June 15, InterAction s Statement on the Impact of Foreign Aid Reform

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Lewis Chambers
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1 June 15, 2017 InterAction s Statement on the Impact of Foreign Aid Reform We, the undersigned humanitarian and development non-governmental organizations and partners, share a commitment to alleviating human suffering to make the world a more peaceful, just, democratic, and prosperous place. As organizations working in the humanitarian space in nearly every country on the planet, we represent American citizens instinct to make a positive difference in the lives of the world s poorest and most marginalized people. Therefore, in the context of ongoing discussions about foreign assistance reform, our focus is on the impact any reforms will have on people whose lives are affected by our programming. Because the United States foreign assistance infrastructure supports positive, life-changing programs for people all over the world, reforms that reduce its effectiveness or reach also alter our community s ability to support human dignity, livelihoods, and the voice of local civil society. As a result, we are concerned that efforts with the stated goal of finding efficiency in foreign assistance but which are hasty or unexamined will cause harm to the very people we work to serve. We believe that strong bipartisan congressional support for foreign assistance has been a key element of the United States positive presence in the world; and that responsible, appropriate reform requires collaboration between Congress and the executive branch. Over the last decade, Congress had led reform efforts to improve USAID, with exciting and powerful results. We therefore support congressional engagement to study the administration s foreign assistance reform proposals. We especially call for explicit consideration of any proposal s full impact in human, economic, and institutional terms. Over the last 50 years, the development and humanitarian community has learned a tremendous amount about what works and what does not in programming and management. We ask Congress to use its authority to continue to put that learning to work to inform and guide how this country engages with the world through development and diplomacy. To inform that process, we also propose below the core values, observations, and principles that underpin our community s vision for U.S. development assistance. For decades, a key purpose of foreign assistance has been to alleviate poverty and promote decency, dignity, and hope, while promoting American goodwill. Addressing root causes of poverty, promoting development, and preventing and responding to humanitarian crises are important elements of U.S. moral leadership and reputation around the world. The U.S. depends on a robust and independent U.S. foreign assistance agency to achieve sustainable impact. Successful development and humanitarian programs support a safe and secure world, but they operate on different timelines than immediate-term diplomacy. An independent aid agency preserves the United States ability to address immediate and future challenges and supports long term development objectives. Chief Executive Officer Samuel A. Worthington Chair Neal Keny-Guyer Mercy Corps Vice Chair Carolyn Miles Save the Children Treasurer Tessie San Martin Plan International USA Board of Directors William Abrams Trickle Up Shawna Bader-Blau Solidarity Center J Ron Byler Mennonite Central Committee US Amy Coughenour Betancourt NCBA CLUSA International Steve Davis PATH Jonathan Duffy ADRA International Pierre Ferrari Heifer International Pape Gaye IntraHealth International, Inc. Mohamed Idris American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa W. Douglas Jackson Project C.U.R.E. Anwar Khan Islamic Relief USA Douglas Rutzen International Center for Notfor-Profit Law Kathy Spahn Helen Keller International Donald Steinberg World Learning Susan Sygall Mobility International USA Andrea Tamburini Action Against Hunger - USA Tosca Bruno-van Vijfeijken Transnational NGO Initiative David Weiss Global Communities Nancy E. Wilson Relief International The goal of any reform or reorganization should be to improve the United States ability to deliver different types of positive outcomes. This requires detailed th Street, NW Suite 210 Washington, DC Phone Fax ia@interaction.org

2 consideration that extends beyond costs and into the way reforms alter the effectiveness of proposed reforms. What works for global health is likely different than what works for food security or disaster response. U.S. foreign assistance programs can and should be made more efficient and effective, but we oppose mergers that ignore differences in strategic objectives, purposes, or professions. American diplomats, development specialists, international health workers, and humanitarians are trained professionals with different, meaningful skills. Combining offices or accounts with incompatible goals and staff requirements will reduce effectiveness more than it reduces overhead. Private actors are not a substitute for official U.S. presence: InterAction members manage the vast majority of the $15.4 billion committed annually to international development from private and voluntary organizations.only 25% of which is from the U.S. government. While civil society organizations are critical partners to the U.S. government for the implementation of foreign assistance neither private sector actors nor charitable giving can replace the critical, convening power, and overarching framework provided by the United States government.

3 1. ACDI/VOCA 2. Action Against Hunger 3. ADRA International 4. Adventist Development and Relief Agency 5. Alliance for Peacebuilding 6. Alliance to End Hunger 7. African Development Solutions 8. American Jewish World Service 9. Basic Education Coalition 10. BRAC USA 11. Bread for the World 12. CARE 13. Catholic Relief Services 14. ChildFund International 15. Church World Service 16. Concern Worldwide US 17. Congressional Hunger Center 18. Doctors of the World / Médecins du Monde USA 19. Feed the Children 20. Global Communities 21. Global Health Council 22. Global Links 23. Handicap International 24. Heart to Heart International 25. Helen Keller International 26. International Center for Not-for- Profit Law 27. IHC Global 28. IMA World Health 29. INMED Partnerships for Children 30. Institute for Sustainable Communities 31. International Center for Research on Women 32. International Development, Community, and Environment Department, Clark University 33. International Fund for Animal Welfare 34. International Medical Corps 35. International Rescue Committee 36. International Youth Foundation 37. IntraHealth International 38. Islamic Relief USA 39. Management Sciences for Health 40. MedShare 41. Mennonite Central Committee 42. Mercy Corps 43. Mercy-USA for Aid and Development 44. NCBA CLUSA 45. ONE 46. Operation USA 47. Oxfam America 48. Plan International USA 49. Planet Aid, Inc. 50. Population Action International 51. Project Concern International 52. Refugees International 53. ReSurge International 54. RTI International 55. Save the Children 56. Self Help Africa 57. Seva Foundation 58. Solar Cookers International 59. SPOON 60. The Hunger Project 61. Trickle Up 62. UNICEF USA 63. Water WaterAid America 65. Water for South Sudan 66. WellShare 67. Women s Refugee Commission 68. World Concern 69. World Hope International 70. World Vision th Street, NW Suite 210 Washington, DC Phone Fax ia@interaction.org

April 9, Dear Senator,

April 9, Dear Senator, April 9, 2013 Dear Senator, We, the undersigned members and partners of InterAction, write to urge you to support strong funding for international development and humanitarian assistance accounts in FY2014