politico-Laura Rozen, April 7) Amb. Patricia Haslach, a former assistant chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, will serve as the deputy coordinator for diplomacy, and William Garvelink, U.S. ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, will serve as the deputy coordinator for development, in the new office, starting in May, according to a memo issued by the secretary of state’s office today.  The deputies’ “diplomacy” and “development” titles suggest they are linked to the forthcoming Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review.
  • The Futility of Budget Cuts (Washington Independent-Annie Lowrey, April 8) The most expendable programs, according to poll takers, were mass transit, housing, agriculture, environment and foreign aid, the runaway winner at 71 percent. The problem? These programs together barely comprise 3 percent of the federal budget. Even if the programs were entirely eliminated, the cuts would do nothing to solve the United States’ long-term entitlement program.
  • Opinion: Foreign aid industry inherently flawed (Global Post- Christian Hennemeyer, April 9) The good news is that there are two high-powered, presidentially mandated evaluations underway, as well as draft legislation being developed by several congressmen. The bad news is these efforts are badly behind schedule, probably duplicative and, most worryingly, will almost certainly focus on tinkering with an appallingly bad system rather than reforming the very nature of foreign aid.

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NATO Secretary General Rasmussen on Development

April 9th, 2010
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GERMANY DENMARK NARTOYesterday at the University of Chicago, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen gave a speech on “Afghanistan and the Future of Peace Operations.”  The speech focused on NATO’s role in Afghanistan and how — eight years into the conflict — it has only become more clear that both a military and a civilian effort are required for security and success.  Rasmussen made a forceful case for development, saying, “In Afghanistan, there can be no development without security.  But equally, there can be no lasting security without development.”  Later, he spoke about how NATO has adopted a “whole-of-government approach” to Afghanistan; “Diplomats, defense ministries and development experts sit together, plan together and operate together, including in Provincial Reconstruction Teams all over Afghanistan.”  He also made the case for increased partnership among NGOs, international organizations, and other allies and global stakeholders.  See below for more excerpts from his speech, and read the full speech here.

“…everything is, indeed, connected.  The military mission cannot ultimately succeed until the civilian aspects – better governance, improved development, and a rising economy – succeed.”

“The answer is that we need what we call a comprehensive approach. And that is the first lesson of this mission. The days when the military could defeat the enemy, then hand the baton off to the civilians and go home, are past us.”

“We don’t just need better relations with other international organizations and NGOs.  To my mind, NATO also needs to institutionalize a broad and inclusive security dialogue and, where appropriate, partnership with relevant countries from around the world.”

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Brookings, CSIS Issue New Report on Foreign Assistance Reform

April 8th, 2010
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Noam UngerBrookingsCSIS logoMargaret Taylor

In a new report – “Capacity for Change: Reforming U.S. Assistance Efforts in Poor and Fragile Countries” – by co-authors Noam Unger (Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution and MFAN Principal), Margaret Taylor (Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project), and Frederick Barton (former co-director of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project), policymakers are presented with key recommendations to inform a coherent and effective national approach to both stabilization and broader development.

As the Obama administration moves through two strategic reviews – the Presidential Study Directive on U.S. Global Development Policy and the State Department’s first-ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review – the report concludes that “there is a stunningly broad consensus that improvement is needed across the board” on how the U.S. government provides foreign aid.  The report also predicts that “new presidential decisions and policies are expected” from the administration this spring on key questions around foreign assistance and the elevation of development as a strong pillar of U.S. foreign policy.

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Sec. Clinton’s Remarks on World Health Day

April 7th, 2010
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Read Secretary of State Clinton’s remarks below, in which she talks about the impact of global health on poverty and how the administration’s Global Health Initiative will address these challenges to foster security, political stability, and economic growth and development.

Today the United States joins the World Health Organization and countries around the world in commemorating World Health Day.

This year’s theme is “Urbanization and Health: Urban Health Matters.” The rapid rise in the number of people living in cities will be among the top global health issues of the 21st century. The World Health Organization estimates that six out of every 10 people will be city dwellers by 2030, rising to seven out of 10 by 2050. In many cases, especially in the developing world, the speed of urbanization has outpaced the ability of governments to build and maintain essential health, water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure and provide basic services.

Disease is both a symptom of poverty — with over-crowding, inadequate infrastructure and lack of health care increasing transmission and susceptibility — and also a contributor to poverty. Poor health shreds communities, undermines economic opportunity, and holds back progress. And it denies children around the world the opportunity to live up to their full God-given potential. We have also seen that oceans and borders are no defense against the pandemics that threaten us all. These are global challenges that demand a global response.

The United States and our international partners are committed to improving health and strengthening health systems around the world. We understand that addressing global health challenges is not just a humanitarian imperative — it will also bolster global security, foster political stability and promote economic growth and development.

Through our Global Health Initiative, we are investing $63 billion, with an emphasis on women and girls whose health has the biggest impact on families and communities. Efforts such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Safe Water Programs and the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Making Cities Work strategy are focused on public health concerns of urban residents worldwide. Our foreign assistance programs are improving local governance, creating new partnerships with civil society and the private sector, and targeting the urgent needs of the urban poor. From Afghanistan to Zambia, we are helping cities create a better quality of life for their inhabitants through access to higher paying jobs, improved health care, and quality education.

On this World Health Day, let us renew our resolve to work together to meet the global health challenges of the 21st century.

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MFAN Principal Carol Peasley on “The Road Ahead”

April 7th, 2010
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Carol-PeasleyCarol Peasley, MFAN Principal and President of the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), wrote a great piece yesterday for the Huffington Post on how to sustain momentum for foreign assistance reform in the challenging year ahead.  She cites MFAN among a list of advocacy groups – including MFAN partner organizations the Center for Global Development, Oxfam America, and InterAction – that have been successful in putting reform on the map.  Peasley argues that reform means both an updated system and a change in the way of doing business that requires strong leadership at USAID.  Read the full piece below, and tell us what you think  is the best way to build effective instruments and approaches to foreign assistance.

The Huffington Post

Foreign Aid Reform: The Road Ahead

Carol Peasley

April 6, 2010

Over the past two years, experts on global development have come to a consensus that the current system for managing U.S. foreign aid is outdated, is insufficiently coordinated, and lacks an overarching strategy. These shortcomings have made aid less effective than it should be.

Reforming foreign aid is thus now on the map, thanks to many groups including the Center for Global Development, Oxfam America, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, and InterAction, among others. The question is, how can we get to our destination?

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