US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was awarded Transparency International-USA’s Integrity Awardfor her work in promoting transparency and integrity worldwide this week.Transparency International (TI) recognized Secretary Clinton as an international leader in anti-corruption advocacy in government, business and development assistance.
In Secretary Clinton’s tenure at the State Department, she has become a champion for transparency by making corruption a focal point of US foreign policy — shedding light on the damaging effects of corruption on both the developed and developing world. Her leadership has played an integral role in international anti-corruption agreements such as the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and the UN Convention against Corruption, and through her work with the OECD, G8, G20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. In November 2011 at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, Secretary Clinton announced the United States would join the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), a huge step toward making US foreign assistance more transparent and accountable.
Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discussed the benefits of foreign aid at the annual “Investing in the Future: A Smart Power Approach to Global Leadership” conference hosted by the US Global Leadership Coalition. The conference, attended by World Bank President Bob Zoellick, Governor Tom Ridge, Senator Tom Daschle and other top national military, business and community leaders, included a very important speech by Sec. of State Clinton about the importance of our international affairs budget. Here’s an encouraging quote from yesterday’s speech that conveys her position:
“The 1 percent of our budget we spend on all diplomacy and development is not what is driving our deficit. Not only can we afford to maintain a strong civilian presence, we cannot afford not to. The simple truth is, if we don’t seize the opportunities available today, other countries will; other countries will fight for their companies while ours fend for themselves. Other countries will promote their own models and serve their own interests, instead of opening markets, reinforcing the rule of law and creating widespread inclusive growth. Other countries will create the jobs that should be created here, and even claim the mantle of global leadership.”
For the past week, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has been on a whistle-stop tour of Zambia, Tanzania and Ethiopia. In Zambia, Secretary Clinton –- along with ONE’s very own Dr. Sipho Moyo -– attended the Ministerial Forum for the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the centerpiece of the US’ trade relations with Africa. In Tanzania, she highlighted some of the successes of US aid, including Feed the Future. In Ethiopia, Secretary Clinton met with Jean Ping, the Chairman of the African Union, to discuss regional issues, as well as with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
This morning, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified before a House Appropriations Subcommittee on the president’s budget request for the State Department and discussed US foreign policy priorities while urging lawmakers not to cut spending for diplomacy and foreign aid.
During questioning, Secretary Clinton noted the critical role of GAVI in increasing access to new and underutilized vaccines in poor countries and the importance of US support for GAVI. During a time in which many poverty-fighting, cost-effective programs are facing severe budget cuts, Secretary Clinton discussed how support for GAVI can help leverage additional resources to achieve maximum human impact for the investment, which is more critical now than ever.
GAVI plays an instrumental role in getting vaccines to the children who need them most in poor, hard-to-reach areas such as Afghanistan. Secretary Clinton remarked on the importance of GAVI’s work in Afghanistan — where coverage levels of three doses of DTP vaccine (protecting against three deadly diseases) — have increased by nearly 50 percent since GAVI’s creation in 2000. In discussing the current political and fiscal environment, Secretary Clinton remarked, “The stakes are high and this is an unfolding example of how we use the combined assets of diplomacy, development and defense to protect our interests and advance our values.”
The wait is over. Almost 17 months after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced plans for an assessment of State Department and USAID policies and programs, the first-ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) was released last week.
Titled “Leading Through Civilian Power,” the report outlines reforms to “make the State Department and USAID more nimble, more effective and more accountable.” The QDDR report reinforces the mandate of elevating development as a key pillar of America’s foreign policy and calls for continuing support of the USAID Forward reforms that USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah implemented this summer. These changes are critical to ensuring that USAID can operate as the “world’s preeminent development agency.”
ONE is hitting the campaign trail to find out where candidates in New Hampshire, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Florida stand on extreme poverty. Stay tuned for more updates like these from our field team and organizers on the road.
On Thursday night, New Hampshire ONE members met up with U.S. Senate candidate, Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) at the American Legion in Manchester. Rep. Hodes was hosting a buffet supper and we caught up with him to talk about ONE and the world’s poorest people.
We thanked Rep. Hodes for always being a supporter and friend of ONE both in office and out on the campaign trail during our ONE Vote efforts in 2008. ONE members will also remember that Rep. Hodes wore the ONE band at the now-famous rally in Unity, N.H., where former Sen. Hillary Clinton stood together with former Sen. Obama – both with ONE bands, too!
We thanked Rep. Hodes for voting for PEPFAR, showing that the U.S. is committed to being the leader of the world in fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa. We also gave him another ONE band, and again, he wore it for the rest of the night! He said he would continue to think of the people living in the most extreme poverty if elected to the Senate.
The very next night, Rep. Hodes spoke with ONE member Whitney outside the Barley House in downtown Concord. They spoke of the Global Fund and the United States’ life-saving efforts in the poorest places in Africa — like simple bed nets to prevent malaria and medicine that allows Africans to not only survive HIV/AIDS, but to live a productive life for their families and communities.
It is hot outside in New Hampshire, but things are going to get even hotter on the campaign trail as ONE members from all backgrounds talk to Senate candidates about extreme poverty and a fresh new partnership between the U.S. and Africa!
Be sure to connect with other ONE Vote 2010 New Hampshire members on Facebook and Twitter.
This week, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), an effort to improve economies in sub-Saharan Africa, celebrates its 10th anniversary. ONE global policy intern Nathan Cole gives us a recap of AGOA’s annual forum.
Last week, experts on U.S.-African trade met at the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum to discuss its progress since it was signed into law in 2000.
AGOA gives beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries preferential access to U.S. markets by allowing many products from these countries to be imported duty free. International trade is essential for development in Africa, and AGOA offers tangible incentives for African countries to continue their efforts to grow economically by exporting more to the U.S.
In the past ten years, AGOA has made progress in fostering U.S. trade with Africa. Currently, 38 countries are eligible to participate in AGOA. As Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) noted in the AGOA Civil Society Forum two weeks ago, “AGOA’s been a great success … it’s time to celebrate.” The Act has promoted new trade and investment, and it has created some 300,000 jobs in Africa. AGOA is also helping to create new markets in the U.S.
However, as Sen. Cardin also noted, several challenges still remain. For example, most of the increase in trade has been with oil and gas products, and AGOA has had a very limited impact on agricultural products. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at the AGOA Forum last week, “Despite the best of intentions, AGOA has achieved only modest results and has not lived up to the highest hopes of a decade ago.”
There are many obstacles, but AGOA offers many opportunities as well. If necessary reforms such as broadening product coverage and simplifying eligibility rules are implemented, AGOA could help millions of Africans lift themselves out of poverty. AGOA can continue to foster reforms in African economies, provide technical support, and build platforms for dialogue. Hopefully, the AGOA Forum will continue to provide new insights and opportunities for advancing trade relations with Africa.
For more information on AGOA, please see ONE’s issue brief.
Right now, some of the world's biggest oil companies are fighting to keep some of their deals with foreign governments secret. Let's tell big oil we won't be bullied.
Cuts to poverty-fighting programs won't balance the budget, but they will set back progress on Canada's development priorities and risk jeopardizing existing investments.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
