With the 2008 presidential election being held a week from today, it’s a great time to take stock of the progress made during the Bush administration and what challenges we’ll confront during the next administration.

Todd Moss, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, sat down for an interview about progress in US foreign aid under the Bush administration. He also discusses ideas for how the next president could potentially continue these efforts.

Excerpts below, full piece here

Q: What has the Bush administration done to strengthen U.S. engagement in Africa?

A: I don’t think it’s too strong to say that President Bush’s Africa policy is the most distinguished foreign policy legacy of the administration. Although few expected such interest eight years ago, the president has clearly been deeply and personally committed to strengthening U.S.-Africa relations. We have not only seen U.S. assistance levels to Africa skyrocket, but the whole debate about foreign aid and Africa has changed.

Q: How so?

A: A decade ago, Washington was still arguing about whether foreign aid was a waste or not and whether we had any real interests in Africa. Today, the discussion is about how to innovate, build partnerships, and fix our aid system. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) have been game-changers. Africa’s debt problem is essentially fixed. We have seen a huge spike in American trade and increased private investment. The U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corp. has helped to launch more than a dozen private equity funds targeting the continent. American thinking on Africa has changed completely. It’s no coincidence that views of the U.S. are still overwhelmingly positive across Africa.

-Chris Scott

During yesterday’s White House Summit, President Bush expressed his view that America must remain committed to international development “regardless of the ebb and flow of the markets.”

Excerpts below, full transcript here

You know, we meet today in the middle of a serious global financial crisis. Over the past few weeks, we have seen how the world’s economies are more interconnected than ever before. The crisis is having a major impact on working people all over the world — including many in developing nations.

During times of economic crisis, some may be tempted to turn inward — focusing on our problems here at home, while ignoring our interests around the world. This would be a serious mistake. America is committed — and America must stay committed — to international development for reasons that remain true regardless of the ebb and flow of the markets. We believe that development is in America’s security interests. We face an enemy that can’t stand freedom. And the only way they can recruit to their hateful ideology is by exploiting despair — and the best way to respond is to spread hope.

We believe that we ought to remain committed to development because it’s in our long-term economic interests. When America helps developing nations rise out of poverty, we create new markets for our goods and services, and better jobs for American workers. And we’re committed to development because it’s in our moral interests. I strongly believe in the timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required. We are a blessed nation and I believe we have a duty to help those less fortunate around the world. We believe that power to save lives comes with the obligation to use it. And I believe our nation is better when we help people fight hunger and disease and illiteracy.

-Chris Scott

President Bush just finished addressing the UN Assembly in New York. During his remarks he pushed for stronger economic and HIV/AIDS fighting initiatives in Africa. He noted that “every country and institution that provides foreign assistance including the United Nations will be more effective by showing faith in the people of the developing world and insisting on performance in return for aid ”while asking countries to “adopt a model of partnership not paternalism.”

He also spoke at length about PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief):

Every nation that receives American support through this initiative develops its own plan for fighting HIV aids and measures the results. And so far these results are inspiring. 5 years ago 50,000 people in Sub-Saharan Africa were receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS. Today that number is nearly 1.7 million. We’re taking a similar approach to fighting malaria, and so far we’ve supported local efforts to protect more than 25 million Africans. …All [nations] who have made pledges to fight disease have an obligation to follow through on their commitments.

The full clip can be found here.

-Chris Scott

ONE’s Legislative Deputy Director Maryamu Aminu is sending in live updates from the PEPFAR signing at the White House.

3pm:

-Very exciting atmosphere in the east gold room. They usually have state dinners in here.

-The procession just arrived and are standing on stage. Primary cosponsors: Biden, Berman, Kerry, Payne, Sununu, Brownback, Lugar, Lee, Pence, Dybul, and Enzi.

-People in the room:

Africa diplomatic corps and 15 focus-country ambassadors
Mrs Lantos, for whose husband the bill is named
Malaria coordinator- Anthony Zeimer
The African Children’s Choir
Peter Piot, head of UNAIDS

-President and the First Lady just arrived – to applause. (more…)

Moments ago President Bush appeared at the Rose Garden to speak about his upcoming trip to the G8 Summit in Japan. President Bush spoke of the G8 leaders’ 2005 promises to double development aid by 2010, and said one of his major agenda items at the summit will be to rally our partners to “make commitments and meet commitments.”

You can watch video of his remarks below. I also transcribed a portion of his speech. I hope to post the full transcript up here soon.

