FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For decades, development and humanitarian assistance have been proven instruments for America’s influence and strength around the world. Sweeping actions in recent weeks – including a freeze on international assistance, the termination of thousands of assistance programs approved and funded by Congress, and the dismantling of USAID – are hampering the United States’ ability to engage in international assistance and assert its influence.
The Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) strongly supports an independent international and humanitarian assistance agency, as created by Congress. With the likely merging of these functions into the State Department, however, it is critical that this work retain significant autonomy and senior leadership and not be fragmented across the Department in multiple bureaus and offices.
In The Future of U.S. Development and Humanitarian Assistance: Recommendations for Influence and Impact, MFAN provides detailed recommendations to the Administration and Congress for establishing a new development and humanitarian entity in the State Department. These include:
1. Establishing a Deputy Secretary for Development and Humanitarian Affairs to provide high-level oversight and ensure better integration of foreign assistance programs. This position would oversee a number of existing and new bureaus and offices, including:
2. Designating the Deputy Secretary as Chairperson of the Boards of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to enhance coordination and alignment of U.S. global development efforts.
“Development and humanitarian assistance are too vital to be fragmented across multiple bureaus and offices without clear and accountable leadership,” said Les Munson, a co-chair of MFAN. “Elevating these functions under a dedicated Deputy Secretary will help ensure they’re well-integrated, strategically targeted, and aligned with our national security and economic priorities.”
“The dramatic changes that have recently taken place to U.S. international development and humanitarian assistance are very concerning,” said Tod Preston, Executive Director of MFAN. “The new organization and leadership structure we’re recommending for the State Department will not only help prevent a further erosion of our nation’s capabilities to address global crises and advance our strategic interests, it also will bring greater alignment and cohesion to the USG’s work. We urge the Administration and Congress to prioritize these reforms.”
Read MFAN’s full recommendations here
# # #
About MFAN
The Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) is a bipartisan reform coalition composed of international development and foreign policy practitioners, policy advocates, and experts from the U.S. and Global South. MFAN works to strengthen the effectiveness of U.S. development and humanitarian aid in order to build more resilient societies, promote democratic approaches to development, improve the lives and opportunities of the most vulnerable populations, and maximize the sustainable impact of U.S. taxpayer dollars.
For media inquiries, please reach out to Tod Preston, MFAN Executive Director, at Tod.Preston@modernizeaid.net
