Foreign aid boost makes a commendable step toward reducing global want

Social justice news
April 2002

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Foreign aid boost makes
a commendable step toward reducing global want
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) applauded the Bush Administration's plan to add $10 billion to U.S. overseas development assistance by 2006. The U.S. Catholic overseas development agency commended its government for offering a greater contribution of its resources as industrialized nations seek to cut global poverty in half.

"This is a significant first step in reversing the historical decline in our foreign aid. It appears to demonstrate this administration's commitment to further address the needs of the world's poor, and we hope it will be specifically directed to supporting improvements in livelihoods, health, education, human rights and by giving voice to the marginalized," said CRS Executive Director Ken Hackett. "As the U.S. recovers from September 11 and continues to face the threat of terrorism, I believe there is a greater understanding that terrorism finds fertile fields where there is poverty, injustice and lack of opportunity."

Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil made the foreign aid announcement in Monterrey on Wednesday, and in a speech today President Bush acknowledged that wealthy countries must do more to help the poor. The president repeated a previous announcement that the U.S. will make the increased aid available only to countries that have demonstrated good governance, avoid corruption, invest in their people, and that have sound economic policies.

CRS officials say they share the administration's commitment to results in the delivery of increased foreign aid.

"We know that a substantial portion of the world's poor live in countries that lack good governance, and we will continue to search for solutions on how to assist those who share the same right to human dignity and improved living conditions as those under strong governments," said Hackett.

CRS emphasized that successful development programs will depend on economic and trade policies that help alleviate poverty, such as the greater opening of U.S. markets to developing country goods. The agency further expressed hope that the U.S. will invite elements of civil society in developing countries to take an active part in designing and implementing these new investments in overseas development.

"Our experience has shown that when civil society is given voice in the framing of plans for development in their own countries, the effectiveness is much greater," said Lori Pearson, CRS foreign policy adviser who attended the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey this week.

Specifically, CRS pledged to work with the Bush Administration to:

Seek international and civil society input to determine the criteria for administering increased foreign aid available through the so called "Millennium Challenge Account;"
Use the Account to reduce extreme global poverty by 50 percent
Support poverty reduction and development plans with realistic timeframes, and accountability to citizens as well as donor countries;
Measure success using indicators of the impact on human dignity and livelihoods rather than macro-economic indicators alone;
Ensure that U.S. political, economic and trade policies are consistent with anti-poverty approaches to poor nations;
Establish a calendar for achieving a doubling of overseas development assistance.

Catholic Relief Services provides assistance to people in more than 85 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Catholic Relief Services provides assistance on the basis of need, not race, creed or nationality.

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