Bread for the World Applauds Administration’s Commitment to Reforming Foreign Policy

Washington, DC, December 15, 2010

Today the U.S. State Department released the first-ever Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), “Leading through Civilian Power.” Aimed at setting a sweeping reform agenda for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the QDDR takes a comprehensive look at the role of U.S. foreign aid and global development initiatives in a world with increased needs, threats, and opportunities.

“The QDDR is an important step in reforming U.S. foreign aid, making U.S. support for development and poverty reduction around the world more effective,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “This is yet another way the administration is showing its dedication to providing effective assistance to people all over the world who desperately need it.”

The QDDR is an extension of the Global Development Policy that President Barack Obama announced in September, with a focus on strengthening and better coordinating U.S. diplomacy and development efforts, as carried out by the State Department and USAID. This review places greater emphasis on interagency collaboration and public diplomacy, focusing U.S. support for more inclusive, sustained economic growth, and elevating and transforming development to deliver results by supporting innovation and measuring results.

Under the QDDR, the U.S. government will elevate development as a priority and strengthen USAID. The U.S. Agency for International Development will assume a leadership role for Feed the Future and eventually the Global Health Initiative.

“The QDDR truly emphasizes the administration’s commitment to global development, providing hope that people around the world will receive the support, resources, and assistance they need,” said Beckmann. “This is a major accomplishment for Bread for the World members who have pushed the administration and Congress on U.S. foreign aid reform. We are thrilled at the release of this review and look forward to bipartisan legislation to make these plans permanent.”

Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation's decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.

Media Contact:
Racine Tucker-Hamilton, 202.688.1138