New Global Development Policy the First in American History
Committed to make development a core pillar of America’s foreign policy, President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development, the first of its kind by a U.S. administration.
At a round table discussion on its new Global Development Policy, Secretary Hillary Clinton highlighted that development is an integral part of America’s national security policy and it is part of an integrated approach that includes development, diplomacy, and defense.
“This is the first time since Kennedy that any president has articulated a global development policy – but that we truly are elevating development to the highest levels of the United States Government.” – Secretary Clinton
Secretary Clinton added that imposing development in other countries needs participation by the countries themselves. This means also giving priorities to a country’s efforts to try to improve development, including governance, rule of law, and the like.
In addition, development must also be sustainable where the US wants to make sure that it looks to country-led and country-owned strategies so that it is not just chasing the idea of development without seeing it become sustainable and effective.
Roundtable Discussion All-Star Cast
The all-star cast of those present in the roundtable discussion included U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Raj Shah, president and CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Daniel Yohannes, and the moderator, Emmy Award-winning journalist and director, and director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, Frank Sesno.
Background of the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development
The directive aims to assert that development is vital to U.S. national security and is a strategic, economic, and moral imperative for the United States. The directive calls for the elevation of development as a core pillar of American power. It charts a course for development, diplomacy and defense to mutually reinforce and complement one another in an integrated comprehensive approach to national security as well.
In addition, the directive provides clear policy guidance to all U.S. Government agencies and enumerates its core objectives, its operational model, and the modern architecture it needs to implement this policy.
