New Obama Administration policy “elevates global development”

World Vision welcomes plan, cautions against neglecting community-level and private sector partners

New York, September 23, 2010—International humanitarian organization World Vision applauds President Barack Obama’s newly announced U.S. Global Development Policy. The following are remarks from Ambassador George Ward, senior vice president for international programs for World Vision in the U.S.:

“President Obama’s announcement of a new United States policy elevates global development as a central pillar – alongside diplomacy and defense – of rebuilding the American foreign assistance architecture with a stronger USAID and greater ‘country ownership’ of development aid.

“The decision to provide greater resources under a first-ever comprehensive U.S. Global Development Strategy, emphasizing maternal and child health and other priorities, should greatly enhance the United States’ contribution to meeting the Millennium Development Goals, a set of targets that aim to reduce extreme poverty and improve health for the world’s most vulnerable people.

“However, to achieve its new global development goals, the Obama Administration must strengthen partnerships with host countries and civil society organizations in ways that recognize their vital roles in global development.

“New U.S. commitments to aid effectiveness are key to establishing more involved and accountable partner countries. Still, the Administration must avoid defining ‘country ownership’ as ‘host government ownership’ of U.S. assistance.

“Through its work in nearly 100 countries, World Vision has learned that effective development assistance requires broad ownership that includes local community-based partners and civil society groups, not only host governments. International NGOs know that we must assist both host-country governments and local communities to ensure sustainability and effectiveness and enable local leadership. The Administration must continue assisting non-governmental and private sector partners even as it strives, commendably, to push development strategy decisions out of donor capitals and into partner countries.

“The Obama Administration must also recognize the effective role of U.S. private development assistance, which exceeds the aid provided by a number of G8/G20 governments. This policy creates a new opportunity to leverage international NGO work in ways that extend the reach of aid to better tackle poverty.

“Finally, World Vision acknowledges the contribution of aid to security, but warns against weaving development assistance too closely with U.S. Department of Defense objectives and U.S. security operations. The Administration must be careful to in pursuing a ‘whole of government’ approach in order to avoid undermining the security of partners and beneficiaries in global development.”


World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, visit www.worldvision.org/press.