Secretary Clinton on elevating development
July 16, 2009

In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations yesterday, Secretary Clinton cited five key strategies the Obama administration will employ in its foreign policy, including elevating development as a pillar of American smart power.

"Our third policy approach, and a personal priority for me as Secretary, is to elevate and integrate development as a core pillar of American power. We advance our security, our prosperity, and our values by improving the material conditions of people’s lives around the world. These efforts also lay the groundwork for greater global cooperation, by building the capacity of new partners and tackling shared problems from the ground up."

Sec. Clinton committed to seek more effective solutions that will deliver tangible, lasting results and development partnerships that will help countries stand on their own.

IGD welcomes Secretary Clinton’s commitment to development and is encouraged by her assertion that a whole-of-government approach that includes other agencies is required if we are to deliver a national development strategy that improves lives and expands economic growth and opportunity in poor countries.

Read the complete speech here.