Major developments in U.S. foreign assistance policy unveiled at a summit meeting of the UN General Assembly included a first-ever presidential policy directive on global development, a supporting first-ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), and the launching a website, the Foreign Assistance Dashboard, to give visibility to the operation of this policy. The President's directive accompanied three more specific initiatives on global hunger and food security (entitled "Feed the Future"), global health, and global climate change. These developments are designed to build greater strategic coherence to foreign policy, to better coordinate diplomacy and development initiatives and to build coherence and efficiency between the numerous agencies that engage in development. The Foreign Assistance Dashboard makes it easier for anyone to learn about and understand these governmental policies and resulting actions. Thus CCOP members and Catholics and other concerned citizens generally have now been enabled to speak more knowledgably about U.S. efforts to reduce world poverty and improve people's lives.
The Presidential Policy Directive in Global Development (see http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/09/22/fact-sheet-us-global-development-policy) charts a course for development, diplomacy and defense to mutually reinforce and complement one another. The policy is intended to "encourage broad-based economic growth and democratic governance, facilitate the stabilization of countries emerging from crisis or conflict, alleviate poverty, and advance global commitments to the basic welfare and dignity of all humankind."
U.S. policy will aim to achieve sustainable development and assistance efforts will favor countries "where leaders govern responsibly, set in place good policies, and make investments conducive to development." Choices will be guided by a requirement for "country ownership and responsibility". The U.S. will "respond directly to country priorities, making new investments in line with established national strategies and country development plans based on broad consultation" and "empower responsible governments to drive development and sustain outcomes by working through national institutions rather than around them".
The policy recognizes a need to "forge a division of labor", "work with bilateral donors, the multilateral development banks and other international organizations", "leverage the private sector, philanthropic and nongovernmental organizations" and "redouble our efforts to support, reform, and modernize multilateral development organizations."
The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), issued in December by the U.S. State Department is "a sweeping assessment of how the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) can become more efficient, accountable, and effective in a world in which rising powers, growing instability, and technological transformation create new threats, but also new opportunities. At its core the QDDR provides a blueprint for elevating American 'civilian power' to better advance our national interests and to be a better partner to the U.S. military. Leading through civilian power means directing and coordinating the resources of all America's civilian agencies to prevent and resolve conflicts; help countries lift themselves out of poverty into prosperous, stable, and democratic states; and build global coalitions to address global problems." See http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/153109.pdf.
Immediately after the release of the QDDR the "Foreign Assistance Dashboard" was launched. This user-friendly and surprisingly versatile website, www.foreignassistance.gov, provides access to purposes and amounts of funds by country and by year and much other information. It is recommended that you explore this website yourself. Be sure to click on the links WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW and FAQS.
In May of 2009 the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted a "Policy Framework for Foreign Assistance Reform" See http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/2009-05-14-foreign-assistance-reform-adopted.pdf. The framework is based on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching that are inspired by the Gospel teachings and upon the resources from which the Catholic Church in the United States can draw that give it authority. The framework establishes twelve policy recommendations that should guide U.S. international development and any efforts to reform international assistance in the future.
A follow-on article is planned for the February issue of this newsletter that will present some of the problems and controversies of the past surrounding U.S. foreign assistance and some of the responses to these latest developments. CCOP's Social Justice Committee would welcome responses from other members of our faith community. Please write to socialjustice@catholicsofpleasanton.org.
Stephen Hilbert, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' foreign policy adviser for Africa and global development, made additions to this article.
