August 3, 2017 (WASHINGTON) – This statement is delivered on behalf of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) by Co-Chairs George Ingram, Tessie San Martin, and Connie Veillette.
The MFAN network congratulates Ambassador Mark Green on his confirmation to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Senate approved the nominee unanimously. MFAN and our partners applauded the nomination and commend the Senate for taking action to confirm political leadership at our nation’s lead development agency.
Ambassador Green enters the agency at a critical time: significant proposed budget cuts and reorganization planning present a real risk of curtailing the United States’ ability to save lives, relieve suffering, and spur economic growth around the world. Ambassador Green understands the importance of development to American foreign policy, and should prioritize the elevation of USAID’s voice in these ongoing redesign and resourcing discussions and push for the continued modernization of U.S. foreign assistance. MFAN’s widely-endorsed Guiding Principles for Effective Foreign Assistance offer a roadmap for principled reform: 1) meaningful consultation with Congress and the development community; 2) a comprehensive review of aid programs; and 3) a clearly articulated Global Development Strategy.
The MFAN Co-Chairs look forward to working with Amb. Green and his team to further improve the effectiveness and impact of U.S. foreign assistance. The Co-Chairs recently released a Discussion Draft: A New Foreign Aid Architecture Fit for Purpose, which would clarify and strengthen development, financing, and diplomacy programs to meet today’s needs. Through mission alignment and the establishment of clear lines of authority, this proposal would equip the United States with a coherent aid structure that enables our development and diplomatic professionals to rightly focus on their respective core competencies in both working with local partners to address long-term challenges as well as responding to short-term crises.
MFAN is pleased by the bipartisan support for Ambassador Green, a champion of effective and results-oriented development who is superbly qualified to lead USAID at this pivotal moment.
“The Senate has done its job confirming such a qualified nominee on a bipartisan basis,” said George Ingram, MFAN Co-Chair and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. “It’s now critical for Mark to assemble his team at a time that demands strong leadership at USAID.”
“Senior political leadership at USAID is essential in ensuring there is support for and focus on the multitude of crises that require a coordinated response in the field,” said Tessie San Martin, MFAN Co-Chair and President and CEO of Plan International. “Mark Green is well respected in the development community and has the expertise to lead a robust U.S. response.”
“I have complete confidence in Mark’s ability to guide the agency during this time of global political discord that is putting increased demands on aid agencies around the world at the same time as he faces internal discussions on improving efficiencies and restructuring agencies,” said Connie Veillette, MFAN Co-Chair and Senior Fellow at The Lugar Center. “He understands the value of the three D’s – Diplomacy, Defense, and Development – to work together to advance US global leadership.”
