USGLC

At the USGLC, we are leading advocates of the International Affairs Budget (IAB), so one of the first things we discuss with our interns is the importance of these programs for America’s global leadership in development and diplomacy around the world. At just 1% of the total federal budget, IAB programs are a strategic investment in advancing our country’s health, economic, and security interests. They play a critical role in responding to humanitarian crises, tackling global health challenges, and preventing conflict, among many other vital activities. Moreover, international affairs funding from Congress is responsible for supporting agencies and programs that include the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, and global health and foreign assistance.

China’s growing influence has become a driving topic in Washington, DC , with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and the Administration highlighting the need to compete in Latin America, the Caribbean, and around the world. U.S. agencies are...

The implications of climate change for global health are impossible to deny, with climate change not only exacerbating existing health threats but also creating new public health challenges...

In their own words below, and in no particular order, our summer and fall intern classes of 2021 provide highlights of their presentations, helping show the range and diversity of U.S. international affairs programs and how their funding supports...

In annual January fashion, many organizations have released their 2022 crisis watch lists to flag conflicts that they expect to dominate the year ahead. To determine the nuances and overlaps of these various evaluations, we reviewed and synthesized...

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) opened with calls for historic levels of action and collaboration. President Biden depicted the stark challenge facing the world in his remarks during the World Leaders Summit on the first day of COP26, stating, “[Climate change] is the challenge of our collective lifetimes – the existential threat, the threat to human existence as we know it. And every day we delay, the cost of inaction increases. So let this be the moment that we answer history’s call here in Glasgow. Let this be the start of a decade of transformative action that preserves our planet and raises the quality of life for people everywhere.”

Many Americans do not realize that over half of food aid globally comes from the U.S., making the Midwest not just the breadbasket of our nation but the breadbasket of the world. At USGLC’s inaugural 2021 Heartland Summit, we asked local, national, and international leaders what America’s investments in agriculture and international affairs programs to feed the hungry were worth. Their answer? Everything.

The fight against human trafficking is one of many global challenges only made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. A report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that “since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, trafficking in persons went even further underground” and “created larger pools of vulnerable persons.”

As the United States and other countries are increasingly vaccinated and reopening their economies, 20 countries across Africa are facing a third wave that could be the “worst yet.” The IMF reports that COVID-19 infections in sub-Saharan Africa are the fastest growing in the world—driven in part by the highly contagious delta variant—and hospitals are already at capacity in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda, highlighting the urgent need for a global response to prevent new variants of the coronavirus from spreading.

At this week’s Leaders Summit on Climate hosted at the White House, President Joe Biden underscored the need for international cooperation on the climate crisis, stating “No nation can solve this crisis on our own…all of us — and particularly those of us who represent the world’s largest economies — we have to step up.” This consensus was similarly reflected throughout the two-day Summit, as leaders from more than 40 countries alongside U.S. cabinet officials, business leaders, representatives from multilateral organizations, and even Pope Francis, discussed the immense challenge climate change poses and the cooperation needed to confront it.