On Tuesday, the Transatlantic Taskforce on Development released their first-ever report. The Taskforce – the only one of its kind – brings together individuals from the United States, Canada, and Europe, representing governments, NGOs, and the private sector, to discuss global development issues. The Taskforce was assembled by the German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs; ONE’s Executive Director, Jamie Drummond, is a member of the 24-person Taskforce.

The Taskforce’s report presents policy ideas on which North America and Europe can collaborate in order to pursue a broad development agenda, even in the face of the current global financial crisis. The authors laud past moments of international consensus around development – like the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – but are adamant that without spurring economic growth in developing countries, and meeting Official Development Assistance (ODA) and trade commitments, recent gains in combating poverty are likely to be reversed.

Meeting the funding commitments previously made to developing countries – and demonstrating that aid does work – is particularly essential in light of the global financial crisis and the threat of decreased development assistance. As the report notes, “It will be increasingly vital to continue to demonstrate that aid actually works, and to show results and impact. A clear message of how the development agenda is linked to the interests of those in developed countries must be repeated and reinforced.”

The Taskforce report provids policy recommendations in four areas in which transatlantic cooperation is necessary for achieving global development goals. It emphasizes that the policy environment in which development takes place must be based on trust and inclusion among developed and developing countries, and encourages policy coherence between North America and Europe. The following is from the GMF press release on the Taskforce meeting:

• Development, Democracy, and Security: Transatlantic policy makers should bridge the security-development “divide”, and be clear on roles and responsibilities. The new U.S. administration should improve the autonomy and vitality of USAID. Support for democracy should be long-term and strategic and much broader than elections, prioritizing rule of law, good governance, and checks and balances.
• Climate Change: A new global post-Kyoto deal is needed, and must link the development and climate change agendas to be effective. Official funding for climate change programs should be in addition to, not instead of, existing development budgets, and should follow the Paris principles on aid effectiveness but other sources of funding will also be essential.
• Food Security: We must get the Doha Development Round back on track and concluded. The United States and EU should eliminate or significantly reduce their domestic agricultural and biofuel subsidies. Developing countries should eliminate their own barriers to trade (South – South) as a means to boost food security. Policy makers should prioritize investment in agriculture to increase production, including in infrastructure, including research and development, sustainable agricultural practices, access to credit and markets, extension services and by exploring crop-specific solutions, including GMOs.
• Effective Support for Development: Transparency and accountability in development assistance should be boosted at the local, national, and international levels with a particular focus on stimulating local demand for accountability in developing countries. Development assistance should be managed for results and promote country ownership. Growth of the private sector and the formal economy should be emphasized.

-Beth Adler