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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Remarks by Harriet C. Babbitt,
at the National Foreign Policy Conference for Leaders of Non-Governmental Organizations
USAID Deputy Administrator
May 19, 2000
First, I want to thank Secretary Albright and Ambassador Sherman, for everything they have done to support and advance American foreign policy. And on behalf of USAID's Administrator, Brady Anderson, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to see so many of USAID's NGO partners today and to be here with colleagues from the Department of State.
The partnership between the Department of State and USAID is stronger than ever. Over the last several years we have been engaged in a number of concrete efforts to strengthen the already excellent coordination between the two agencies -- on everything from policies and planning to budgeting and program implementation.
Having served in both the Department and USAID - it is good to see how well the 150 account partnership is working.
I have other good news on behalf of USAID.
Earlier this month, Senator Fred Thompson announced that USAID ranked first among 24 government agencies in reporting on its performance and documenting the tangible benefits of its programs. First! It was a banner day for us -- and for you. After all -- without partners we can't have programs; and without programs we can't have results. I want to thank you and share the glory.
There is a deeper significance to this recognition. Senator Thompson knows that the American people want real results from their government. He noted that "the American people are growing more and more cynical about the way the federal government works." He added that these reports, "If done well…can help reverse [this trend.]" We at USAID are very proud of our accomplishment.
A second bit of good news crossed my desk about a month ago which I'd also like to share with you. A public opinion survey conducted by the RAND Corporation noted that support for international economic assistance is at its highest level since the early 1970s. In fact, support for foreign assistance has grown 16 points since the beginning of the first Clinton-Gore Administration.
Sixty percent of the Americans surveyed by RAND said that money spent helping people overseas helps the United States. In short, a solid majority of the American people know that foreign assistance is not only the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do.
All of you know the value of foreign assistance, but we need to be even better at getting the message out. We need to show all the American people that their tax dollars are well spent, and that foreign aid has real benefits for America and Americans -- in terms of our economic well being as well as our national security.
- We have to let people know that the developing world is our fastest growing trading partner, that approximately 80 percent of the world's consumers live in the developing world, and that U.S. exports to the developing world in 1998 alone totaled more than $295 billion. Clearly, we have a strong national interest in how these economies and societies develop.
- We need to explain that it's not just about the economy, but also about building democracy. Last year there were 31 civil conflicts and complex emergencies, nearly twice as many as at the end of the Cold War. Strong democratic institutions are the first and best defense against the conditions that lead to these crises.
- It's been said that stable democracies don't go to war. While some may quarrel with that assertion, I don't know anyone who would dispute President Clinton's observation that the costliest peace is cheaper than the cheapest war.
- Democratic governments are also more likely to observe international laws, and to enjoy the kind of long-term stability necessary for economic growth and expanded international trade. Conversely, countries lacking democratic institutions are more likely to succumb to crisis, requiring U.S. humanitarian assistance and even U.S. military support.
I am proud to say that USAID is getting results. Since USAID was created in 1961,
- literacy worldwide has risen by almost 50 percent,
- life expectancy has risen by a decade,
- smallpox has been eliminated and
- the percentage of people living in absolute poverty has been cut almost in half. Of course, we didn't do it alone. But it couldn't have happened without us.
But let me say too that it couldn't have been done without the energy, creativity, and dedication of the entire U.S. NGO community -- PVOs, universities, foundations, professional associations, research institutes, and more. NGOs bring to the task of economic development the one thing people want most: know-how. And NGOs are able to apply that know-how in areas and ways often not open to bilateral channels. It's no exaggeration to say that NGOs are critical to the United States' effectiveness in the world.
Of course, there is a long history of cooperation between USAID and U.S. NGOs:
- First, NGOs implement a very significant share of USAID programs.
- Second, U.S. NGOs are critical to strengthening NGOs in other countries -- a primary focus of many of our programs.
- Third, USAID consults with NGOs when developing our goals, strategic objectives, and indicators. Through the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid, development experts affiliated with NGOs help us determine the future of foreign assistance.
