American Misperceptions Table
To elevate development as a core pillar of U.S. foreign policy, alongside diplomacy and defense, we will, first, adopt a new investment strategy that ensures high-impact development by focus- ing on six areas of comparative U.S. government advantage and by leading Presidential Initiatives in three of these areas. Second, we will build USAID into a world-class development agency through deliberate partnership, innovation, and a focus on results. Third, we will equip USAID with the human capital, the operational and budget oversight capacity, and the institutional voice necessary to transact this new development approach. Finally, we will transform the De- partment of State to better support our development objectives.
I. FOCUSING OUR INVESTMENTS
As we look at the world today, we see unprecedented opportunities. Technology is revolutionizing the world around us and changing the lives of millions, from a farmer in Bangladesh who can better gauge the mar- ket price for her crops to a shop owner in Kenya who can accept payments using a mobile phone. We see an American resurgence in philanthropy and in corpo- rate interest across develop- ing markets. Countries like South Korea, once an aid
recipient, are now giving to the rest of the world. Similarly, countries like Brazil and some Gulf states have emerged as significant bilateral donors. Cross-border trade and investment flows, if harnessed well, can have a transformative impact on societies. Remittances, totaling some $400 billion worldwide today, are an increasingly vital source of capital full of unrealized productive potential. Against this backdrop, and particularly in a time of fiscal constraint, State and US- AID must work together with other agencies and the private sector to ensure that our develop- ment dollars will go further than ever.
Increasing Health and Safety With Water and Roads:
Children in Nawa, Afghanistan, collect fresh water from a new communal water tap built near their homes. In just six months, Nawa residents went from carrying water every day to using these new taps.
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1. Leading Presidential Initiatives
Affirming the United States global leadership on international development is at the core of President Obama’s recently released Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development (PPD). Three signature initiatives of this Administration—the Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative, Feed the Future (FtF); the Global Health Initiative (GHI); and the Global Climate Change Initiative (GCCI)—reflect this commitment and this Administra- tion’s approach to development. As we build USAID to provide global leadership in devel- opment in the 21st century, we will now vest USAID with leadership and accountability for
the Feed the Future and, upon satisfying defined benchmarks outlined in Appendix 2 at the end of FY2012, the Global Health Initiative.
Food Security and Feed the Future
Acute hunger threatens the stability of governments, societies, and borders around the world. Hunger leads to hopelessness and desperation, which in turn drives tension, conflict, and violence. As long as sustainable agriculture acts as a common engine for economic growth, energy and climate security, poverty reduction, and human opportunity, food security will have both moral and strategic resonance for the United States. And so we will focus our development efforts on engineering a complete response that sustainably acceler- ates agricultural development and economic growth, and reduces hunger and poverty. Since the Marshall Plan delivered food relief to Europe in the aftermath of World War II, U.S. food aid has directly reached some three billion people in 150 countries. Through FtF, we will build on this experience to address the root causes of hunger. FtF seeks to sustainably reduce poverty and hunger and boost nutrition through agricultural development and food security—all as part of a broader foundation for inclusive economic growth and global food security.
Launched in March 2009 at the G20 in London, the United States’ subsequent commit- ment to provide at least $3.5 billion over three years has leveraged more than $18 billion in additional commitments from partner countries. As part of this effort, the United States has partnered with the G20 and non G20 countries to establish the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program—a multilateral fund to advance a coordinated response against global hunger. Together, our bilateral and multilateral efforts will invest in technologies and infrastructure that will make farming more productive. And we will make it easier for food to reach the people who need it. Our efforts in this area will be guided by four principles: 1) partnering with countries to create and implement their plans; 2) adopting strategies that deliver results by addressing root causes, focusing on women, and improving country,
regional, and global co- ordination; 3) leverag- ing multilateral institu- tions; and 4) making long-term, accountable commitments.
USAID has recently established a Bureau for Food Security and will continue to create the capacity to implement this initiative—building on the more than 40 recently hired agrono- mists and agricultural
experts, whose technical leadership will help accelerate agricultural sector growth and improve nutritional status, especially among women and children. Inviting the collabo- ration of other federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, USAID will continue to develop and refine government-wide food security strategies and implementation plans in countries consistent with the L’Aquila principles. The recently-established Borlaug Commemorative Research Initiative, jointly organized by USAID and the Department of Agriculture, is working to deploy leading U.S. research on production systems and nutrition across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. FtF is also identifying whole-of-government indicators that build on existing agriculture and rural development indicators from USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
Consistent with these objectives, Secretary Clinton and Administrator Shah will announce a Global Food Security Coordinator at USAID to assume the leadership of FtF immedi- ately. This Coordinator will report to the Administrator and the Secretary, with account- ability for: FtF’s leadership and strategy; resource allocations; donor coordination; agency and interagency implementation and outcomes; and engagement with other development partners, Congress, civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders. The Global Food Security Coordinator will identify and prioritize policy objectives and guide, beyond USAID and State, joint planning and collaboration to align complementary programs and capabilities of other agencies and departments to maximize the impact of America’s invest- ments in global hunger and food security.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton poses for a photo with a group of girls from the Siem Reap Center in Siem Reap, Cambodia, which provides rehabilitation, vocational training, and social reintegration for sex trafficking victims.
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