May 21, 2009
Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman recently introduced the "Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009.” This legislation seeks to make US foreign assistance more strategic, effective, and transparent.
Aid reform is needed to prioritize assistance to those most in need.
WaterAid / Marco Betti
To do this, the bill requires President Obama to develop and implement the first ever comprehensive National Strategy for Global Development, that focuses on reducing poverty and supporting economic growth in developing countries.
The bill further requires the Administration to develop a rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of US foreign assistance, and to ensure that both American taxpayers and the beneficiaries of US foreign assistance have full access to information on how this money is being spent.
The “Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act” is an important first step in building congressional support for broader foreign assistance reform.
US foreign assistance should focus on helping the poor by delivering real impact for those who need it most. Along with others in the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, WaterAid America believes that reform is necessary in order to create a more effective aid
system that will ensure the efficient delivery of basic services such as water and sanitation in the places where they are most needed.
WaterAid America welcomes Chairman Berman's statement that he intends “to work with [his] House and Senate colleagues later this year on a broader reform effort that will include a comprehensive rewrite of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.”
