On Monday, August 31st, the White House issued a Presidential Study Directive authorizing a U.S. government-wide review of global development policy. The review is expected to be completed by January, and is being led by National Security Advisor Gen. Jim Jones and National Economic Council Chairman Larry Summers. It is expected to reach across multiple government agencies, including State, USAID, Defense, Treasury, Agriculture and others, to develop a more coordinated and strategic approach to development policy. The USGLC issued a
statement praising the Obama Administration for taking this important step and acknowledged the Administration for its strong FY10 International Affairs Budget
request and the State Department’s
Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), as complementary efforts to implement a smart power foreign policy approach to address the global challenges of the 21st century.