- Fourth, NGOs are a core constituency for foreign assistance, and help us communicate its importance to the American people.
- Fifth, as active players in the international arena, NGOs advance positions that can ultimately advance USAID strategies and programs.
There are new trends in our relationship as well, and none more exciting than the long-term partnerships among governments, civil society and the private sector that really blossomed in the 1990s. For example,
- In Malawi, a small grant from USAID enabled an American NGO, Project HOPE, to develop a collaborative program with private tea plantations to provide preventive health services for women and children. Building on the success of this effort, Malawi's largest agriculture firm replicated the model, and is now helping over 200,000 agricultural workers and their families stay healthy.
- In Uganda, we supported a partnership between Land O'Lakes and HealthPartners, a Minnesota-based U.S health care cooperative, to work with Ugandan dairy cooperatives to help them open a health cooperative to provide community-based health care.
- We are working with the U.S. Energy Association to create partnerships between U.S. utilities and regulatory agencies and their counterparts in the developing world. These partnerships use market-based approaches and best practices to help people all over the world get access to electricity and other sources of power.
- Let me mention just one more example: the Presidential Millennium Initiative, through which USAID, Treasury, State and others are working to encourage investment by vaccine manufacturers in the research and development of new vaccines and working with NGOs to improve vaccine delivery programs. NGO assistance is absolutely crucial to the success of this initiative.
USAID's collaboration with the non-governmental sector is producing results in less tangible areas as well. In Indonesia, for example, where the climate for advocacy is much more open than before, local NGOs are working to promote environmental awareness, gender issues, land rights, the rights of children and workers, and to raise public awareness of corruption. These local NGOs are stronger and more effective as a result of technical assistance provided by USAID through PACT, an American NGO.
It is tempting to dwell on our shared successes -- and there are many. But we must stay focused on the future, and the challenges we still face.
And perhaps our biggest challenge over the next few years will be marshalling the resources we need to do our work well. The entire 150 account is threatened. When the Department and USAID don't have the resources to support democratic reform, or to modernize communications systems, or to improve the security of U.S. personnel assigned overseas -- that affects our ability to do our job.
This year, unfortunately, funding for USAID's democracy and governance programs was significantly cut. Next year, barring a major stroke of good luck, our education and training programs are likely to be hit.
But perhaps the hardest hit portion of USAID's portfolio is economic growth and agricultural development. We don't have the basic resources we need to expand and strengthen private markets, encourage agricultural development, and promote economic opportunity.
For example, we know that investing in girls' education is one of the best investments we can make -- the cost/benefit analysis of investing in girls' education is absolutely clear. We know that there are 130 million children around the world that should be in school but are not, and that about 60 percent of these children are girls.
USAID currently spends $98 million every year on girls' education programs. That sounds like a lot, but let's put it in perspective: Fairfax County, just a few miles outside Washington, spends about $1.3 billion on its schools every year.
We really need to do more.
All our activities -- whether education or microenterprise -- are important for developing countries, but they are also important for us. When developing country economies become more open and market-oriented, demand for American goods and services increases. For example, as a result of trade liberalization, American exports to Central America have nearly doubled since 1992. They now amount to almost $10 billion annually, supporting nearly 200,000 American jobs.
I began by speaking about the excellent collaboration between the Department of State and USAID. Let me end on the same note.
Foreign assistance is an essential tool of American foreign policy. The economic health and prosperity of the United States depend on the development of free markets and the establishment of democratic institutions abroad.
U.S. foreign assistance strengthens our ability to promote peace, to combat the spread of illegal drugs, to fight terrorism, and to halt nuclear proliferation. USAID programs help people become more productive participants in the global community and the global marketplace.
It is incumbent on every one of us to spread the message that a strong U.S. commitment to development and international cooperation means a strong United States. Our ability to accomplish our goals hinges on our ability to get this message out.
I share Ambassador Sherman's gratitude for many of you coming a long way to be with us here today.
Thank you.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 12, 2001 |