“Now we need to show the world that the G8 can be accountable for its promises and deliver results…

Accountability is really important when it comes to our work on the continent of Africa. 2005 G8 leaders promised to double development assistance to Africa by 2010. America’s on track to meet our commitments, and in Japan I’ll urge other nations to fulfill their commitments as well.

We must also fulfill our committments in the battle against HIV/AIDS and malaria. I’ve asked Congress to reauthorize and expand the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, doubling our funding for this vital effort. It’s very important that Congress reauthorize this plan, but in the meantime we’re fulfilling our promises that we made, not only to the G8 but more importantly to the people on the continent of Africa.

It’s important that over the next 5 years, we support antiretroviral treatment for approximately 2.5 million people. That we prevent 12 million new AIDS infections and that we care for 12 million people also effected by HIV/AIDS including 5 million orphans and vulnerable children.

Last year the G8 agreed to meet those commitments. They agreed to match. They also agreed to help us reduce malaria in effected-countries by half. I hope that these countries understand the great promise and hope that comes when [clip cuts off here.] So one of my really important agenda items is gonna rally our partners to make commitments and meet commitments.”

President Bush talked went on to talk about healthcare workers, neglected tropical diseases, the food crisis, agriculture and trade.

-Virginia Simmons

UPDATE: Full transcript is now after the jump. (more…)

At the annual U.S.-E.U. summit today, President Bush will ask for support from the European Union in fighting treatable diseases in Africa.

From Reuters:

“These are seven significant diseases which together afflict close to a billion people,” Dan Price, deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs, told reporters aboard Air Force One as Bush flew to the summit in Slovenia.

“These diseases are treatable and beatable by medicines that are available today,” Price said, adding that it would cost around $1 billion. The United States has already committed $350 million over the next five years, he said.

-Virginia Simmons

This afternoon, just hours after ONE staff dropped off a petition at the White House with nearly 120,000 signers, President Bush stood before press and TV cameras to call for $770 million in emergency food aid.

You can now see a transcript of his 3:30 PM public speech here.

Some excerpts:

In recent weeks, many have expressed concern about the significant increase in global food prices. And I share this concern. In some of the world’s poorest nations, rising prices can mean the difference between getting a daily meal and going without food…

I think more needs to be done, and so today I am calling on Congress to provide an additional $770 million to support food aid and development programs. Together, this amounts to nearly $1 billion in new funds to bolster global food security…

As America increases its food assistance, it’s really important that we transform the way that food aid is delivered. In my State of the Union address this year, I called on Congress to support a proposal to purchase up to nearly 25 percent of food assistance directly from farmers in the developing world. And the reason you do that is, in order to break the cycle of famine that we’re having to deal with too often in a modern era, it’s important to help build up local agriculture…

We believe in a timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is expected. And so therefore at home we are working to ensure that the neediest among us can cope with the rising food prices. And with the new international funding I’m announcing today, we’re sending a clear message to the world: that America will lead the fight against hunger for years to come.

Thank you very much for your interest. God bless.

Read the full transcript here.

-Virginia Simmons

It’s being covered live on CNN. Not sure yet if it’s on other channels yet.

Yesterday afternoon, President Bush ordered $200 million in emergency food aid to help alleviate food shortages around the developing world. The money will come from the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, a reserve account for emergency food aid needs.

From a Reuters’ piece:

“White House spokeswoman Dana Perino had said Bush, who was briefed about the food crisis during a cabinet meeting earlier on Monday, was “very concerned” and asked senior aides to look into ways the United States could help ease shortages.

Washington provided more than $2.1 billion in international food aid in fiscal 2007.

Perino had said the administration was sticking to its proposal to buy more of the food used in assistance programs from suppliers closer to needy countries, which would cut transportation costs. U.S. agricultural interests have resisted the idea….

At the United Nations on Monday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said rapidly worsening food shortages around the world had “reached emergency proportions.”

“We need not only short-term emergency measures to meet urgent critical needs and avert starvation in many regions across the world but also a significant increase in long-term productivity in food grain production,” Ban said.

Read the full article here.

-Virginia Simmons

Britain and France will today announce a joint initiative to help send 16 million African children to school in the next two years, in partnership with international football authorities.

The Guardian: Plan to put 16m African children into school

At the East African Health and Scientific Conference in Kenya on Wednesday, experts testified that constraints in the health sector are exacerbating health problems in rural communities. Some blamed conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund in the early 1990s.

Daily Nation: Shortage of health staff hits East African states

An editorial by Michael Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland, appeared in today’s Washington Times. The piece praises President Bush’s work in Africa, noting that this story hasn’t made headlines in the United States but is making headlines around the world.

Washington Times: Bush’s Africa legacy

-Chandler Smith