November 1, 2016 (WASHINGTON) – This statement is delivered on behalf of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) by Co-Chairs George Ingram, Carolyn Miles, and Connie Veillette
Today MFAN is releasing a memo to the presidential transition teams with practical recommendations for how to further strengthen U.S. global development policy and practice. Over the past two administrations we have seen unprecedented bipartisan support in Washington for robust and effective U.S. foreign assistance, and MFAN is urging the next administration and Congress to ensure that leadership continues.
Given that the next president and the 115th Congress will face a unique and increasingly complex set of global challenges, we must be effectively utilizing all of our foreign policy tools. In this memo, MFAN outlines recommendations in 5 key areas that are either already seeing progress or are ripe for reform. These areas are: elevating development as a national priority; increasing aid effectiveness through country ownership and accountability; reforming humanitarian assistance, including food aid; moving into new forms of partnership beyond aid; and enhancing development finance and enabling private sector investment.
In today’s ever-changing global landscape, U.S. foreign assistance remains indispensable and is a strong expression of our moral, economic, and national security imperatives. The U.S. needs effective development programs to promote sustained economic growth and poverty reduction, foster stability, counter major global health threats, and bolster free societies.
We look forward to working with the next administration and Congress to elevate the role and strengthen the effectiveness of our development programs.
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Deliver More with U.S. Development Cooperation: A Proposal for the Next President
