Yesterday, Senator Barack Obama released a broad strategy to promote global development.

In it, there are many specific commitments:

· Senator Obama renewed his commitment to double foreign assistance to $50 billion a year by 2012.

· Senator Obama committed to at least $2 billion a year in funding for global education and will leverage those commitments through the World Bank’s Fast Track Initiative (FTI). FTI approved countries have national education plans and are coordinated in their approach to achieving universal basic education.

· Senator Obama renewed his commitment to provide $50 billion over five years to fight global HIV/AIDS and will increase U.S. contributions to the Global Fund.

· Senator Obama has committed to 100% debt cancellation for the world’s heavily indebted poor countries and to pressing for reforms at the World Bank to ensure that poor countries receive grants rather than loans.

· Senator Obama has further commitments that support growth of developing country economies through support for agricultural development, a microfinance initiative, and infrastructure growth. These are all critical to the future of developing countries and we applaud their inclusion in the Senator’s global development plan.

· Senator Obama’s development plan also discussed reforms to the federal government’s development infrastructure that would include strengthening USAID and placing several government agencies working on development within USAID.

ONE Vote ‘08 thanks Senator Obama for presenting his plans to target extreme poverty and global disease.

-Josh Lozman, ONE Vote ‘08 Policy Manager